Chicago’s 2026 Budget Takes Effect, Forcing Chicagoans to Pay More for Shopping Bags, Uber Rides, Booze, Online Gaming — But Grocery Tax Eliminated

Chicagoans will get a small break on their grocery bills but be forced to pony up to cover a host of tax and fee hikes that a deeply divided Chicago City Council approved to fill a massive budget shortfall over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson. The $16.6 billion spending plan, which takes ef...