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With the More Contagious Delta Variant, Some Officials Are Issuing New Mask Guidance

The more transmissible delta variant is expected to become the dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S., the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. And with half the U.S. still not fully vaccinated, doctors say it could cause a resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall.

Wet Weather Brings out the Mushrooms, but That’s Just the Tip of the Fungal Iceberg

What’s up with the mushrooms that appear and then quickly disappear after wet weather? Where do they come from, and where do they go?

Chicago’s Reopening Rolls On With Return of Food Truck Fest

The Friday lunchtime series highlighting a rotating lineup of vendors will kick off July 30 and run through Oct. 15 in Daley Plaza.

Cosmic Gulp: Astronomers See Black Hole Swallow Neutron Star

Talk about a heavy snack. For the first time, astronomers have witnessed a black hole swallowing a neutron star, the most dense object in the universe — all in a split-second gulp.

Congressional Leaders Urge FCC to Perform Equity Audit

Congressional leaders and a media advocacy group are urging the Federal Communications Commission to examine how policy decisions and programs have disparately harmed Black Americans and other communities of color.

Chicago Lifts COVID-19 Travel Order

All 50 states, along with Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., are recording fewer than 15 new cases per day per 100,000 residents and are no longer covered by the travel order, officials said Tuesday.

‘Latino Voices’ Community Conversation: Latino LGBTQ Experience

For our June event, we celebrate Pride Month by highlighting past and current leaders in the LGBTQ movement and the Latino experience within the community. Watch the full discussion.

‘Excruciating’: Florida Collapse Search Stretches to Day 6

The slow work of sifting through the remnants of a collapsed Florida condo building stretched into a sixth day Tuesday, as families desperate for progress endured a wrenching wait for answers. 

Illinois’ New Criminal Justice Law Begins to Take Effect

Major changes to Illinois’ criminal justice system that passed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder will begin to take effect Thursday, including a requirement that officers track and report to the state incidents in which they use a gun on someone. Here’s what else is changing.

Traveling Exhibit Honors Chicago’s Koko Taylor and Other Women of the Blues

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s exactly what Lynn Orman Weiss’ traveling exhibition does, sharing through photos how women have contributed to one of the most influential music genres.

As Lightfoot Blames Court Shutdown for Violence, Aldermen Push Back

Hours after Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed the shutdown of the Cook County court system by the COVID-19 pandemic for escalating violence across Chicago’s South and West sides, several aldermen told “Chicago Tonight” that rising inequality and distrust of the police is to blame. 

Biden Working to Get Infrastructure Package Back on Track

President Joe Biden is hoping to get the bipartisan infrastructure deal on track by highlighting its expected economic benefits, stressing its $973 billion would include the largest investment in transportation in nearly a century and millions of jobs would be created.

WHO: Delta Variant is ‘Most Transmissible’ Identified So Far

The head of the World Health Organization said the COVID-19 delta variant, first seen in India, is “the most transmissible of the variants identified so far,” and warned it is now spreading in at least 85 countries.

Legislation to Address Period Poverty Heads to Governor’s Desk

Community organizations and state lawmakers are working to make menstrual products more accessible to Illinoisans who need them. We take a look at the issue in our Firsthand: Living in Poverty series.

Crain’s Headlines: Ventas Reaches $2.3B Deal for Additional Senior Housing

Investment groups wager on future demand for senior housing. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Danny Ecker has details on that story and more.