It’s a neighborhood, not just an airport, and unofficially the second hub of Ukrainian Americans in Chicago. We get the latest on efforts locals are making to assist in Ukrainian defense back home and on preparations to welcome refugees.

The latest on federal charges for former House Speaker Michael Madigan, plus legal insights. We’re live near O’Hare for our In Your Neighborhood series, as Russia’s war on Ukraine intensifies.

Moscow’s advance on Ukraine’s capital in the north has apparently stalled, with a huge armored column outside Kyiv at a standstill. And stiffer than expected resistance from the outmanned, outgunned Ukrainians has staved off the swift victory that Russia may have expected.

Suburban officials are worried the proposed merger of two major rail companies would mean more frequent freight trains, which they say could take as long as 10 minutes to clear an intersection.

In his first public comments since the bombshell indictment was announced, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he cooperated fully with federal investigators and denied ever having conversations about appointing disgraced former Chicago Ald. Daniel Solis to a state position.

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Chicago for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 with rousing works and a nod to tradition. 

As problematic as invasive plants, pests and pathogens already are, climate change will only magnify the havoc they wreak on habitat, wildlife and even humans.

In her first public remarks on the search for a replacement for former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, Lightfoot said the five-member search committee charged with reviewing applications from those who want to investigate allegations of wrongdoing and malfeasance by city employees, contractors and vendors was working diligently to recommend finalists.

In all, the plan could be more than $10 billion over time. It calls for members of the Sackler family to give up control of the Stamford, Connecticut-based company so it can be turned into a new entity with profits used to fight the opioid crisis.

A bit of space junk is hurtling toward the moon at 5,800 miles per hour, with impact set for Friday morning.

The Field Museum is diving deep to introduce visitors to underwater wildlife that lived 200 million years ago. We have a preview of the exhibition “Jurassic Oceans – Monsters of the Deep.”

With owners and players unable to agree on a labor contract to replace the collective bargaining agreement that expired Dec. 1, Rob Manfred followed through with his threat and canceled the first two series for each of the 30 major league teams.

So far, Ukraine’s internet mostly works, its president still able to rally global support via a smartphone, and its power plants and other critical infrastructure still able to function. The kind of devastating cyberattacks thought likely to accompany a large-scale Russian military invasion haven’t happened.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle details how an influx of federal funds will be allocated.

What do new federal charges mean for Illinois’ Democratic Party, public trust in state government, and for Michael Madigan himself? Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.