Federal health statistics show a rise in per-person consumption of alcohol and increases in emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths tied to drinking.

The multitalented actor, pianist (and yes, composer in his own right) brings the eighth installment in his renowned “Great Composers Series” to Chicago in June and simultaneously makes his Goodman Theatre debut.

The stylishly macabre, morally challenging show by Duncan Sheik (of “Spring Awakening” fame) and Kyle Jarrow is now receiving its Chicago premiere by Black Button Eyes Productions.

With 24 days of partly cloudy or straight up cloudy skies, January’s pretty bleak. Unfortunately, it takes a blast of cold northern air to get the sun to come out and play. 

On Friday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office reported two new cold-related deaths in the county, including those of a 47-year-old man and a 71-year old woman. 

Regular physical activity is vital for your health, but a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds nearly a quarter of Illinois residents aren’t getting any exercise at all.

For the past several weeks, Puerto Rico has seen more than two dozen high-magnitude earthquakes. One Chicago-based group has teamed up with people on the island to provide funding for resources, doctors and mental health aid.

Why the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago Board of Education are still at odds over the teacher’s contract.

Chicago aldermen have proposed a ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam containers in an effort to cut down on plastic pollution. We learn more from Abe Scarr of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, which helped craft the proposal.

A close associate of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is claiming Trump was directly involved in the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

House Speaker Michael Madigan has shelled out big money from his campaign fund to pay attorneys – and he isn’t the only public official to do so.

Come summer, people buying cannabis in Chicago will pay 6% in local pot taxes, in addition to the state tax on pot, which ranges from 10% to 25%, depending on the potency of the product being purchased.

Dozens of old glass negatives found in the attic of a North Side home lead to a surprising discovery, just days before the house was scheduled to be torn down. 

How did a Lincoln Park statue wind up standing in cities all over the world? Geoffrey Baer goes south of the border for the answer. 

Author Dan Egan had sobering words for Chicagoans at a One Book, One Chicago event this week.