Good morning, Chicago. ✶
🔎 Below: Keshia Golden says she fatally stabbed Calvin Sidney in 2022 when he attacked her after their baby shower. The mother of a 3-year-old still faces murder charges in a case her lawyers argue is self-defense.
🗞️ Plus: Reflecting on four years after Russia invaded Ukraine, a major campaign donor has reputed mob ties and more news you need to know.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
TODAY’S WEATHER 🌥️
Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and a high near 41.
TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎
Woman says she killed abusive boyfriend to save herself and their unborn child — will jury agree?
By Sophie Sherry
Fatal stabbing: Three and a half years ago, Keshia Golden thought her life was over — one way or another. Golden said that when her boyfriend threw her against a counter, she thought she and her unborn child were going to die. Then, after she fought back and fatally stabbed him, she thought she would spend the rest of her life behind bars, she said.
Her release: Golden was eventually released from jail, thanks to a team of advocates and lawyers who rallied around her. She was able to give birth and raise her daughter on the outside. It has been "the best thing that ever happened" to her, Golden told the Sun-Times.
Pending trial: Now she’s preparing for trial and is fearful that a jury won’t see her side of the story. Golden is due back in court next week. Her lawyers plan to argue she was acting in self-defense against a man with a history of abuse. But they’re pleading for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to drop the case altogether.
WAR IN UKRAINE 🇺🇦
4 years after Russian invasion of Ukraine, area residents reflect
By Violet Miller and Stephanie Zimmermann
'Daily life': When Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2022, Oksana Koledova regularly checked in with her brother, who was fighting on the front lines, and with loved ones facing down bullets and bombs. Wounded two years ago, her brother now brings resources to fellow troops, and her father runs meals and supplies to soldiers. For Koledova, a Vernon Hills resident who moved to the U.S. 19 years ago, the fight for her home country is her "daily life."
Incalculable toll: An estimated 1.8 million soldiers reportedly have been killed, wounded or gone missing on both sides. But that doesn’t include many who have returned from the battlefield with mental health struggles, Koledova said.
Seeking refuge: Iryna Potishma is among some of the 5.9 million refugees who have fled the country as Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory. More than 40,000 Ukrainians have found new homes in the Chicago area. Potishma's loved ones back home have mostly been spared from the battle, though months ago, missiles struck a building near her brother’s apartment. Adapting to life in the U.S. has been her own struggle.
ELECTIONS ☑️
Ex-strip club owner with reputed mob ties is big campaign donor to Alexi Giannoulias
By Robert Herguth
Donor history: For years, businessman Perry Mandera ran a topless bar on the Near North Side, at times with help from reputed organized crime associates, including the late "mob cop" Fred Pascente. These days, Mandera, his family and their businesses are contributing heavily to the campaign fund benefitting Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.
The haul: With Giannoulias a potential candidate for Chicago mayor, companies affiliated with Mandera have contributed at least $80,000 to Citizens for Giannoulias since 2022. That’s the year Giannoulias won his current elected post. Beyond that, Mandera and his family have collectively given nearly $30,000 more over the last five years.
Key context: Pascente, a former Chicago cop known to associate with the late mobster Anthony Spilotro, was listed in a 1997 Chicago Crime Commission report as a known member or associate of organized crime. Pascente died in 2014, not long before his autobiography was released. Titled "Mob Cop: My Life of Crime in the Chicago Police Department," the book includes passages about Mandera.
MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️
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Ex-state rep in Jalisco: Jonathan "Yoni" Pizer told the Sun-Times he was on vacation Sunday in Puerto Vallarta when he was forced out of his rental car at gunpoint. The car was set ablaze and he fled to safety as government forces nearby killed the cartel leader known as "El Mencho."
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Family mourns Plainfield teen: The family of Trevon Wright, 18, found out he had been gunned down after seeing, on the Citizen app, a shooting located in his last known area.
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Woman calls police on politician: State senator and current congressional candidate Mike Simmons was reported to Chicago police while canvassing for votes Friday in Buena Park.
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State of the Union: Sen. Dick Durbin will bring the Chicago woman who inspired him to introduce the DREAM Act 25 years ago to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday, as several Illinois Democrats plan to skip it.
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WGN layoffs: The Sun-Times has learned that eight to nine camera-facing employees at WGN were let go Monday, following recent layoffs behind the scenes that included writers. WGN parent company Nexstar is working to merge with Tegna in a deal that’s under regulatory review.
