The e-commerce giant is opening more distribution centers in Chicago — and plans to hire thousands. Crain’s Chicago Business Editor Ann Dwyer joins us with the stories behind the headlines.

The unmistakable sound of the Salvation Army’s bell-ringers could be heard Monday morning along Michigan Avenue as the organization announced an unprecedented September kickoff to its annual Red Kettle fundraiser.

From the football field to the front office: We speak with Jason Wright, the NFL’s first Black team president.

The west suburban community is full of history, with monuments to WWI and WWII veterans, and home to a legendary musician. It has struggled with higher rates of poverty and lack of access to health care, making it particularly susceptible to COVID-19.

Nearly 2,000 new cases of coronavirus and 28-virus related deaths were reported Thursday by state health officials, as Gov. J.B. Pritzker said eight Illinois regions are making progress in slowing the spread of the virus.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois is already months behind in awarding licenses to new marijuana dispensaries. But now, legislators want to further delay the process. 

After 35 years, the Windy City Times will end its print edition and move forward as an online-only publication in October. We discuss the news with the publication’s co-founder and publisher, Tracy Baim.

With the race for a vaccine underway and President Donald Trump claiming one could be available before the November election, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reiterated Wednesday that safety would guide the state’s reopening.

The Chicago City Council voted 46-4 Wednesday to ban the sale of most flavored liquid nicotine products in Chicago, after an effort to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products failed to advance.

Big technology stocks tumbled again on Tuesday, continuing the Icarus-like flight path for companies that just a week ago were the high-flyers carrying Wall Street to record heights. 

More than 1,650 organizations throughout the state have received grants through the fund, which distributed $7.5 million in its final round of funding to organizations primarily serving Black and Latino communities.

The developer for what will be Chicago’s third-largest tower is getting sued by a prospective buyer. Crain’s Chicago Business Editor Ann Dwyer joins us with the stories behind the headlines.

Cook County officials are urging suburban municipalities to apply for $51 million in CARES Act funds before the Sept. 30 deadline. “This is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition,” said Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

In a bid to keep restaurants open once cold weather hits, the city has launched a competition aimed at generating creative, yet feasible, ways to extend outdoor dining into Chicago’s winter. 

Plywood used to board up businesses in the wake of civil unrest this summer is now a sign of economic growth and engagement in one South Side community.

Twenty-one finalists are now vying for the highly coveted licenses that will add 75 new cannabis dispensaries throughout the state, which will hold a lottery sometime this month to make it final.