Robert McCoppin –

People wait to cross North Michigan Avenue at East Randolph Street in Chicago on Oct. 23, 2026. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

Trump proposes eliminating race, ethnicity questions from 2030 census, alarming health, civil rights advocates

October 24, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

A proposal to eliminate races about race, ethnicity and sexual orientation from the U.S. census could hurt efforts to address racial inequities in Chicago and across the nation, health and...

Cannabis products on display on June 20, 2024, after the opening of a dispensary in Bucktown. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Illinois cannabis customers bought more at lower prices, while sales revenue and taxes fell, new state report shows

October 11, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Total reported retail sales dropped to about $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2026, down from nearly $2 billion the year before, according to the state’s annual cannabis report

Democrat Melissa Bean, left, and Republican Jennifer Davis, both shown Oct. 1, 2026, are vying for the 8th Congressional District seat. (E. Jason Wambsgans/baiduhai)

Illinois’ 8th District: Melissa Bean seeks comeback vs. newcomer Republican Jennifer Davis

October 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Former Rep. Melissa Bean, a centrist Democrat, seeks a comeback in a solidly Democratic northwest suburban district, but Republican newcomer Jennifer Davis hopes to win as a "political outsider."

Avery Kucan gets Maggie, a former racehorse, ready for training on Sept. 24, 2026, at Tukaway Farm in Hampshire. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

After closing of Hawthorne, programs like Galloping Out train retired racehorses for new lives

September 28, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Galloping Out saves retired thoroughbred racehorses after the closing of Hawthorne Race Course.

Fans walk through muddy Douglass Park on the final day of Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 20, 2026. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Soaked Riot Fest forces restoration plans for swampy Douglass Park

September 21, 2026 at 6:32 p.m.

Riot Fest will be financially responsible for “reasonable costs,” to restore Douglass Park, a Chicago Park District spokesperson said.

Owen Kreutzer, 12, right, guides a sailboat down the dock at the Pistakee Yacht Club on June 11, 2025, in Johnsburg. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Judge rules Pistakee Yacht Club may keep boats on its property despite Johnsburg crackdown

September 17, 2026 at 5:02 p.m.

A sailing club whose members said its future hinged on a long-running legal battle may continue storing boats on its property in the Chain o' Lakes, despite the village of...

Patrons leave after the last race of the day at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney on July 19, 2026. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Illinois Racing Board rejects Hawthorne’s request to run horse races in 2027

September 16, 2026 at 5:29 p.m.

The Illinois Racing Board rejected Hawthorne's request to run horse races in 2027, deeming its application as "deficient."

A pedestrian crosses East Ontario Street at North Fairbanks Court in Chicago in 2018. The building at left contains 620 N. Fairbanks Ct., where cannabis store Guaranteed Dispensary opened late in 2025. (Jośe M. Osorio/baiduhai)

Judge upholds permit for controversial cannabis shop in Streeterville

September 10, 2026 at 4:20 p.m.

A judge upheld Chicago's permit for a controversial cannabis store in Streeterville, despite new evidence that a previous co-owner's mother voted to approve the permit.

Boaters travel on the Fox River in Fox River Grove on Aug. 29, 2026. The Safe Fox River Coalition cited state records showing 45 boating accidents on the Fox River from 2016 to 2026, with six fatalities and 28 injuries. (Brian Hill/Daily Herald)

Calls for speed limit come after high-speed fatal crash on the Fox River

September 7, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

After years of fatal accidents and near misses on the Fox River, advocates are calling for a speed limits. Boaters say speed limits won't solve the problem.

Kristen Fisher looks at her wedding ring from her late husband Bernard “Skip” Fisher while at the Levin and Perconti law office in Chicago, Aug. 31, 2026. Fisher alleges that her late husband was videotaped nude while in the care of Encore Memory Care in South Barrington. (Armando L. Sanchez/baiduhai)

Ex-caregiver charged with sharing videos on Snapchat of nude residents at memory care home in South Barrington

August 31, 2026 at 8:16 p.m.

A former caregiver took and shared photos of nude residents at Encore memory care facility in South Barrington.

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