In an important decision on Thursday, the Chicago Board of Education gave the green light to a revised budget for Chicago Public Schools, now benefitting from increased financial support coming from the state capital, Springfield, Illinois.

The revamped financial plan incorporates a significant boost, with an infusion of $150 million in fresh state funds.

Reacting to this development, the Chicago Teachers Union shared their thoughts through a post on their official CTU website.

Meanwhile, Chicago Public Schools released a statement highlighting a pressing concern: “The updated budget compromises our District’s capacity to obtain necessary short-term financial solutions, like Tax Anticipation Notes, which are crucial for meeting the early September payroll. We are now tasked with presenting these altered conditions to lenders, though it’s unclear how the markets will respond.

“To put it plainly, there’s no assurance that CPS will secure the needed financing before the September 4 payroll deadline.”

“Failing to meet payroll is unacceptable. This places the District at significant risk of being in violation of the law and collective bargaining agreements. It may also damage our credit rating and severely restrict our future borrowing capacity for capital projects and operational needs.

“Most critically, any disruption in pay directly threatens the stability of our schools, impacting our students, families, and dedicated staff. CPS teachers and students belong in the classroom-not in limbo.

“We remain committed to full transparency and will provide updates as we navigate this financial challenge.”

This is a breaking news update. The following is from an earlier report. The video in the player above is from an earlier report.

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The district said it would not be able to make payroll in September if the budget does not pass Thursday, but union leadership was fighting against it.

CPS lunchroom workers were among the dozens marching outside Chicago Public School Headquarters to protest as the board is expected to vote on a proposed nearly $10-billion spending plan.

“We are fighting for higher wages, more employee in the lunchroom, rights, respect. We are one of the lowest paid positions in CPS,” Anise Balfour, CPS lunchroom cook said.

The district faces a more than $700-million budget deficit which it blames on in part to depleted pandemic relief funds, rising operational costs and lower student enrollment.

Critics of the proposed budget say any layoffs and cuts will gut school services and create crowded classrooms causing permanent harm to students.

“It is important that we understand that a society that does not invest in young people, betrays its young people,” Jitu Brown, Board of Education District 5 member, said.

CPS CEO Dr. Macquiline King said the upcoming school year could be in jeopardy if a budget isn’t approved writing in part in a lengthy emailed statement, “We are already on the knife’s edge. If we do not pass a budget… based on realistic and actual revenue, we will be unable to access short-term financing, and we will fail to make our first round of payroll for the school year — essentially shutting down the District as staff and students are supposed to be returning to the classroom.

And while school officials said they need an approved budget so they can make payroll in September payroll in September, the Chicago Teachers Union plans to fight the layoffs wants to amend the budget to start the school year fully staffed.

“Our school communities are being threatened from opening and operating fully because our governors tells us everything, but yes and then our school board is going to go in here and do an impossible task,” Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates said.

TUCSON, Ariz. — As the investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance approaches its sixth month, authorities have run into a roadblock. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos revealed in a recent interview that a hair found in Guthrie’s home did not yield a usable DNA profile.

“Indeed, we found a hair,” Nanos stated. “Our initial plan was to conduct DNA analysis first. That’s the standard initial procedure.”

Investigators, collaborating with the FBI, sent the hair sample to a specialized laboratory in California, hoping further tests could provide answers.

Nanos further noted, “The analysis revealed no DNA. But this doesn’t necessarily exclude the possibility that the hair belongs to the suspect. Confirmation awaits comparing it with a hair sample from a potential suspect, so we are preserving it.”

Investigators have preserved the sample, and it still may be of use later, he added.

“There’s other things that hair may prove valuable for, but right now it was just about, ‘Is there any DNA there?’ And the answer was no,” the sheriff said. “That was just a matter of weeks ago.”

Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie. She will have been missing for six months on Saturday.

Nanos indicated the hair was only one part of the broader DNA work underway, though he did not specify how many other samples are being tested.

DNA testing remains a priority in the case, and Nanos said investigators continue working with multiple crime labs to analyze evidence collected from the home.

“Anything we can grasp onto with DNA is a part of this investigation,” he said.

That includes investigative genetic genealogy research, which is used to generate leads from a family tree. He noted rapid advances in DNA technology.

“That’s really where some of my optimism is, that I just know that we’re gonna get this thing resolved,” Nanos said.

There is a combined reward of more than $1.2 million that remains unclaimed.

“We believe, just as the family does, just as Savannah does, somebody knows something. We need that person to call us.”

At least one suspect was recorded by Guthrie’s Nest doorbell camera. According to the FBI, he is between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a mask, long sleeves and gloves, and the backpack he carried has been identified as a black Ozark Trail bag.

The family is urging anyone with information to dial 1-800-CALL-FBI.

An anonymous reward can be claimed by calling 520-88-CRIME with information that leads to an arrest.

Frank Reich’s remarkable NFL journey began with a memorable play—his first pass in a game packed with action featuring sacks by Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko, along with Wesley Walker’s impressive 96-yard touchdown catch from Ken O’Brien.

While Reich’s experience spans four decades, don’t anticipate a Jets offense rooted in strategies from 1985. With his recent role in 2023 as the Panthers’ head coach marking the last time he called plays, it’s clear that his approach is anything but outdated.

“He’s someone who constantly evolves,” remarked right guard Joe Tippmann. “His perspective isn’t confined to footage from the 2000s. He’s up-to-date, conducting analyses on recent trends and where he believes the league will head. Each meeting with him gets me eager about the potential directions our offense might take.”

