Stories by Bridgette Adu-Wadier

While Mayor Brandon Johnson and advocates say phasing out the tipped minimum wage helps the city’s lowest-paid workers, critics worry about the higher labor costs facing restaurants.

Chicago police data shows overall violent crime in the city is down by about 22% in the first half of the year compared to 2024. There have also been 31% fewer homicides and 36% fewer shootings between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 this year.

CPS officials have laid out a plan that aims to fill a $734 million budget gap. But there’s still debate over whether a loan should be a part of the final plan — and whether the district should take on a $175 million pension payment.

The Trump administration cut union contracts for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees earlier this month as part of a larger effort to strip federal workers of union protections.

The city’s One Summer Chicago program put 30,000 young people to work this year, providing jobs in transportation, health care, business and more.

CPS officials are faced with closing a whopping $734 million deficit by the end of the month. There is little wiggle room to cut costs or bring in revenue.

Bishop Yehiel Curry will start his new role in October. “In many ways, this is an example of the church saying, ‘We see you,’” Curry said.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for the city on Thursday and kept extending it through Sunday night. There was no alert Monday.

People just started gathering in Pilsen for four days of food, music and carnival rides at the Fiesta del Sol festival — an annual Latino cultural celebration drawing more than 1 million people.

One of the country’s oldest civil rights organizations is urging people across the U.S. to resist the Trump administration. The National Urban League’s new report accuses the federal government of harming Black and underserved communities with federal spending cuts and diversity rollbacks.

Some Chicago hospitals that have been on the forefront of providing gender-affirming care to patients under the age of 19 have pulled back on those services.

Illinois homeowners could soon face a higher insurance bill. State Farm is raising its rates by 27% starting Aug. 15 — which could cost customers $475 more on average.

Carol Moseley Braun is making waves in the push for more diverse leaders in politics. In 1993, she became the country’s first Black woman senator — shuttling her into the national and cultural spotlight.

After the convictions of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Ald. Ed Burke, Chicago politics are falling under renewed scrutiny by those pushing for reform.

Immigrant rights advocates have reported seeing some ICE agents wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves during raids. Advocates say that creates fear and hinders accountability.

With funding at risk, hospitals are warning they might have to close — and leave communities without badly needed access to care.

President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill is now law, after days of heated debate and close votes in Congress. Democrats say the cuts will impact low-income Americans.

Congress on Thursday passed President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which the president is expected to sign into law. The tax and spending plan cuts federal funding for services such as food aid and Medicaid, as well as Planned Parenthood.

For many radio listeners, Craig Dellimore is a household name — a voice that’s become a part of people’s car rides and train commutes.

It’s a wrap on the most recent term for the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices delivered a slew of decisions on cases ranging from birthright citizenship to funding for Planned Parenthood.

Some members of Congress are saying they’ve been turned away from local ICE facilities as they seek transparency on the conditions detainees are experiencing. Federal appropriations law allows members of Congress to perform oversight of these facilities, unannounced.

For the people who sell copies of the magazine, it’s more than just a job. It’s often their way out of challenges such as poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and mental health issues.

Ahead of the group’s annual conference this weekend, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition is planning a protest Thursday at the downtown Target on State Street.

Businesses and manufacturing are starting to feel the impact of steel and aluminum tariffs that took effect Wednesday. The Trump administration is putting a 50% tax on these metals when they’re imported from other countries.

ICE agents reportedly detained at least 10 people in the South Loop on Wednesday after the people were told to check in to a monitoring program administered by the agency.

The report draws from research from the New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, which found that in 2024 the median net worth for Black Chicago-area households was zero dollars — compared to $210,000 for White households.