Stories by Brandis Friedman

The city is making changes to the way neighborhood early learning centers receive funding, and some providers say the changes are destabilizing to families and communities.

Cindy Mancilla spent her summer working at the headquarters of candy magnate Mars Wrigley. And though the company hires hundreds of interns across its various departments, this internship takes the cake – and gives back.

Loyola University is celebrating the centennial of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, better known as Sister Jean, all week. Gov. J.B. Pritzker helped kick off celebrations Wednesday.

Teachers at Chicago Public Schools still have no contract deal with the Board of Education, and have repeatedly threatened to walk off the job. And another controversy is brewing within their ranks.

Peek inside the soon-to-close, 25,000-square-foot “Hamilton” exhibition on Northerly Island and hear from the man who brought Alexander Hamilton back to life: Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveils her first budget proposal for Chicago Public Schools – and it comes as she negotiates a new contract with the Chicago Teachers Union.

Chicago Teachers Union members call on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to make good on promises for educational equity. Meanwhile, upheaval at a Chicago Public Schools board meeting.

On her first full day in office, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a number of leaders who will serve in her administration, as well as several senior staff members.

Five years after launching her organic hair-care company with a single product, Monique Rodriguez’s Mielle Organics now has 46 products in more than 100,000 retail stores. 

They play a key role in court proceedings, but industry experts say there aren’t enough of them. What it takes to become a court reporter – and why some say it’s a good alternative to a four-year degree.

As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 370,000 Chicago residents had cast their ballots for the city’s next mayor, treasurer and, in some wards, alderman. 

A year after lawmakers approved an identical bill that was vetoed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, senators vote 39 to 16 to raise the age from 18 to 21 for the legal purchase and use of tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

A new Chicago startup called Juno4Me connects women with free birth control from reputable health care providers. 

How a recently discovered film shot in Chicago more than 120 years ago still makes a powerful statement – without saying a word.

For the first time in its history, the Joffrey Ballet cues up an entirely new score for its daring new production. We get a peek at the company’s creative process – and personalities.

While Chicago Public Schools students make plans for their futures, we speak with schools chief Janice Jackson about the present.

Chicago Public Schools is reopening its high school application process for about 800 eighth-grade students who were mistakenly allowed to apply for programs for which they were not eligible.

Although his tenure has been marked by several school controversies, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is touting his achievements at both Chicago Public Schools and the City Colleges of Chicago. 

How a recently discovered film shot in Chicago more than 120 years ago still makes a powerful statement – without saying a word.

The CTA makes a policy change that allows its health insurance plan to cover the cost of gender-affirming surgery for one of its bus drivers.

Tech stocks led the dive Thursday on Wall Street after Apple reported a slowdown on iPhone sales in China. Economist Diane Swonk weighs in.

Though finals are over for most college students, many still have something looming over their heads: financial aid. Why the process is taking longer for thousands of college students seeking federal aid.

University of Chicago economics professor Austan D. Goolsbee, a former Cabinet member to former President Barack Obama, will serve as the newest member of the Chicago Board of Education.

About 500 Chicago charter school teachers and 8,000 students were back in the classroom after a historic, nearly weeklong strike came to an end Sunday.

Few Chicagoans can say they’ve lived through 100 years of change. But historian and civil rights activist Timuel Black can when he marks his 100th birthday on Friday.

Adoption advocates have spent the past month working to raise awareness about adoption as a way to grow a family. But whether they are done privately or internationally, adoptions are happening less frequently.