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Snowplow contest winners: In a dig against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one of Chicago's snowplows has been named "Abolish ICE," following thousands of votes cast in a city-run contest. The other winning names: "Stephen Coldbert," "Pope Frío XIV," "Svencoolie" and "Caleb Chilliams."
- Gary Clark Jr. review: Blues powerhouse Gary Clark Jr. lit up the stage at Buddy Guy’s Legends on Saturday, with an assist from the man himself, in a moment that felt like a passing of the torch.
HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT 🏗️
Loyola University starts demolition on Rogers Park flatiron building
By Abby Miller
Demo begins: Loyola University Chicago began demolishing a 100-year-old flatiron building in Rogers Park last week, despite a yearslong push by community members to save the triangle-shaped building. Demolition is expected to take four to six weeks, the university said.
Key context: Constructed in 1926 by architect R. Bernard Kurzon, the 30-unit apartment building at 1224 W. Loyola Ave. was once home to businesses Archie’s Cafe, Roman Susan Gallery and Edge Art. It’s next to the Loyola Red Line stop.
What's next: A spokesperson for Loyola has said the location is part of a future Chicago Transit Authority project, "meaning Loyola will not be the sole decisionmaker regarding its long-term use. But we are committed to stewarding the site responsibly and thoughtfully."
MUST-READ COMMENTARY 🗣️
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Neil Steinberg: The Trump administration has slashed away at science — but scientists are pushing back.
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Ralph Martire: Illinois' budget blues were around long before Trump's cuts.
- Natalie Y. Moore: Chicago shaped the Smokestack twins in the film "Sinners." So did World War I and its aftermath, when many Black people embraced agency in the face of racism.
TAXES 💰
With Trump’s sweeping tax bill, beauty is in the eye of the taxpayer
By Chris Casacchia
Big bill: The passage of President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending bill last year carries vast implications for Illinois taxpayers, with experts saying the wealthiest filers are likely to reap the most benefits.
Key context: The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law July 2025 and made permanent several provisions in Trump’s old Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which expired Dec. 31, 2025.
Overview: The bill includes more than just tax cuts. It makes spending cuts to certain federal programs as well as boosts spending for some agencies. Overall, the megabill will upend household finances, but will also provide more clarity for financial planning, financial advisers have said.
Down to brass tax: Find our breakdown of the bill's vast implications for Illinois taxpayers here.
From our tax guide:
- What taxpayers need to know about savings plans, tax changes in 2026
- Strategies to consider if you’re looking to reduce capital gains taxes
- How to avoid underpayment penalties by the IRS
FROM THE PRESS BOX 🏈🏒🏀
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NFL Scouting Combine: Bears coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles will meet the media Tuesday blocks from the Indiana statehouse. At issue will be building a Super Bowl contender.
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McKenna moves: The Blackhawks are noticing NHL prospect Gavin McKenna's rapid growth as the 2026 draft nears.
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Sky’s new era: As franchise valuations surge, early investors, longtime fans and players from the inaugural season reflect on what the Sky mean, and what they could become.
- Boys basketball: Our previews and predictions for the IHSA Class 4A boys basketball state tournament — and Class 3A.
CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭
Today's clue: 3D: "Mr. Cub" aka ___ Banks
BRIGHT ONE 🔆
Icebreaker boat the James J. Versluis has been shattering lake since 1957
Reporting by Stefano Esposito
Before boarding the almost 70-year-old James J. Versluis, passengers get a life jacket and a set of ear plugs, because things can get "loud and crunchy."
As the Versluis sets off from its mooring at Navy Pier one morning in early February, the sound of its 126-ton steel hull shuddering through ice grates on the ear like a trash compactor chomping rocks.
"For the first couple of years, when you’re smacking up against ice, it’s really nerve-racking. You just feel like that ice is going to pop right through the hull," said Eddie Popelas, who served as the tugboat’s engineer from 2002 to 2013 and whose father was at one time the boat’s captain.
For Capt. Billy Meilicke and Marine Engineer Rich Frizelis — in charge of the tugboat on this morning — the noise is just part of the daily soundtrack that includes the thrum of the 850-horsepower diesel engine and the single blast of the foghorn.
WATCH: ABOARD AN ICE BREAKER ▶️
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Eydie Cubarrubia
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