Saturday’s disruptions weren’t just due to the virus, however. Wintry weather made Chicago — where forecasts called for 9 inches of snow — the worst place in the country for travelers. More than 800 flights were scrubbed at O’Hare Airport and more than 250 at Midway Airport.

With coronavirus infections soaring, the return from schools’ winter break will be different than planned for some as administrators again tweak protocols and make real-time adjustments in response to the shifting pandemic. All are signaling a need to stay flexible.

Other cities have also seen an increase in the number of homicides. But Chicago, as it has in previous years, ended 2021 with more homicides than any other city in the United States, including New York and Los Angeles. 

A look back at some of our favorite Black Voices stories of 2021— from a look at how tech leaves marginalized people behind, to the Chicago Sky’s history-making WNBA Championship  — and so much in between.

A look back at some of our favorite Latino Voices stories of 2021: from the potential impact of the sweeping infrastructure law to a group helping refugee women start a new life, and more.

From the shocking events of Jan. 6 to COVID’s dip and surge, a changing of the guard in Springfield, to high crime rates and political battles in City Council. We recap the year’s biggest stories.

As 2021 comes to a close, Roe v. Wade — the historic 1973 Supreme Court ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion — is imperiled as never before. 

Melting glaciers, deadly floods in Germany, record high summer temperatures in generally mild Oregon, more urgent pleas for help from Pacific island nations. With growing urgency, the effects of climate change were felt around the world in 2021.

After 2020 became a year of racial reckoning with the public killing of George Floyd and the protests of injustices against Black people, 2021 offered what can best be described as a follow-up year — a continuation of some familiar story threads with other new ones emerging.

Some 300 new laws will take effect in Illinois in the new year. They range from changing how gun licenses are processed — to regulating pet sales.

A series of new laws could make it easier for consumers to comparison shop for prescriptions, make sure unused medicine doesn’t go to waste, and expand coverage of fertility treatment.

The latest on testing snafus and rising COVID cases. One-on-one with CPS CEO on plans to bring kids safely back to school. New laws on the books for 2022. And the Bears get ready to tackle the Giants.

The Bears have a chance to finish a lost season on a high note, starting with the last place New York Giants who visit Soldier Field this Sunday. But there are questions as to who will play quarterback, and then the bigger picture questions as to where exactly the organization is headed as fans demand a major overhaul.

A new report from ProPublica Illinois details the catastrophic loss of dialysis patients during the pandemic. Reporter Duaa Eldeib joins “Chicago Tonight” to discuss her findings 

More than 5,600 people are hospitalized with COVID. And COVID patients are occupying 34% of the state’s ICU beds.