BMO Financial Group announced that Canadian Blue Rewards loyalty members can now earn points through eligible BMO Insurance health, dental and pet products, with a limited-time promotion offering a 5 percent premium discount through Dec. 31. The program is available to Canadian customers of BMO, which maintains significant operations in Chicago.
The Chicago-based American Society for Clinical Pathology has submitted formal comments urging CMS to reconsider proposed cuts to indirect practice-expense allocations and to reject duplicative-testing penalties for laboratories that cannot access prior patient results due to interoperability failures. ASCP also called for retaining CPT as the national coding standard for physician and laboratory services.
The top three RBI leaders in Major League Baseball — the Cardinals’ Alec Burleson (111), the Reds’ Sal Stewart (109) and the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (105) — all play in the NL Central, potentially making history as the first division to sweep the top three spots in the divisional era. The race could tighten over the final nine games of the regular season.
The Chicago Bears announced a five-city October tour through Bournemouth, Cardiff, Leeds, Glasgow and Belfast, making them the first NFL team to visit every nation in the United Kingdom during a single trip. The tour features watch parties, brand activations and appearances by former players Israel Idonije and Zach Miller.
The Cubs overhauled 60 percent of their starting rotation at the trade deadline, acquiring Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and David Peterson to support an offense averaging a major-league-best 5.9 runs per game since July. With nine games remaining and a half-game Wild Card lead, those pitching decisions face their October test.
Chicago Fire FC forward Robert Lewandowski has been called up to the Poland men’s national team for UEFA Nations League matches in September and October, including an opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sept. 25. The all-time Polish national team scoring leader will miss Fire matches during the FIFA international window.
Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson returned to the starting lineup Friday in Cincinnati after missing 28 games with a left oblique strain, reshaping Chicago’s infield for the final nine games of the regular season. Swanson, who ranks in the 99th percentile in Outs Above Average, bolsters a Cubs team holding a half-game lead for the NL’s top Wild Card spot.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced $4.2 million in grants for nine community organizations serving gun violence survivors in suburban Cook County. The funding expands the county’s Wraparound Services initiative to suburban communities for the first time.
Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman’s horse, Act of Parliament, won at Churchill Downs on Thursday as the entire Cubs roster attended the races on an off day. The victory came during a torrid stretch for Bregman, who has posted a 1.137 OPS with 14 home runs over his past 35 games.
Roosevelt University will present Melanie Jefferies, COO of Milhouse Engineering and Construction, with its 2026 Rising Star Award at the Marshall Bennett Institute of Real Estate’s 25th Anniversary Gala on Oct. 22. The honor recognizes emerging leaders in Chicago’s real estate and higher education sectors.