Good morning, Chicago.

Nexstar Media, the Dallas-based TV station owner at the center of the high-profile controversy over the preemption of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night ABC show, may finally be realizing the potential of NewsNation, its five-year-old cable news network.

NewsNation’s coverage of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service Sunday topped both CNN and MSNBC, reaching millions of viewers and putting the Chicago-based network squarely in the cable news mix.

While it still has detractors and skeptics, the former home of “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Bozo’s Circus” and Cubs games, has certainly come a long way.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Robert Channick .

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including why Chicago Cubs’ Matt S

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