Some CTA riders are rattled by the murders on the Blue Line this week and are changing their routines as a result. Illinois State Senator Doris Turner says she’s holding off – for now – on filing police reform legislation in honor of Sonya Massey. The Illinois Flag Commission is now accepting designs for a new state flag.
The alleged shooter in a quadruple murder on the CTA Blue Line this week is ordered to remain locked up pending trial. A report says in 2023 – more dogs and cats were killed at Chicago’s Care and Animal Control shelter than in any other year since 2016. Meteorological summer is over… what weather can we expect during fall?
A judge ordered pre-trial detention for the alleged shooter in this week’s quadruple homicide on a CTA Blue Line train. The book “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin is this year’s pick for the Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago program. Tears were shed in last night’s finale of HBO’s Hard Knocks docu-series featuring the Chicago Bears.
Usually at a live performance, the audience is encouraged to give the performers their undivided attention. But at Meanwhile Chicago – a variety show featuring storytellers, essayists, comics and dancers – the audience is encouraged to draw and doodle the whole time. “When you put a piece of paper and a pen in front of someone, almost everyone is going to grab it and start doodling,” said Megan Kirby, who created Meanwhile with her friend Catherine Eves in 2016. “We were trying to figure out how...
Illinois elected officials say they are prioritizing safety on public transit, in the wake of a fatal shooting on the Blue Line. About 30 people gathered outside Chicago’s Israeli consulate last night to protest Israel's government and mourn the recent deaths of Hamas-held hostages. Northwestern’s LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic is asking the US Supreme court to overturn a ban that prohibits gender affirming care for minors.
Chicago’s top federal judge says the publication this year of home addresses for members of the federal bench is dangerous. Foxtrot is reopening its Gold Coast location on Thursday, five months after it closed. The Archdiocese of Chicago will be the first Catholic diocese in the state to offer natural burials.
An update on Chicago’s response to the influx of asylum seekers bused her from Texas. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle explains why she’s been quiet on abortion rights two years after Roe v Wade fell. Plus, the busy Ashland Avenue bus route will now run north an extra mile.
Chicago could soon be one of the largest cities worldwide without an intercity bus terminal. The Illinois Tollway is reminding drivers it has its own service to request roadside assistance. Federal COVID relief funding for school districts expires in September.
Chicago musicians Marquis Hill – a jazz trumpeter and bandleader – and Manasseh – a singer and soul artist – both stopped by Vocalo to talk with Nudia Hernandez about their lives, their love for one another, and their recent and upcoming collaborations. “He’s booked and busy,” Hernandez said of Hill. And Manasseh? “I feel like is the next big up-and-coming Chicago artist,” Hernandez said. Both artists are slated to perform on the stage at Pritzker Pavilion for Vocalo’s Summer Finale on Sept. 20....
There’s been a possible breakthrough in Chicago’s teacher contract negotiations: Chicago Public Schools administrators are planning to offer significant raises. The new Hard Rock Casino in Rockford is now open. The CTA is now using a new program powered by artificial intelligence to detect guns brandished by passengers at its train stations.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is anticipating a roughly $982 million budget gap for next year. The Food and Drug Administration has approved new COVID-19 vaccines to tackle new strains of the virus for the fall and winter months. The Chicago Jazz Festival kicks off tonight.
Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general is leaving the district for a new job. The State of Illinois is probably getting a new flag. The bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease have been found in the drinking water at the EPA’s regional headquarters in Chicago.
For the first time in five years the Chicago Abortion Fund is scaling back who it can help. Chicago’s civilian police oversight commission is talking about ways to reform traffic stops. New details surrounding the death of Emmett Till are coming out today on the 69th anniversary of Till’s murder.
Imagine dancing your heart out with your bestie like you used to, but still getting home by 10 p.m. That’s the idea behind Earlybirds Club, according to creators (and high school friends) Susie Lee and Laura Baginski. “It’s a dance party for women that starts early and ends early because we all value our sleep,” Baginski said. Lee and Baginski have been selling out Earlybirds Club dance parties since February, and have a handful more scheduled through the end of the year, including a Halloween p...
Who will be running for Chicago’s first ever school board? The list is basically set. The city’s civilian police oversight held a hearing on traffic stop reform last night. New research shows Chicago’s housing developers are disproportionately white and male.
