In the midst of a massive growth spurt that began in late winter, the century plant at Garfield Park Conservatory now hovers above the glass dome. We last visited the plant in March, when it stood a mere 17 feet tall.

Records show the 67-acre site on the Far Southeast Side, used as a dumping ground for more than two decades by Republic Steel, is contaminated with lead, manganese, mercury and other toxins.

The National Weather Service says the 8.25 inches of rain that fell in May was the highest total for the month since records started being kept in 1871. 

In need of a vacation, but don’t want to travel too far? We share our favorite local activities and weekend getaways for a last-minute road trip or a city staycation. 

Are Chicagoans getting the information they need to stay safe at the beach – and in the lake? A new task force has some recommendations for Chicago beaches.

Organic gardener Jeanne Nolan shares tips and advice for growing warm-weather crops like jalapeno and serrano peppers, green tomatillo and tomatoes.

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering will become the university’s first new school in three decades, thanks to a $100 million commitment from the Pritzker Foundation.

At 82.5 inches, Java is not only the tallest corpse flower to bloom at the Chicago Botanic Garden, but the quickest among its type at the garden to re-bloom.

Both penguin chicks came from eggs laid by the same pair of penguins, Chile and Jr. The hatchlings are the second and third Magellanic penguins born and bred at Shedd Aquarium. 

After 15 months of pregnancy, Lincoln Park Zoo rhinoceros Kapuki gave birth to a new calf Sunday. And just 53 minutes after birth, it was able to stand up on all four legs.

As police departments across the U.S. weigh the use of facial recognition software, several communities are raising concerns about privacy.

There might be a new kind of meat cooking on the grill this weekend: alternative meat. But what is it? And why the craze?

Dozens of environmental activists from across the Midwest rallied Tuesday outside Chase Tower in the Loop to protest the financing of fossil fuel projects by the country’s largest bank.

Neil Shubin, University of Chicago paleontologist and one of our favorite explainers of all things scientific, joins us to discuss stories making news in the world of science.

Snowflake, a 16-year-old American alligator, is estimated to be one of just about 100 albino alligators in existence. 

After blooming for the first time in June 2017, Java, one of the dozen or so corpse flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden, is preparing to bloom again.