A relic of pre-Internet boom times, Water Tower Place desperately needs a makeover
The iconic vertical mall — the psychological anchor of Chicago’s Mag Mile — was once a beacon of retail innovation. Can the “saddest place on earth” be saved?
Top Stories
Texas’s governor says 15 people were killed in a school shooting
The suspected shooter, an 18-year-old man, also died and was believed to be killed by responding officers.
Grow tomatoes, not carrots and other tips for keeping lead out of your garden produce
Chicago soil can contain high levels of lead and other heavy metals. Check out this guide to making gardening safer.
A ‘people person’ who’s ‘nobody’s pushover?’ Richard Irvin says he’s not hiding behind his TV ads — or Ken Griffin’s millions
Irvin is a good in-person politician, a side of him that many in the Chicago area haven’t gotten to see so far.
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- TRACKING THE VIRUS
COVID-19 in Chicago and Illinois
Follow WBEZ’s news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic focuses on equity, the vaccine rollout in Chicago and the state, and the impact on our daily lives.
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Coronavirus in Illinois: Today’s case count and death toll
See the latest numbers of Illinois COVID-19 cases and deaths.
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Judge rules in favor of WBEZ in open-records lawsuit against Lightfoot’s office
The station sued nearly a year ago after the city blacked out portions of a complaint letter from a Chicago Park District lifeguard.
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Chicago’s City Council runs through marathon meetings to push a new casino plan forward
After an hours-long debate, a panel of Chicago aldermen advanced the mayor’s plan to bring a Bally’s casino to the city.
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One of Lightfoot’s closest City Council allies abruptly resigns
The surprise departure of Ald. Michael Scott Jr. gives Mayor Lori Lightfoot the ability to appoint her second alderperson.
Rivian superfans awaiting delivery resort to drones, stakeouts and surveillance
For those languishing on preorder lists for the company’s coveted electric truck and SUV, obsessing online together is sweet torture.
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Mike Madigan quipped ‘maybe I’ll take the appointment’ while pushing for an ally to join ComEd’s board
Madigan’s comments may not exactly find a place in the Chicago corruption lexicon, but most of the words previously attributed by the feds to Madigan are far more flat.
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Eight Illinois counties hit high risk level for COVID-19 — and Cook County’s not far behind
Cases have been on the rise statewide since mid-March, or a few weeks after Gov. JB Pritzker lifted his indoor mask mandate.
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Meet the suburban students helping restore Illinois’ prairie
Some teens at Waubonsie Valley High are so into the project that teachers have to prod them to leave the prairie and go to their other classes.
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Stacy Davis Gates elected Chicago Teachers Union President, defeating two challengers
The current CTU leadership group was reelected in the union’s most hotly contested race since their slate came to power in 2010.
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New Illinois maps are creating challenges for women seeking reelection
The state’s two first-term female representatives, Democratic Rep. Marie Newman and Republican Rep. Mary Miller, were among the biggest losers in the remapping.
When the city treats teen gatherings downtown as a threat, is it blowing an opportunity?
Some experts say Chicago officials should be providing activities and services in Millennium Park to the kids flocking there.
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