Stories by Patty Wetli

Members of Chicago’s Native American community were surprised in the best kind of way on Wednesday when the Chicago Board of Education approved the change of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day in its school calendar.

The preservation organization has released its annual list of “most endangered” historic places for 2020. The Thompson Center and Jackson Park are both making their fourth appearance, which is either a good or bad sign.

More and more states are legalizing marijuana, but the number of women involved in the cannabis industry keeps dropping. What can Chicago do to buck that trend?

Chicago’s Polish bakeries have to prep for two Paczki Days: Fat Thursday, celebrated by Poles, and Fat Tuesday, celebrated by everyone else.

The daughter of former Vice President Al Gore is founder of the Center for Earth Ethics, which frames the environmental crisis in moral terms. She tells us about her work ahead of her appearance this week at a climate change forum in Chicago.

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones was also honored with a resolution acknowledging her groundbreaking 1619 Project, prompting moving comments from several council members.

City Council approved a climate emergency resolution Wednesday, but no specific actions are on the horizon.

In the war against plastic pollution, Illinois legislators just announced a new battle plan that would tackle the problem from multiple angles.

From gorillas chomping on heart-shaped biscuits to sea lions digging into a gelatin cake, Brookfield Zoo’s Valentine’s Day celebration has warmed our hearts.             

The Newberry’s collection of vintage valentines is spreading old-fashioned romance across the internet.

Flushing unused or expired prescription drugs down the toilet is “neither safe nor responsible,” says one local official. A new bill would establish convenient statewide locations for their collection instead.

Preliminary findings point to the endangered pangolin as a possible host of the novel coronavirus, sparking concerns that a panic could lead to killings of the animal. 

Board games are a multibillion-dollar analog unicorn in a digital world. How Chicago is catching up on the trend with hyperlocal games, a meetup group and a trio of board game bars/cafes.

It may not seem like it lately, but the sun does indeed still exist. And NASA is sending a spacecraft to our friendly neighborhood star to get some answers.

The east bank of the North Shore Channel has been stripped of foliage between Foster and Bryn Mawr avenues, to be replaced with native species. Neighbors say the project has laid bare “eyesores” on the opposite bank.

The Loyola Academy graduate and former NFL wide receiver picked up an Academy Award on Sunday for best animated short film.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Mayor Lori Lightfoot held a joint news conference Friday to call for federal funding to manage and protect the region’s vulnerable shoreline.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue a state proclamation that would free up additional funds and resources for recovery from January’s severe storms.

As global health agencies grapple with the spread of the coronavirus, filming is underway in Chicago for “Station Eleven,” the story of a swine flu pandemic that wipes out most of the world’s population. Welcome to the apocalypse.

A 30-second spot from Dakota Access ran at least twice during Sunday’s broadcast of the big game on FOX. Here’s why.

The sounds of a calving Antarctic iceberg have been turned into a musical composition, which will be performed as part of an immersive experience this weekend at Millennium Park.

Biologist Carrie Albertin helped sequence the genome of the octopus while earning her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Now she’s made surprising discoveries about the elusive giant squid.

Hosting a more sustainable Super Bowl party can be as easy as buying snacks from the bulk bin and using cloth napkins instead of paper. Oh, and split the difference on pizza boxes.

Chicago has a target date of 2035 to transition to clean energy. On Saturday, the first of several planned community forums will gather residents’ input on how to achieve that goal.

Is it time to hit the reset button on Chicago’s beleaguered Blue Cart recycling program? The city is preparing to conduct a study of the nation’s waste management best practices as it looks for ways to improve.

Winter is about to turn a major psychological corner: For the first time in nearly three months, 9-to-5-ers will see the sun when they leave work.