The grants come as thousands of Illinoisans are losing access to federal food assistance, placing more strain in local food pantries.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to launch major strikes on Iran and seize control of its oil industry as escalating attacks between the countries pushed the Middle East closer to the resumption of a full-scale war.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King defended the school district amid congressional criticism of its support for trans students, the Black Student Success Plan and “ideological agendas.”

While the city continues to celebrate Pride, June also marks a milestone in Chicago history — it’s been six months since Mayor Brandon Johnson named the first-ever director of LGBTQ+ affairs: Antonio King.

The Chicago Bears will build their next stadium in Hammond, Indiana — maybe. The team made the announcement Friday after years of negotiations with Illinois state lawmakers over a deal to build a stadium in either Arlington Heights or on the Chicago lakefront.

With the FIFA Men’s World Cup kicking off later this week, immigration rights groups in Chicago are demanding the Trump administration end what they describe as “discriminatory restrictions” that are preventing soccer teams and fans from fully participating in events.

Second installment property tax bills are typically released in early July and due in early August, but those bills have been repeatedly delayed by an overhaul of the county’s property tax system plagued with problems.

Rising healthcare costs and government spending have contributed to a projected depletion date that is less than 10 years from now.

Local and state Republican leaders criticized the plan for potential harm to Lincoln and Logan County after the area has seen economic hardship in recent years.

In a statement from Bears Chairman George McCaskey posted Friday afternoon, the team confirmed they will be heading to Hammond, Indiana, with an exact site still to be determined.

Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs’ gift to the pope was on brand. He delivered the pontiff a certificate to reclaim $8.65 of his own money, a sum the successor of St. Peter had held in a now-closed PayPal account.

“I believe government should answer to the people it serves, not political insiders or special interests,” Mendoza said in a video announcing her campaign. “Because Chicagoans are tired of paying more and getting less, tired of politics that divides people without solving problems.”

State Republican leaders criticized the General Assembly session schedule and new taxes in this year’s budget. But they saw progress in their overall inclusion in budget talks, and also advanced several pieces of bipartisan legislation.

The $56 billion spending plan awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature explicitly prohibits the City Council from imposing a version of the tax that would send new revenue into the city’s cash-strapped coffers.

It was well past 4 a.m. Monday when the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. The budget had been balanced, and a flurry of bills were sent to the governor’s desk. But a busy finish to the spring session left some of the biggest decisions until the very end.

The pontiff reiterates throughout “Magnifica Humanitas” that it is the church’s responsibility to engage contemporary questions and challenges.