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Big Gaps in Vaccine Rates Across the US Worry Health Experts

A month after every adult in the U.S. became eligible for the vaccine, a distinct geographic pattern has emerged: The highest vaccination rates are concentrated in the Northeast, while the lowest ones are mostly in the South.

City Officials Set to Launch New Rental Assistance Program

Chicagoans struggling to make ends meet because of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for grants to cover 15 months of missed rental payments starting Monday, officials said.

Block Parties — Minus Bounce Houses — to Return to Chicago Starting July 5, Officials Announce

Full-capacity block parties will return to the city’s streets starting July 5 as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wane — but bounce houses will not be allowed, officials announced Thursday. Applications for the street gatherings will be accepted starting June 6.

May 19, 2021 - Full Show

Chicago’s top doctor on new mask guidelines. A look inside President Biden’s expanded child tax credit. The Joffrey Ballet preps for its debut at the Lyric Opera. The politics of Black hair.

Explainer: Do I Still Have to Wear a Mask? What About Kids?

The government’s new guidance on masks for vaccinated people has left some Americans confused and sent businesses and states scrambling to adjust their rules. 

88% of Children Covered by Monthly Payments Starting in July

The Treasury Department said Monday that 39 million families are set to receive monthly child payments beginning on July 15.

It’s Curtain Up and Light the Lights for the Lyric Opera and Joffrey Ballet

After 15 months of dark theaters and livestreamed performances, two of Chicago’s most famous performing arts companies announce they are returning to the stage for live performances — this time under one roof.

ISBE Passes Resolution Calling for In-Person Learning in Illinois Schools This Fall

The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution in support of an upcoming declaration that will make it a requirement that schools reopen their doors in the fall, with only limited options for remote learning.

Chicago’s Top Doctor Says If in Doubt, Keep Wearing That Mask

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, talks about the city’s updated mask guidance and what’s now safe for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

New Film ‘I Am the Bear’ Explores Racial Profiling Through Puppetry

When a member of Chicago’s theater community was racially profiled, he turned the experience into a short film with the help of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. Here’s a look at a one-man, one-puppet show about the consequences of “walking while Black.”

Biden and Netanyahu Face Rough Early Test of Relationship

President Joe Biden’s efforts to persuade Benjamin Netanyahu to halt military strikes against Hamas in Gaza are plunging the two leaders into a difficult early test of the U.S.-Israeli relationship.

Crackdown on ‘Rogue’ Tow Trucks Advances

The measure would give the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection the authority to license tow trucks in Chicago in an effort to crack down on the kind of operators immortalized in song by Steve Goodman as “Lincoln Park Pirates.”

As Pandemic Wanes, Event Organizers Plan for Return of Chicago Festivals, Art Shows

Summer is just around the corner and with it comes the return of neighborhood street festivals, art shows and outdoor concerts, including Lollapalooza. We asked some local organizers for their take on the 2021 summer festival season.

Transparency Advocates Hammer Mayor’s Plan for Police Complaint Database as ‘Smoke and Mirrors’

Independent journalist Jamie Kalven called the revised plan for the database “nothing more an exercise in smoke and mirrors.” The city's watchdog hammered the plan as “significantly smaller step, in scope and scale” than the one presented to aldermen in April.

Republican Leaders Turn Against Bipartisan Jan. 6 Commission

Top Republicans in Congress are working to stop the formation of an independent commission into the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, aligning themselves with former President Donald Trump ahead of a Wednesday House vote on the proposal.