Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Advocates push for two shuttered hospitals to reopen. And a new report says Chicago can’t keep trying to poison its way out of its rat problem.

Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center and Uptown’s Weiss Hospital both closed this year following federal funding cuts and reports of poor infrastructure and working conditions.

Some borrowers will be hit with higher monthly payments. New professional and graduate students will have to contend with stricter loan limits. Parents will also face tighter caps on how much they can borrow to help their kids.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday that will give the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to review and approve rate changes for homeowners and automobile policies.

The state sales tax will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25% from Aug. 7-16, 2026, and local sales taxes will still apply. School supplies, as well as clothing and shoes under $125, are eligible for the lower tax rate.

In Illinois, there have been no deaths related to the cyclospora outbreak, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Tuesday.

Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed confidence that he’ll be able to present a balanced budget in October after his Budget Director Annette Guzman abruptly resigned this week.

Chicago school board members join us to discuss their recently passed budget. And how the Shedd Aquarium’s new residents are doing.

A divided Chicago Board of Education last week approved a nearly $10 billion budget that relies on an additional $150 million in state funding. The spending plan comes after weeks of debate among CPS officials, board members and labor unions over how the district should close a $732 million budget gap.

Barely a week after four beluga whales were transferred from Marineland, a defunct Canadian water park, to Shedd Aquarium, the newcomers have already made an impression on their caretakers.

While hospitals have so far not reported major disruptions to services, more frequent supply shortages show the need for contingency plans.

The Printers Row Lit Fest will be held Sept. 12-13. The free event brings together more than 200 nationally and locally acclaimed authors, journalists, poets, screenwriters, booksellers and storytellers.

There were 37 homicides in the city last month, the lowest total for any such month dating back to at least 1970. That total is down 18% compared to July 2025.

Most Illinois retailers will be required to accept cash payments beginning in 2028 under a bill Gov. JB Pritzker signed on Friday.