Cook County will raise its minimum wage to $15.40 for non‑tipped workers and $9.25 for tipped employees on July 1, 2026. The county’s updated FAQ explains who’s covered and where to file complaints.

A Quincy shop owner was arrested after state police say searches turned up large quantities of cannabis, cocaine and psilocybin in a multi-site raid.

Two crashes near Monmouth left one person dead and five injured this week; the Warren County sheriff urged drivers to slow down and give themselves extra time.

Portillo’s will open a 5,500‑sq‑ft flagship at 304 N. Michigan, its first inline Chicago location. The Magnificent Mile spot will seat nearly 100 and serve the chain’s classics.

Move-ins have begun at Inside Info Fremont, a five-story, 132-unit building at 1549 North Fremont. The project includes street-level retail, a 29-vehicle garage and a rooftop garden.

The Chicago Board of Education has reinstated a teacher found to have pushed a third‑grader, approving back pay while treating part of the leave as a suspension.

City officials ordered parking and ramp closures and boosted police presence at Foster Beach as teen takeovers spread; community groups are lining up outreach.

The U.S. meets Germany at Soldier Field on Saturday in a final World Cup send‑off. Naperville native Chris Brady is among the storylines to watch.

A suspect remains at large after a shooting at Nippon Paint’s Lansing plant that drew a heavy police response and shelter-in-place orders near the village hall.

St. Charles’ council voted June 1 to preserve the downtown Fox River impoundment for boating and recreation, even as state and federal studies recommend dam removal to improve water quality.

A suspected gas-line strike caused a basement explosion in Elgin that injured two and left the house uninhabitable. Investigators from the fire department and Nicor are probing the blast.

A 30-year-old Chicago man was arrested after a July fight in Humboldt Park left a woman shot in the ankle; he faces an aggravated battery charge and a detention hearing.

The Art Institute assembles more than 200 drawings in a career-spanning show that reframes de Kooning’s paper work as central to his art. It opens June 14.