FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2008 file photo traffic on I-95 passes oil storage tanks owned by the Colonial Pipeline Company in Linden, N.J. (AP Photo / Mark Lennihan, File)
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The cyberextortion attempt that has forced the shutdown of a vital U.S. pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, a person close to the investigation said Sunday.

General Iron’s metal-shredding operation in Lincoln Park. (WTTW News)
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City officials agreed Friday to conduct an environmental justice assessment of the proposed shredding operation before issuing the final permit the facility needs to start operating. 

Downtown Evanston (WTTW News)
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Reparations, equitable recovery top of mind for some residents

Located along the lakefront just north of Chicago, Evanston is known for its dining scene, arts and culture, and Northwestern University. But it also has a history of racial segregation and redlining, which city leaders hope to address through a historic reparations program that passed in March.

FILE - Rows of homes, in suburban Salt Lake City, on April 13, 2019. Utah is one of two Western states known for rugged landscapes and wide-open spaces that are bucking the trend of sluggish U.S. population growth. (AP Photo / Rick Bowmer, File)
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A study found that many migrants weren’t driven by new jobs or weather — or even a fear of the virus — but a desire to be closer to family and a freedom to make it happen because of remote working. 

Consumer spending is on the rise -- but for how long? (WTTW News)

The U.S. economy grew at 6.4% in the first quarter of 2021 as the combined impact of a mass vaccination rollout and federal stimulus checks triggered a surge in consumer spending. But how long can this economic boom last?

Exercise equipment company Peloton is recalling its treadmills after reports of injuries and the death of at least one child. (Peloton / Facebook)

A 6-year-old child recently died after being pulled under the rear of the Peloton Tread+ treadmill, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company has also received dozens of reports of injuries.

Downtown Evanston (WTTW News)
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With Chicago officials targeting July 4 as a date to fully reopen, suburban Cook County officials hope to have “a similar, if not identical reopening schedule.”

(Cytonn Photography / Unsplash)

As data breaches in recent years have exposed weaknesses in the storage and transfer of personal data, lawmakers in the United States and Europe have expressed concern over the tracking of users online. 

A CVS Pharmacy sign. (WTTW News)

Thousands of COVID-19 vaccines wasted at Walgreens and CVS. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann Dwyer takes us behind the headline of that story and more.

A small business in Wicker Park highlights its opening hours in 2020. (WTTW News)

Cook County officials are marking Small Business Week, which runs through Saturday, with the launch of a new initiative aimed at supporting small businesses as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A runner approaches one of the Lake Shore Drive bridge houses on the nearly finished Navy Pier Flyover portion of the lakefront trail, April 30, 2021. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
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The long-awaited, sometimes-maligned structure carrying the lakefront trail over Grand Avenue, Illinois Street and the Chicago River has missed its latest target to wrap up in April. But the Chicago Department of Transportation says it’s “very close” to completion.

In this Dec. 4, 2017, file photo, a farmer harvests crops near Sinsinawa Mound in Wisconsin. (Eileen Meslar / Telegraph Herald via AP, File)
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A group of Midwestern farmers sued the federal government Thursday alleging they can't participate in a COVID-19 loan forgiveness program because they're white.

(WTTW News)
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For the first time in 30 years, the city is soliciting new proposals for its electric utility. It is a clear indication that the city’s relationship with the scandal-plagued utility is at an all-time low and perhaps nearing the breaking point.

Navy Pier (WTTW News)
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Chicago is loosening its pandemic restrictions. As part of our community reporting series, we spend the day reporting in and around Navy Pier as it begins a phased reopening.

Pedestrian traffic on State Street. (WTTW News)

One of Chicago’s most iconic thoroughfares is putting on its Sunday best this summer in an effort to lure people back downtown.

Boeing Co. on Wednesday, April 28, reported a loss of $537 million in its first quarter. The Chicago-based company said it had a loss of 92 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for non-recurring gains, were $1.53 per share. (AP Photo / Elaine Thompson)

Boeing Co. reported a wider than expected first-quarter loss on Wednesday and took another charge on its program to build two new Air Force One presidential planes after firing a contractor it hired to help perform the work.