Bargain rates in the Loop

Good morning, Chicago.

It’s no secret that companies have been downsizing their spaces in the wake of the pandemic and, in many cases, leaving the Loop for trendier digs in Fulton Market.

But a budding trend is unfolding in the wake of those moves. The abundance of available space is making it easier for some firms to upgrade to offices with more amenities and natural light. Nonprofits, which typically don’t have excess cash for workplace frills, are among those that have been able to upgrade their spaces. And many organizations are finding that a spiffy new workplace can help get people back into the office.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Brian J. Rogal.

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Highlighting both the plight of migrants who can’t legally hold jobs and the unabated arrival of more asylum seekers from the Southern border, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sent a joint letter Monday to the federal government requesting streamlined work authorization that would let Illinois sponsor non-citizens to work in industries facing labor shortages.

The number of deaths related to substance abuse is on the rise throughout the Chicago area. Last year saw the highest number of fatal opioid overdoses ever recorded in Cook County, increasing to 2,000 deaths from 1,935 in 2021. Most of those deaths involved the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Workers at the largest Starbucks in the world rejected union membership in a vote held Friday and Saturday by the National Labor Relations Board.

Employees at the 35,000-square-foot roastery rejected the union in a 119-90 vote, according to the labor board. Staff at the flagship roastery filed for a union election last month with Starbucks Workers United, the Service Employees International Union affiliate representing Starbucks workers.

Robert Borgstrom spent most of his life on the Chicago River as owner and one of the captains of the Wendella sightseeing boats. He took the last of his thousands of trips on that river on June 2, 2020, and as he stood on the deck of the fleet’s newest boat and watched the city pass by, he said, “Fifty, 60 years ago, this was an ugly, filthy river and 20 years ago it wasn’t much better. I would sometimes find dead bodies floating around. But look, now the river’s clean and the banks are alive with trees, small parks and restaurants. That’s all helped me appreciate it more.”

Two women suffered gunshot wounds as they sat in the left field bleachers of Guaranteed Rate Field during the Friday night game between the White Sox and Oakland A’s. Officials have so far said little about where the bullets came from, or if someone brought a gun into the stadium, but interim Superintendent Fred Waller on Monday said investigators have nearly ruled out the possibility that the shots came from outside the ballpark.

The mother of the Spanish soccer federation president under fire for kissing a World Cup champion on the lips started a hunger strike Monday in defense of her son as calls grew for his resignation and prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation.

Hollywood has been in limbo these last few months. It’s been especially tough for everyone who earns their living making TV and film. But it also means viewers will start seeing just how that is impacting fall network lineup. A prolonged strike — still ongoing — will inevitably have that affect and the work stoppage has reshaped prime time in significant ways, writes critic Nina Metz.

But if the studios are unable to resolve the strikes soon, their streaming pipeline will slow to a trickle. We’ll know more when we see just how many (or few) premieres there are this winter. Until then, here’s a look at some offerings in the first few weeks of the fall TV season.