CPS opens Monday with scaled back COVID-19 measures but unyielding vaccination rates
CPS is peeling back some COVID-19 protocols after the CDC relaxed guidelines. Vaccination rates remain below 45% on average for kids under 12.
Top Stories
Four decades after his death, an influential Chicago soul man’s songs are coming back to life
Charles Stepney’s arrangements powered music heavyweights. Courtesy of his daughters, his work will be revisited — and this time his canon gets top billing.
Former Chicago Park District lifeguard supervisor pleads guilty to sex crimes
Mauricio Ramirez, 32, is the first person convicted in the year-old investigation by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office.
Freedom Rides bring Southern reproductive rights activists to Chicago
Activists from Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana took the train this week to Chicago to highlight abortion bans in the South.
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What’s That Building? The Pollard House
Fritz Pollard played three sports at Lane Tech and would go on to become a trailblazer in professional football.
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In the world of esports, the stakes are high — and respect is elusive
A facility in a Vernon Hills mall opens a door into the world of competitive video gaming, where young pros vie for top rankings and prize money.
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CTA awarded nearly $29 million federal grant to buy electric buses and modernize Humboldt Park garage
The CTA received the largest grant in the state, which will help the CTA buy electric buses and modernize its systems at bus garages.
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Prosecutors in the R. Kelly trial tell jurors the singer had ‘a hidden side, a dark side’
An attorney for Kelly used her opening statement to accuse prosecutors of waiting over two decades to bring a case built around hashtags, documentaries and social media movements.
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Chicago police investigating racist, homophobic posts by someone claiming to be a cop
The person making the posts bragged on 4chan, a website regarded as a hotbed for racism and extremism, about profiling people and being involved in two on-duty shootings.
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Highland Park City Council calls for a federal and state assault weapons ban
Senate Republicans in Congress are against assault weapons restrictions; Democrats in Springfield hold supermajorities in the state House and Senate.
Residents near Douglass Park want a voice in permits for big music festivals
Residents demand an end to the festivals, but local aldermen have supported the events and taken campaign cash from festival organizers.
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Highland Park students seeking ‘some sort of normalcy’ as class resumes after mass shooting
Administrators are preparing for everyone — whether they’re still struggling or seem fine — and paying attention to both students and staff.
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Chicago aldermen embrace The Great Resignation
Nearly a fifth of Chicago aldermen elected in 2019 aren’t planning to run for reelection next year.
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Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools could drop by as much as 15,000 students this fall
Researchers are predicting the drop but stress lower enrollment could benefit the remaining students by allowing CPS to spend more per child.
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Two ex-employees are banned from working again for the Chicago Park District
The park district’s inspector general alleges a manager failed to investigate a sexual harassment complaint against a male employee.
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A young mother with postpartum psychosis pleaded guilty to a horrific killing. Should her plea be tossed?
An appeals court is ordering a review after Kimberlynn Bolaños harmed herself in prison, showing the severity of her illness.
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Chicago’s under-5 set waited a long time for a COVID vaccine. Why is uptake so low?
Only one in 20 eligible kids under 5 in Illinois have received a first dose. That leaves pediatricians and child care providers trying to troubleshoot.
