Some 300 members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 — those who are employed by Chicago-area quarries run by Lehigh Hanson, Vulcan Materials Co. and Lafarge Holcim — went on strike June 7.

A showdown in City Council over speed cameras. Previewing the next Jan. 6 Congressional hearing led by an Illinois congressman. A strike's impact on roadwork. And an invasive species gets a rebrand. 

Our Spotlight Politics team discusses damning revelations from the Jan. 6 hearings; the latest on some key primary races with elections less than one week away; And the City Council vote to replace retired Ald. Michael Scott Jr. with his sister, Monique, to represent the 24th Ward.

As Pride month is being celebrated, we’re highlighting people who are making an impact within the LGBTQ community. We visited a homeless haven in Humboldt Park and spoke with a woman who helps LGBTQ youth get housing and build independence.

Over 300 bills affecting LGBTQ rights are being introduced this year in the U.S. according to the Human Rights Campaign. And more than 130 of them specifically target transgender people. Mental health professionals say this is having a significant impact on LGBTQ youth’s access to care and their wellbeing.

Ald. Jason Ervin (28th Ward) led the push to prevent a vote on the measure Wednesday, using a parliamentary procedure to delay a vote until the City Council’s next meeting, scheduled for July 20. That tactic is often used by members of the City Council to push back an up-or-down vote when the outcome is uncertain.

Plans for a new Near South high school were suddenly put on hold Wednesday after Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez abruptly removed the item before the city’s Board of Education voted to approve the district’s budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

Authored by Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) and Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th Ward), the measure would give employees of the Department of Finance — not just members of the Chicago Police Department — the authority to order the vehicle blocking the bicycle lane to be ticketed and towed.

The Bring Chicago Home Coalition is calling on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to set up a dedicated revenue source to address homelessness in the city after giving the mayor failing grades in a report card issued Wednesday assessing her progress on addressing the issue during her first three years in office.

Pride celebrations, micheladas, a South Side walking tour and colorful kimonos usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Illinois is rebranding Asian carp as “copi” in a bid to get people to eat the invasive fish into submission. Fishermen are catching thousands of pounds a day and barely making a dent in the number of carp in waterways like the Illinois River, where it's estimated 20 million to 50 million could be harvested annually.

In 2021, worldwide emissions from making cement for buildings, roads and other infrastructure hit nearly 2.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which is more than 7% of the global carbon emissions. Twenty years ago, in 2002, cement emissions were some 1.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide.

At issue is the 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on gas and the 24.4 cents-a-gallon federal tax on diesel fuel. If the gas savings were fully passed along to consumers, people would save roughly 3.6% at the pump when prices are averaging about $5 a gallon nationwide.

Some of the Republicans running for governor join us for a forum. Infants and toddlers are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Iconic LGBTQ artists. And a no-kill animal shelter hits a major milestone.

Paula Fasseas, founder and executive chairman of PAWS Chicago, said she started the shelter as a grassroots organization in 1997 after learning that every year more than 42,000 homeless animals were being euthanized in Chicago.