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**States say they need more help replacing lead pipes but Congress may cut funding instead**
The U.S. Senate is taking up a spending package passed by the House of Representatives that would cut $125 million in funding promised this year to replace toxic lead pipes. The slashed $125 million would be repurposed for wildland fire management.
Safe drinking water advocates and some lawmakers have called for the funds to be restored, calling them critical for health and safety.
Because lead pipes are a public health hazard, the EPA has mandated that all states replace them within a decade, with some extensions for states with many pipes, like Illinois. Cuts to funding will likely impact cities with high numbers of pipes, like Chicago, most severely, one expert said.
**Amid playoff push, Bears survey season-ticket holders on potential NW Indiana stadium**
The Bears sent a survey to season-ticket holders Monday asking how they would feel about a new stadium across the border in Indiana — and what they would be willing to pay for seats at a new dome “approximately 20 miles from Chicago.”
The Bears conducted a similar survey last year about a potential stadium in Arlington Heights, which the team has coveted since its $197 million deal to buy the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse in 2021. The team has committed to paying $2 billion to cover the full cost of a new stadium, but it will need taxpayer dollars for infrastructure upgrades — and it wants state lawmakers to allow it to negotiate its property tax payments with local governments.
Gov. JB Pritzker and state legislative leaders have signaled a willingness to chip in on infrastructure, but they’ve urged the team to identify a mechanism to pay off more than half a billion dollars still owed on Soldier Field’s 2003 renovation as a condition to getting any help.
**BRIGHT ONE**
Julian Davis Reid lifts his voice through his piano
When he first sat down behind a set of keys, Julian Davis Reid quickly learned the piano was his voice.
The Chicago-based pianist and theologian first found himself in a music class at age 2. He released his fourth album, “Vocation,” in 2025, with plans to bring his tour home to Constellation on Wednesday.
Reid grew up on the city’s Southwest Side, attending Whitney Young High School and the Merit School of Music. He later studied philosophy and music theory at Yale University, and went on to study theology and the arts at Emory University.
But Reid notes he discovered his artistic voice through his involvement in Chicago improvisational trio the JuJu Exchange — which he co-founded nearly a decade ago with his brother Nova Zaii and friend Nico Segal. The trio, which has been playing music together for 20 years, released a third album, “BEHOLD,” in September.
“Vocation” also holds memories. He includes songs dedicated to his wife, Carmen, as well as his parents and daughter, and even includes voice recordings of his mother.
**YOUR DAILY QUESTION**
Yesterday, we asked you: What’s something superstitious you do for every Bears game?
Here’s some of what you said…
“All of my wife’s family, including kids, sit in the exact same spot they were sitting after a Bears win. My brother-in-law also kneels and says a prayer before the game starts.” — Alfredo Arroyo
“I talk to my late husband’s urn and tell him he knows what to do: Give us a W.” — Sandy Szczygiel Zahorik
“I wear the same shirt, unwashed, until they lose, then I wash it for the next game and if they win I don’t wash it.” — Lynn Gryzlak
“My mother, who is the biggest Bears fan I know, has a list of family members and friends [who] she calls individually after every touchdown. Both people yell into the phone, then hangup. She has been doing this for years and for every game, regardless of the score or the team’s record. The list has gotten longer, and the shouts have gotten louder with each win.” — Connor O’Donnell
**States say they need more help replacing lead pipes but Congress may cut funding instead**
The U.S. Senate is taking up a spending package passed by the House of Representatives that would cut $125 million in funding promised this year to replace toxic lead pipes. The slashed $125 million would be repurposed for wildland fire management.
Safe drinking water advocates and some lawmakers have called for the funds to be restored, calling them critical for health and safety.
Because lead pipes are a public health hazard, the EPA has mandated that all states replace them within a decade, with some extensions for states with many pipes, like Illinois. Cuts to funding will likely impact cities with high numbers of pipes, like Chicago, most severely, one expert said.
**Amid playoff push, Bears survey season-ticket holders on potential NW Indiana stadium**
The Bears sent a survey to season-ticket holders Monday asking how they would feel about a new stadium across the border in Indiana — and what they would be willing to pay for seats at a new dome “approximately 20 miles from Chicago.”
The Bears conducted a similar survey last year about a potential stadium in Arlington Heights, which the team has coveted since its $197 million deal to buy the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse in 2021. The team has committed to paying $2 billion to cover the full cost of a new stadium, but it will need taxpayer dollars for infrastructure upgrades — and it wants state lawmakers to allow it to negotiate its property tax payments with local governments.
