Rising rents pushed these first-time Latino homebuyers to take the plunge
Despite high mortgage rates and a dearth of affordable starter houses, these families saw the upside of making the investment now.
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12 spring plays and operas in Chicago worth leaving home for
Chicago theaters are wooing audiences back with provocative productions that tackle bold, modern themes.
Nicole Lee and Anthony Ciaravino face off in Chicago’s first Asian-majority ward
Chicago Chinatown leaders fought for representation in City Council but two candidates face off in the 11th Ward runoff — one Asian and one white.
Vallas and Johnson ‘lecture’ one another on the CTU, Trump and ‘working class’ roots
During their first televised debate, Brandon Johnson was the undisputed aggressor. In Round Two, Paul Vallas took the gloves off. Round Three was pretty much a draw.
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Cooperating ex-guard gets six years in Illinois inmate’s death
Willie Hedden pleaded guilty to civil rights violations and obstruction charges.
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Vallas and Johnson clash on school choice, fueling different donor bases in mayor’s race
Paul Vallas promises to expand school choice while Brandon Johnson says it deepens segregation and inequity. Donors are lining up on either side.
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Medical debt is devastating Illinois families, a new report shows
A proposed state law would mandate that hospitals screen uninsured patients for financial help.
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West African cuisine is having a moment. A local expert showed us how to make her jollof.
The iconic rice dish triggers Twitter wars over which country’s version is best. Liberia has our vote.
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Madigan ruled ‘through fear and intimidation,’ ComEd bribery trial jurors told
When asked what Madigan valued most in other legislators, state Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita answered, “loyalty.”
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Spring is here. Did winter even happen in Chicago this year?
A warmer and wetter than usual winter is complete. As spring gets underway, keep your umbrella handy, Chicago.
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Pitchfork Music Festival announces 2023 lineup
The Smile, Big Thief and Bon Iver headline; plus, we share some of Vocalo’s most anticipated performances
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Kennedy Expressway construction begins, expect major delays
Stretches of the inbound Kennedy will be blocked between the Edens Expressway and Ohio Street as part of a three-year construction project that’s sure to cause misery.
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How to vote in the Chicago area’s April 4 municipal election
Chicago voters are picking a new mayor. Suburban residents could be selecting new office holders for everything from school to library boards.
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JoJo Baby, drag queen, club kid and doll maker who ‘broke the mold,’ dead at 51
Greeting thousands at the front door of nightclubs around the city, JoJo Baby was unforgettable.
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These are some of the lives forever changed by COVID-19
A baby born after a partner’s death. The ‘Tamale Guy,’ left with a raspy voice but working again. A girl, 13, and a grandmother, both struggling with long COVID. A nurse, exhausted but pushing on. All share a sense of loss and a need to push on.
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3 years, 4 million cases, more than 36,000 deaths: Numbers shape Illinois’ dismal COVID-19 story
Statewide death toll now is nearing 37,000 — roughly the equivalent of wiping out the population of Calumet City.
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This 100-foot mural at the Salt Shed was created by an 11-year-old Buffalo Grove girl
Lucy Holloway’s artwork was transformed into a mural about 20 feet high and 100 feet across as the top prize in a student art contest sponsored by the Sun-Times, WBEZ and Vocalo.
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Chicago’s mayoral candidates have radically different approaches to fixing public schools. Here’s why.
Paul Vallas is a technocrat devoted to school choice. Brandon Johnson is a teachers union organizer. Their backgrounds explain their clashing views.
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Illinois EPA finds drinking water violations in multiple state prisons
Prisoner rights groups have complained about unsafe water. In recent months, the state has sent water violation notices to nearly a dozen prisons.
A tale of two cities, told in Chicago’s mayoral election
As Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson barnstorm in churches and parades before the April 4 runoff, policing and public education are front and center. This election also touches on power, identity, and of course, race.
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Doctors in Chicago and elsewhere aim to unravel long COVID’s mysteries, but ‘science takes years’
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center say they already know enough to believe that vaccination likely helps prevent lasting symptoms seen with long COVID.
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Pandemic learning loss, staff shortages are top challenges for Illinois’ new education leader
Supt. Tony Sanders sees an “ever-widening gap between the left and the right … I think public education is squarely in the middle of that fight.”
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At Walgreens, a CEO caught in the Venn diagram of medicine, politics and profits
After the Deerfield-based retailer said it wouldn’t sell the abortion pill in 21 states, #BoycottWalgreens took off. What’s a modern CEO to do?
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Jurors in ComEd bribery trial get a lesson in machine politics — in Michael Madigan’s own words
For the first time Thursday, jurors in the bribery trial of Michael McClain and three other political power players heard Madigan’s voice on secret recordings.
