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Black Ensemble Theater Cooks Up a Broadway-Worthy Show With ‘A Taste of Soul’

Featuring nearly 40 hit songs, “A Taste of Soul” takes an exceptionally clever approach to celebrating the irrepressible exuberance and heartache of soul music, WTTW News theater critic Hedy Weiss writes.

Complaint Alleges ComEd Violated State Law by Raising Fees on Customer Bills

A group of businesses filed a complaint with state regulators alleging that Chicago electric company Commonwealth Edison improperly raised customer bills this summer. The complaint claims the utility failed to follow proper regulatory channels.

WTTW News Explains: How Are Highway Exits Numbered?

Do you ever find yourself wondering how all the exits got their numbers? It’s relatively simple — but not necessarily intuitive. WTTW News Explains.

Arrivals of West Coast Schools Could Cause Big Ten to Depart From Its Traditional Smashmouth Football Style

No Power Five conference has tended to rely more on defense and the running game than the Big Ten. The arrival of Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington next year just might change that.

Chicago Has Seen 418 Homicides and 1,988 People Shot This Year, Lowest Numbers Since 2019: Police

Monthly CPD data published Tuesday shows that the city has recorded 418 homicides, 1,677 shootings and 1,988 shooting victims in 2023 through the end of August. Each of those totals is the fewest through the first eight months of a year since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conservative Book Ban Push Fuels Library Exodus From Chicago-Based American Library Association

This summer, the state libraries in Montana, Missouri and Texas and the local library in Midland, Texas, announced they’re leaving the ALA, with possibly more to come. Right-wing lawmakers in at least nine other states demand similar action.

Congress Returns to Try to Prevent a Government Shutdown While GOP Weighs Biden Impeachment Inquiry

A short-term funding measure to keep government offices fully functioning will dominate the September agenda, along with emergency funding for Ukraine, federal disaster funds and the Republican-driven probe into Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.

2 Dead, 1 Critical, 1 Missing As Chicago's Summer Swim Season Ends on Tragic Note

A pair of water rescues on Chicago's lakefront over the holiday weekend resulted on one person dead and another in critical condition, according to the Chicago Police Department. Indiana officials report a teen drowned in East Chicago.

Two 15-Year-Old Boys Among 6 People Killed by Gunfire Over Labor Day Weekend in Chicago: Police

According to preliminary Chicago Police Department data, 39 people were shot in 33 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday. In addition to the six people who were fatally shot, a seventh person died of blunt force trauma.

Election 2024 Begins: Candidates for County and State Races Start Gathering Signatures

A slate of county and state offices is up for grabs in March, including state’s attorney and circuit court clerk as well as a key seat in the Illinois House to represent the city’s Northwest Side.

Surge in Organization Efforts Has Illinois Labor Leaders Optimistic for the Future

As workers in Illinois celebrate Labor Day, a new report shows there has been a surge in efforts to organize labor unions in workplaces throughout the state, while overall public approval of labor unions nationally is the highest in nearly six decades.

It’s Beetle Mania! Field Museum Scientist Says It’s Time to Give These Unsung Pollinator Heroes Their Due

Beetles, and weevils in particular, are thought of as destructive pests. Bruno de Medeiros, assistant curator of insects at the Field Museum, is upending those preconceptions.

Venezuelan Asylum Seeker Designs Logo to Help Raise Funds for Group Aiding Migrants

For the many volunteers helping migrants living at Chicago police stations, raising funds is essential. One group teamed up with a Venezuelan migrant to design the logo on merchandise being sold to raise money for food, clothes and medicine for asylum seekers.

From Strikes to New Union Contracts, Labor Day’s Organizing Roots Are Especially Strong Across the Country This Year

The early-September tribute to workers has been an official holiday for almost 130 years — but an emboldened labor movement has created an environment closer to the era from which Labor Day was born. 

Children Hit Hardest by the Pandemic Are Now the Big Kids at School. Many Still Need Reading Help

Nationally, students suffered deep learning setbacks in reading and math during the pandemic. Last year’s third-graders, the kids who were in kindergarten when the pandemic started, lost more ground in reading than kids in older grades and were slower to catch up.