Gov. JB Pritzker and state legislative leaders have signaled a willingness to chip in on infrastructure, but they’ve urged the team to identify a mechanism to pay off more than half a billion dollars still owed on Soldier Field’s 2003 renovation as a condition to getting any help.
**BRIGHT ONE**
Julian Davis Reid lifts his voice through his piano
When he first sat down behind a set of keys, Julian Davis Reid quickly learned the piano was his voice.
The Chicago-based pianist and theologian first found himself in a music class at age 2. He released his fourth album, “Vocation,” in 2025, with plans to bring his tour home to Constellation on Wednesday.
Reid grew up on the city’s Southwest Side, attending Whitney Young High School and the Merit School of Music. He later studied philosophy and music theory at Yale University, and went on to study theology and the arts at Emory University.
But Reid notes he discovered his artistic voice through his involvement in Chicago improvisational trio the JuJu Exchange — which he co-founded nearly a decade ago with his brother Nova Zaii and friend Nico Segal. The trio, which has been playing music together for 20 years, released a third album, “BEHOLD,” in September.
“Vocation” also holds memories. He includes songs dedicated to his wife, Carmen, as well as his parents and daughter, and even includes voice recordings of his mother.
**YOUR DAILY QUESTION**
Yesterday, we asked you: What’s something superstitious you do for every Bears game?
Here’s some of what you said…
“All of my wife’s family, including kids, sit in the exact same spot they were sitting after a Bears win. My brother-in-law also kneels and says a prayer before the game starts.” — Alfredo Arroyo
“I talk to my late husband’s urn and tell him he knows what to do: Give us a W.” — Sandy Szczygiel Zahorik
“I wear the same shirt, unwashed, until they lose, then I wash it for the next game and if they win I don’t wash it.” — Lynn Gryzlak
“My mother, who is the biggest Bears fan I know, has a list of family members and friends [who] she calls individually after every touchdown. Both people yell into the phone, then hangup. She has been doing this for years and for every game, regardless of the score or the team’s record. The list has gotten longer, and the shouts have gotten louder with each win.” — Connor O’Donnell
how r we s'posed to keep safe in chicago w nothin left 2 clean the pipes
like how can we afford to fund wildland fires but not safe drinking water?! 
And now Chicago is gonna be hit hard, that's so not fair 
This is gonna hurt low-income communities & small businesses the most. The EPA's mandate to replace lead pipes by 2030 is already super aggressive - can we afford to cut funding? 
80% of Chicago's households can't afford healthcare, so how are they supposed to pay for water treatment? 
It's not just a matter of "oh, it's not my problem". We need to prioritize public health & infrastructure over politics. 
Can't believe they're even thinking about cutting funding for replacing lead pipes. I mean, those things are a serious health hazard and we should be doing everything in our power to get rid of them ASAP. It's not like it's just a matter of throwing some cash at the problem or something - these pipes are literally poisoning people's water 
. And now they're going to slash that $125 million? That's just cruel. 
The Bears surveying season ticket holders about a new stadium is a whole other can of worms, though - I love the team, but come on, guys, let's focus on something that actually matters for once 
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. The dude is talented! And I love how he got into music through his involvement with the JuJu Exchange - it's so cool to see people finding their passion in unexpected places 
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. What's more important than a new stadium when people are struggling for safe drinking water? 
... i get it its super frustrating for the ppl affected, but think of all those other wildland fires that need attention too 
can't we just focus on getting the priorities straight? like what's more important - a new stadium for the bears or actually fixing the pipes that could harm our water supply? 
But seriously, safe drinking water should be a priority, especially in communities where people are most vulnerable. It's just frustrating that the Senate is considering slashing funding for something that can have serious health consequences. 
And now it sounds like Congress might cut funding for them because of some wildfire thing? Like what's the deal with that?! Can't we prioritize our own citizens' safety over wildfires? 
. And can we talk about how unfair it is to the people who live in these cities? Like, they're already struggling with high costs of living and now they have to deal with toxic lead pipes too?! 
And dont even get me started on Soldier Field debt 
. Its like, cant we just prioritize da people's health over da sports teams profits?? 
They want season-ticket holders to weigh in on their plans, but some people might be worried about how they'll pay for it. 
The team wants taxpayer dollars to cover infrastructure costs, but there's no guarantee of that. 
Julian Davis Reid is one of them, and his new album "Vocation" is coming out soon! 
and Indiana 