Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services has been struggling to find proper placements, particularly for high-needs youth for whom the agency is having to stand in as a pseudo parent. So much so that some children and teens who have had a stint at a psychiatric hospital are there after they’ve been cleared for release because there’s nowhere for them to go. 

The girl drowned Tuesday in the lake waters off Gary, Ind. On Sunday, a 72-year-old man was pulled from the water off Indiana Dunes State Park. 

Advocates say recent changes made to the International Swimming Federation’s inclusion policy place an unfair burden on young, gender non-conforming athletes to commit to gender affirming procedures and irreversible treatments before reaching puberty. It’s a decision critics say, could pose health risks for young athletes.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday that he has appointed pediatrician Dr. Sameer Vohra to lead the state health department starting Aug. 1.

The new variants, labeled BA.4 and BA.5, are offshoots of the omicron strain that has been responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. and are even more contagious than their predecessors.

Some researchers say the Supreme Court’s move overturning Roe v. Wade could have a negative impact on maternal health.

The risk to Chicagoans from monkeypox remains low, according to Chicago Department of Public Health officials, who encouraged anyone who has developed a new or unexplained rash to see a health care provider.

As anyone who’s gone grocery shopping recently knows, food prices are on the rise. In Chicago, 28% of Latino families with kids are facing food insecurity according to a study done in 2020. And, families that rely on schools to provide meals for their children are feeling an extra pinch with kids at home during the summer break.

Just under a month ago, the Highland Park chapter of March for our Lives organized an anti-gun violence rally at Sunset Woods Park – the same location of a Thursday candlelight vigil – following mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, and Tulsa among others. Attendees then marched through Highland Park, including right through the site of this past weekend’s shooting.

A University of Chicago initiative aims to modernize and strengthen the nation’s 911 system – and they’ve just published a blueprint for how to do it.

The administration said it was expanding the pool of people who are advised to get vaccinated to include those who may realize on their own that they could have been infected. That includes men who who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified.

The threat of COVID-19 eased across Chicago and Cook County Thursday, as federal officials lowered the warning level to “medium” after two weeks at “high,” according to Centers for Disease Control data. However, Chicago Department of Public Health officials continue to recommend that residents wear masks indoors and on public transportation. 

Highland Park’s Fourth of July Parade turned into a tragedy Monday. That sudden shift from a celebratory mood to one of imminent danger can make it difficult for people to process in the aftermath, according to clinicians. 

The Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has had an immediate impact on women with unwanted pregnancies. But people who desperately want to have children are also being impacted.

A Black Voices/Latino Voices crossover conversation on what the future holds for abortion access in the U.S. Leaders of women’s rights organizations worry about how this decision will specifically impact people of color and people with lower incomes.

More and more communities are turning to private security to help combat higher crime. In the Morgan Park community on the city's far south side, a new pilot program employs private security guards to watch over local businesses. Morgan Park is located just south of Beverly and just north of suburbs like Blue Island on the southern edge of the city.