Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was disappointed that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law that gives a subset of Chicago firefighters the same retirement package as their peers, saying it will “result in a deeper financial burden to the taxpayers of Chicago.” Days earlier, he signed another law Lightfoot had pressured him to reject.

Tired of livestreams that lacked variety, Evanston artist Steve Rashid wanted to offer a more immersive experience. With the help of his sons and their network of artists from around the country, he created “Into the Mist.” We get a peek at the virtual show that’s unlike any other.

As COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expands, a growing number of companies say they will require proof of vaccination before opening their doors. We weigh the legal and ethical concerns surrounding vaccine passports as the country looks to reopen. 

The CDC says fully vaccinated people can now travel safely, but what does a new COVID-19 surge mean for the summer vacation season? 

It’s been a violent start to 2021 in Chicago, which has recorded 131 homicides in the first three months of the year. Now, a measure sitting on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk declares violence a public health crisis and takes aim at racial inequities in the state’s health care system.

The Minneapolis police chief testified Monday that now-fired Officer Derek Chauvin violated departmental policy — and went against “our principles and the values that we have” — in pressing his knee on George Floyd’s neck and keeping him down after Floyd had stopped resisting and was in distress.

Some retired firefighters could see their pensions grow after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a measure to boost the annual cost-of-living increase added to their checks. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the measure would create an “unfunded mandate” that would force Chicago officials to raise taxes or cut services.

With $2 trillion up for grabs in President Biden’s proposed infrastructure bill, Chicago’s transportation leaders are making a case for urgent repair needs and forward-thinking programs — all requiring the type of major funding infusion only the federal government can supply.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says a new policy on foot pursuits must be put in place for the Chicago Police Department by this summer following the fatal shooting of Adam Toledo, one week after the boy was killed by a police officer in an alley on the Southwest Side.

Illinois residents ages 16 and older who live in 80 of the state’s 102 counties are now eligible for the vaccine, state health officials announced Monday. However, health departments in Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, Will and Cook counties as well as Chicago have yet to expand eligibility.

A rural Illinois bar opening event in February was linked to a COVID-19 outbreak of at least 46 cases, a school closure and the hospitalization of a long-term care facility resident, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Chicago-based United Airlines takes a stand against the Georgia voting law. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann Dwyer takes us behind the headline of that story and more.

The governor signs bills impacting Chicago teachers and firefighters. The latest on the police shooting of a 13-year-old boy. The debate over vaccine passports. New travel guidelines from the CDC.

The starry cast of Aaron Sorkin’s 1960s courtroom drama took the top prize Sunday at a virtual Screen Actors Guild Awards where actors of color, for the first time, swept the individual film awards. 

New arts leaders weigh in on the comeback of Chicago’s art scene. We remember Loyola’s 1963 championship team and the adversity they faced. Rare color photos of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Elmhurst.