Stories by Shelby Hawkins

Mayor Brandon Johnson marks two years in office. And the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on birthright citizenship.

In a surprise twist, the papal conclave elects a Chicago native as the new pope. And Mayor Brandon Johnson gets a big win on affordable housing.

Amid falling birth rates, the administration is thinking up potential incentives for future mothers that include: a $5,000 postpartum baby bonus, and a “National Medal of Motherhood” for women who have more than six children.

The life and legacy of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, who is largely referred to as Chicago’s founder, is being honored at a new park just east of where the Haitian-born trader settled near the river.

The U.S.-China trade war has been ratcheting up for nearly a month now. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on almost all U.S. trading partners April 2 in what he declared “Liberation Day,” with China becoming the main target.

While there is skepticism among some in the Jewish community over the sincerity of the Trump administration’s policies, some others are welcoming the actions as a positive step forward and the nation’s most aggressive push against anti-Jewish hate yet.

Singer, poet and South Side native Jamila Woods has been using music as a tool for self-healing for most of her life. She first found the power of an artistic community in her grandmother’s church choir and now finds a similar solace through connections with fans and musicians alike.

Chicago is now home to the National Public Housing Museum, a first of its kind institution created alongside people who’ve lived in public housing.

So-called “teen takeovers” have been a popular trend among some young people for years, and the large gatherings are already making headlines again as summer approaches. This chaotic scene reignited a debate on the citywide curfew for unaccompanied minors with calls to change the current curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The United States Postal Service has been facing a slew of challenges for years following the rise of the internet and a subsequent decline in physical mail. And things recently got even more complicated.

Residents of the 25th Ward, which includes Little Village and Pilsen, are being asked to participate in a survey to rank their main infrastructure priorities.

UChicago is among nearly 50 institutions under investigation for alleged racial discrimination related to DEI programs. Namely, the college’s partnership with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that aims to increase diversity in the business world.

Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and had been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.

“For many people with Down syndrome, the question ‘to be or not to be’ is not just philosophical — it is personal,” said Chela de Ferrari, the show’s director and writer. “Society often decides who gets to take up space, whose voices are heard, whose stories matter.”

The Small Business Administration is relocating its regional Chicago office, as well as those in five other metropolitan cities. Local SBAs are tasked with providing funding, education and resources to small business owners, operating as a lifeline to both aspiring business owners and longtime entrepreneurs.

Photography, film and fabrics are used to write the continent’s expansive story, starting chronologically during the liberation period of the mid-20th century up until today.

In the six weeks since President Donald Trump has returned to the White House, nearly 100 legal challenges have been filed against the administration’s executive orders. Illinois has joined in on the conversations that range from the federal funding freeze to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s recently unveiled 2026 budget proposal includes a controversial cut. It proposes to get rid of two programs that allow immigrants without legal status to receive healthcare coverage.

Costs of everyday essentials like groceries and gas are steadily climbing while wages remain largely stagnant, which is particularly true in the Chicago area where the inflation rate is higher than anywhere else in the country — an unwanted first-place position.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker escalates his attacks on President Donald Trump. And the local impact of federal cuts to clinical trials.

Women’s suffragist, investigative journalist and civil rights leader Ida B. Wells is now immortalized as part of the U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program.

Republican lawmakers are championing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act that would require voters to show proof of citizenship like a REAL ID, a passport, a birth certificate or other eligible documentation.

The Chicago-area native recently returned to the city to celebrate natural hair and Black Heritage Month at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. She’s on a high after starring alongside SZA in the country’s No. 1 comedy flick “One of Them Days.”

“Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” is a celebration of Black hair and salons, a kind of sanctuary for Black women where societal expectations on how to present and perform no longer exist.

While advocates argue the change will provide great financial relief to millions struggling with high health care costs, critics contend it could harm financial systems and incentivize delinquency.

The Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools still have not reached a contract deal. Meanwhile, the CPS Board of Education’s publicly elected members will be sworn in this week, and the district will be on the search for a new leader since the current board fired CEO Pedro Martinez.