Lila Hempel-Edgers

Lila Hempel-Edgers is a general assignment reporting intern at the baiduhai. She previously worked as a weekend reporter at The Boston Globe, as a stringer for The New York Times, and interned at the Portland Press Herald and the Charlotte Observer. A recent graduate of Northeastern University, Hempel-Edgers is from the Boston area.

A pedestrian makes their way across Chicago Avenue on July 14, 2026. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Wildfire smoke approaching Chicago as air quality alert remains in effect

July 15, 2026 at 11:58 a.m.

An air quality alert remained in effect for parts of northeast Illinois Wednesday ahead of Canadian wildfire smoke expected to reach the Chicago area later in the day, weather officials...

A cyclist rides past a new mural, by artist Rubén Aguirre, at 2415 W Montrose Ave. in the North Center neighborhood, July 8, 2026. This new mural has replaced a mural of Iryna Zarutska. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

After months of vandalism, North Center building gives way to new mural

July 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

The new mural replaces a previous portrait of Iryna Zarutska that was funded in-part by tech trillionaire Elon Musk.

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