Chicago has reached record-breaking heat. Democratic Illinois lawmakers are vowing to enact Karina’s Bill, a measure that would require judges to order the confiscation of guns from people who have restraining orders against them. Brookfield Zoo announced that Judy, a 24-year-old bison, has died.
Chicago Public School students started their new school year yesterday in record heat – and are back for more of it today. A national bus tour kicking off in Chicago highlights child and home care workers’ struggles. Hopes that Illinois legislative employees will be allowed to unionize are dwindling.
There was excessive heat, a lack of bus drivers and also normal first day jitters as Chicago Public Schools welcomed thousands of students back to class today. The attorney for former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson is trying to get his client out of jail pre-trial for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The White Sox have lost 100 games this season and it's not even September.
Tera Murray is a “chef instructor” at Silver Fork, a free culinary work-readiness program at the Center on Halsted. The seven-week program helps people in need prepare for future work opportunities in the industry. “One of the students just recently incarcerated, he gave a speech at graduation,” Murray recalled. “And he said, ‘That was the first time that I felt human after coming out of prison.’ That’s the kind of thing where I’m reminded how much I love this kind of work.” Murray tells their s...
Today is the first day of the fall semester for Chicago Public School students. We hear from one student who got ready for the big day this weekend. Illinois Democrats plan on hitting the road this fall – making sure people in swing states get out to vote. Northwestern University received a grant to create a new center focused on developing robot hands.
Workers started tearing down the Democratic National Convention at the United Center early Friday morning, and at least one expects to be working until 7 p.m. United Auto Workers at the Stellantis plant in Illinois could go on strike as early as mid-October. The Chicago Bears have reportedly traded for defensive end Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks.
Omar Apollo takes the stage at Northerly Island Friday night not too far from home – the Mexican-American musician hails from Hobart, Ind. – and ahead of his performance he talked with Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez about his childhood there, how his Mexican-American parents gave him brutally honest feedback about his vocals when he was a teenager, and about the origins of his latest album (and current tour of the same name) “God Said No.”...
What Illinois Democrats thought of Kamala Harris’s energetic speech last night. A young survivor of gun violence from Chicago took the stage on the final night of the DNC. The removal of convention infrastructure will carry on throughout the weekend.
Chicago police are monitoring a march against U.S. military aid to Israel on the last day of the Democratic National Convention. Some downtown store owners say the Democratic National Convention is slowing things down for their businesses. People incarcerated at a crumbling state prison outside Joliet are beginning to get moved out today.
A protest against the war in Gaza drew thousands Wednesday evening. Some delegates staged a sit-in outside of the United Center to call for a Palestinian American to speak at the DNC. Gen Z voters gathered near the United Center yesterday to see how they can help get other young people to the polls this November.
Palestinian advocates are requesting a chance to speak on the mainstage of the Democratic National Convention. The Chicago area added nearly 26,000 manufacturing jobs between January 2021 and January 2024, according to an analysis by WBEZ. The Chicago-based satirical newspaper The Onion is back in print after 11 years as an online-only paper.
Outside of the big speeches every night, what actually happens at the DNC? As it turns out, it’s a convention, filled with delegates hobnobbing, nail technicians issuing Kamala Harris manicures and vendors showing off everything from custom “Yes We Kam” patches to a collection of living, breathing, queen-worshiping bees. The Rundown podcast visited the DNC and spoke with a whole bunch of attendees who see the DNC in Chicago as a unique opportunity – for all kinds of different reasons.
Dozens of people were arrested during demonstrations supporting Palestine in the West Loop last night. Illinois Democrats highlighted the state’s progressive values during the ceremonial roll call at the DNC. Chicagoans react to the Democratic National Convention after its second day in the city.
Illinois Democrats are excited to hear from former President Barack Obama at the United Center tonight. The Chicago Department of Public Health is advising anyone attending the DNC to stay safe from respiratory illnesses like COVID-19. The Israeli American Council has launched an outdoor art exhibit called “Hostage Square Chicago” in the West Loop.
Illinois Democratic elected officials focused on fighting for working class families on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Protests on the first day of the DNC were peaceful, though there were some tense moments. Legendary television host Phil Donahue died this week. While working in Chicago during the 1970s and ‘80s, he redefined daytime talk shows for good.