In the initial days of training camp, Reich’s innovative spirit has been evident, showcasing unconventional methods to engage key playmakers within the offense.

Reich was brought on board to revitalize a struggling Jets offense, which landed in the NFL’s bottom four in scoring for three of the last four seasons. Fresh off a brief tenure as Stanford’s interim head coach — a role facilitated by a favor to Stanford’s football GM, Andrew Luck — Reich reconnected with former teammate Glenn to spearhead this transformation.

“We’ve always just talked football and just hearing what his philosophy is, I would think, ‘I feel the same way,’ ” Glenn said. “It’s been good. I’m glad he’s here.”

The Jets expressed interest in CB Terrion Arnold, who was cut by the Lions in June after he was arrested and charged with felony armed robbery and kidnapping. Glenn was the Lions defensive coordinator when Arnold was a 2024 first-round pick.

Glenn compared it to when the Jets brought in free agent quarterback Russell Wilson to visit and offered him a contract as a backup quarterback — before Wilson retired.

“We’re always looking at guys that we feel like could help us,” Glenn said. “We do our due diligence and that doesn’t mean that we’re going to bring everybody in. The thing is, we’re just going to turn over every stone to make sure, ‘Is this a guy that can help us with everything that’s going on?’ Which we don’t know.” 

A fire alarm sounded in the Jets building during DT Jowon Briggs’ press conference.

Only moments earlier, Briggs talked about having a “fire underneath your belly.”

“Not being complacent,” said Briggs, who was traded from the Browns to the Jets last August. “Continuing to work so you can prove that you have a spot with the club you are at. That’s really big for me.”

The Jets are off Friday — after just two practices — and again Sunday before getting into pads Monday for the first time.

Why the unusual schedule?

Glenn said he maximizes practice reps at 24 in the first week of camp, followed by a decrease and recovery. Then an increase to a max of 32 in the second week followed by a decrease and recovery. And then up to a max of 40 in the third week followed by … you guessed it … a decrease and recovery. 

“What I’m trying to do is get our guys to be ready to play 65-75 plays a game,” said Glenn, who showed it to the players in bar graph form, “and that’s my job.”

The Atlanta Falcons have announced the somber news that Cristina Ulbrich, wife of the team’s defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, has died following a battle with cancer.

While the specific type of cancer was not disclosed, it seems Cristina had been contending with the illness since at least 2025, if not earlier.

Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group noted on X that during a pregame meetup last season at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Jeff Ulbrich spoke about Cristina’s remarkable strength, bravery, and love.

Cristina was a devoted mother to their three children, Samantha, Jax, and Jace, standing by Jeff’s side as he evolved from a reputable NFL linebacker to a dedicated coach. During the early days of his coaching pursuit, Cristina pledged not to engage in any activities that might interrupt his career opportunities.

“We won’t be taking vacations or going anywhere until he secures a position,” Cristina explained to the Morgan Hill Times back in 2010 when she was 32. “We’re fully aware that Jeff’s coaching career could take us anywhere, much like his playing days did. I’m fully committed, and so are the kids.”

Jeff’s transition from the field to the sideline also gave Cristina some peace of mind. 

‘It’s knowing we don’t have to worry about his health anymore,’ Cristina said of her husband, who had battled concussions during his playing career.  

The couple’s patience paid off in 2024, when Jeff was promoted to interim head coach of the New York Jets following Robert Saleh’s firing. A week later, a proud Cristina was pictured kissing her husband on the sideline as he prepared for his first game in charge of the team. 

The following year, he agreed to become the Falcons defensive coordinator and the couple was on the move for the fifth time since his Jeff’s playing career ended in 2009. 

And it was that devotion by Cristina towards Jeff that stuck out to Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who issued his own statement on Thursday.  

‘It was always evident how deeply Cristina loved her family and how fiercely she supported them,’ Blank said in his statement. 

It’s unclear when they actually tied the knot, but the couple first got together nearly three decades ago. As The Athletic reported in 2023, Jeff met Cristina while on a recruiting trip to the University of Hawaii in 1997. Since then, they’ve maintained a private life away from the football field. 

And according to Jeff’s former 49ers teammate, Takeo Spikes, she and Jeff were extremely close, particularly after the birth of their children. 

‘When he got around his family it was like nothing else mattered,’ Spikes told The Athletic in 2023. ‘He didn’t care what type of day he had at the office. It was like, “I just want to make sure I’m around for them.”‘

News of Cristina’s death was first revealed by the Falcons on Thursday. 

‘The Atlanta Falcons are heartbroken by the passing of Cristina Ulbrich, beloved wife of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, after her courageous battle with cancer,’ the statement began.

‘Cristina was a devoted wife, mother, and friend whose strength, grace, and resilience touched all who knew her. She was a constant source of love and support to Jeff, their family, and the broader Falcons community.

‘On behalf of the entire organization, we extend our deepest condolences to Jeff, their children, and all who loved Cristina. During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ulbrich family.’

The statement concluded with a request for privacy.

‘We ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve this profound loss, and we stand with them in support and remembrance of Cristina’s life.’

The Jets followed with a statement of their own: ‘Cristina will be remembered for her warmth, strength and unwavering devotion to her family. We extend our deepest condolences and love to Jeff, their children and all who knew and loved her.