City funding will bankroll pop‑ups, rent help and marketing on Cermak Road and 26th Street as businesses try to recover from the Midway enforcement surge. Local nonprofits will run activation programs and offer technical support to entrepreneurs.

Aurora will cut the ribbon Thursday on two new fire stations, including the city’s first north of I-88. Public tours follow each opening.

A thief emptied the Block Academy's freezer, taking food and supplies that feed dozens of local children. Volunteers and neighbors are scrambling to replace meals.

Orion Samuelson, WGN’s longtime farm broadcaster, has died at 91. He spent 60 years explaining agriculture to city and country listeners.

Aurora opened a temporary overnight warming center Sunday night at the Financial Empowerment Center, offering 7 p.m.–7 a.m. shelter for residents during a cold snap.

A suburban Chicago mother says District 126 denied her child’s enrollment after license‑plate logs showed the family’s car overnighting in Chicago. The district has a paid contract with Thomson Reuters CLEAR for residency checks.

Organizers say the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon injected $756 million into the metro economy and set a record $47.1 million for charity. The uptick supported thousands of jobs across hospitality and retail.

Vanderbilt named University of Chicago vice provost Jason Merchant as the new Searcy Family Dean of Arts and Science. He starts July 1 and will hold an endowed chair in philosophy.

A new study finds Chicago’s community-built Whole School Safety process—paired with investments in mental-health and restorative supports—could be a template for other districts.

Aurora has shut down its Aurora's Promise child savings pilot after low enrollment and budget concerns, ending a program that gave kindergarteners a $50 starter deposit. City officials say staffing and financial limits made the pilot unsustainable.

The West Suburban Irish's 33rd annual St. Patrick's Parade returns next Saturday at 10 a.m., stepping through downtown Naperville with bands, dancers and dozens of floats. Organizers say large crowds are expected and officials have posted route and traffic guidance.

Longtime Wicker Park tattoo shop Metamorph says an eviction threat, a vacant lot next door and falling demand have put the studio's future at risk. Owner Derek Mullins has launched fundraising and litigation as he fights to stay open.

Easterseals’ HB Threads pays at least $15 and is being promoted as a practical model as Illinois phases out 14(c) subminimum wages by the end of 2029.