Will hike for beer! Seven Midwest hikes with taprooms nearby.
We’re calling it an “adventure pairing” — a hike that ends with a cold brew at a great regional brewery. All our picks are under a three-hour drive from Chicago.
Top Stories
What’s wrong with Chicago’s 311 shelter call records?
More people are calling the city’s 311 hotline for help finding shelter. But flaws in the data make it difficult to evaluate how many people get help and what happens to those who don’t.
How to celebrate Taylor Swift weekend in Chicago
If you aren’t one of the lucky ones who snagged tickets, or you are and want to start the party early, here are a few ways you can celebrate this week.
How the ‘deadliest man alive’ stoked Chicago’s infamous ‘dojo wars’
In the 1960s and ’70s, martial arts schools in Chicago were locked in bloody rivalries. The man at their center was known as Count Dante.
Editors’ Picks
More Headlines
- School Closures
Chicago’s 50 Schools
The Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ spent months investigating how the closing of 50 schools in 2013 — the nation’s largest number of public schools shuttered in a single action — changed the city, the school system, the children and their families.
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CPS help was short-lived for Chicago schools that absorbed students from schools closed in 2013
The Sun-Times and WBEZ found that school officials failed to protect these welcoming schools and the $155 million invested in them over time.
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Suit seeks to scuttle CHA land lease to Chicago Fire and construction $80 million training facility
The suit, filed Thursday in federal court, claims the land is meant for public housing and protocols weren’t followed before the deal was inked.
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Home is where you make it with Shadai Brunjes
Examining the places we stay and what keeps us there, plus we’re joined by travel blogger and beauty strategist Shadai Brunjes.
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One of Chicago’s wealthiest people is pitching other CEOS to help him curb violence
Billionaire James Crown is asking CEOs to find jobs for thousands of people in the most dangerous parts of Chicago in an effort to cut the city’s murders to fewer than 400 a year within five years.
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‘State of Black Chicago’ highlights outcome disparities between Black and white Chicagoans
The new report spells out the disparities Black residents face in the city when it comes to health, wealth, education and more.
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Chicago City Council approves $51 million in aid for migrants after racially heated debate
The money will be used for staffing, food and other resources for migrants being bused to Chicago from other states.
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Is the debt deal changing student loan repayment? Here’s what you need to know.
If it passes, the proposed debt deal would set the date for federal student loan repayments to resume. The pause’s end will affect some 43 million borrowers, but, in effect, it’s not a big change.
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Chicago rapper Kayo says an album has to resonate with people in order to be complete
The up-and-coming artist discusses being emotionally vulnerable in his lyrics, the city’s music scene and more ahead of Thursday’s show at the Epiphany Center for the Arts.
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Outdoor dining program could become permanent
The City Council’s License Committee unanimously advanced Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to make permanent an al fresco dining program that helped many restaurants and bars survive during the pandemic.
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For migrants, used bikes offer a path forward in an unfamiliar city
As asylum-seekers arrive in Chicago nearly daily, two local organizations are designing a recycled bike pipeline to help provide reliable transportation.
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Mpox is down, but US cities could be at risk for summertime outbreaks
A new study suggests dozens of U.S. cities are at risk for mpox outbreaks this summer. Health officials say they are working to prevent the scale of infections.
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Beyond a landmark: WBEZ’s guide to Promontory Point and Hyde Park
Promontory Point, nestled between 54th and 56th streets along the lakefront, received landmark status last month to help preserve its limestone revetments and promenade.
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‘Peacekeepers’ try to prevent violence in Chicago using hard-won street smarts
For a $100 stipend, some Chicagoans who are statistically among the most at-risk of gun violence are working to change themselves and their neighborhoods.
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All-gender restrooms, bans on book bans and full-day kindergarten among the bills passed by Illinois lawmakers
The Democratic-controlled legislature sent a slew of bills to the governor showing their priorities for the state, in addition to the $50.4 billion spending plan. Here are some highlights.
Summer of Chicago music: Nine up-and-coming acts to see now
It’s summer festival season. Go for the headliners, but stay for these local up-and-comers worthy of their own spotlight.
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Chicago promised students would do better after closing 50 schools. That didn’t happen.
Chicago closed 50 schools in 2013, saying this would help students. But our analysis shows little changed academically for the affected kids.
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‘The Greeks of Azov Region’ debuts in Chicago as Ukraine’s Greek diaspora is on the brink of extinction
Mariupol now lies mostly in ruins. A documentary premiering at UChicago shows the city’s last moments of freedom.
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Curious City is spending time in West Ridge. What questions do you have about the neighborhood?
Over the next few months, the Curious City team will be asking West Ridge residents what stories they want to see covered about their community.
