Stories by Eunice Alpasan

The executive order that first establishes an Office of Gun Violence Reduction comes in the aftermath of weekend violence that led advocates to renew calls for the city to establish a Department of Gun Violence Reduction.

The announcement comes just months after Mayor Brandon Johnon moved to oust Brewer when he served as chair of the Chicago Housing Authority.

“While Chicago’s creative economy generates extraordinary economic value, many artists and creative workers continue to face economic insecurity,” said Arts Alliance Illinois Executive Director Claire Rice.

Tickets will become available to the general public on July 8. Founding members of the Obama Foundation will receive presale access starting one week earlier on July 1.

The program, launched in 2021, aims to provide payments to Black residents and descendants of Black residents who experienced housing discrimination in the city between 1919 and 1969.

The $20 million includes $5 million awarded through the county’s community violence intervention grant initiative and a new $15 million funding opportunity that will launch later this year, according to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

The projected budget gap facing the county next year is fueled by the impact of litigation related to Safe Roads Amendment, growing payroll and pension liabilities, increasing employee benefit costs and Medicaid enrollment declines due to federal policy changes, according to a budget forecast presentation.

The portrait by artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is on display at the Obama Presidential Center. The unveiling of the portrait — which weaves together archival images, family albums and symbolic elements — comes ahead of the center’s grand opening celebrations this week.

Nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital rallied outside the hospital Thursday in a planned one-day strike after they allege nurses were fired by management in retaliation for trying to form a union. The hospital denied retaliating against employees.

With the FIFA Men’s World Cup kicking off later this week, immigration rights groups in Chicago are demanding the Trump administration end what they describe as “discriminatory restrictions” that are preventing soccer teams and fans from fully participating in events.

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Wednesday afternoon for a $7 billion project that aims to overhaul the area surrounding the United Center on the Near West Side.

“Nathaniel Mary Quinn: A Love Letter to My Mother” features 10 artworks by Chicago-born artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn, along with a recreation of his childhood living room from the Robert Taylor Homes public housing project.

“Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America” runs until Aug. 2 at the International Museum of Surgical Science. The exhibit highlights stories of Filipino nurses from the 1940s to present day.

An Illinois resident suspected of having hantavirus last week was found to not have hantavirus following additional testing, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced.

The new opera, “The Dialogue of Memories,” is embarking on a three-city U.S. tour this month that culminates at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago on May 23 and 24. The opera draws from former longtime Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich's real-life discovery of his mother’s past and conversations he had with Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is investigating a potential hantavirus case in an Illinois resident that is not linked to the deadly cruise ship outbreak, the health department announced Tuesday.

For nearly 40 years, the Chicago Sinfonietta has worked to advance equity in classical music by expanding access for underserved communities and developing diverse talent. The institution will undergo a “strategic renewal period” focused on fundraising and revising its operating model.

The summer film series runs most Tuesdays between June 30 and Aug. 18. All film screenings are free. This year’s lineup features crowd favorites and milestone anniversaries.

All entry to the museum is timed-ticketed, and visitors are strongly encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance, according to the center. Every Tuesday, the museum is free for Illinois residents.

The Bontemps Apartments project was awarded federal low-income housing tax credits through the city of Chicago. The award was part of a broader $300 million investment from the city going toward 15 affordable housing developments.

On Friday, thousands of Chicagoans are expected to participate in a May Day rally and march, starting at Union Park and ending at Daley Plaza in downtown. Other related actions are scheduled in different parts of the city in the morning ahead of the march.

The Red Line extension will extend the rail line by more than five miles, starting where the Red Line currently ends, at 95th Street, through 130th Street. Four new, accessible stations will be built at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street.

Jess Michaels and Jena-Lisa Jones, survivors of abuse by late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, said that while Epstein survivors are still far from getting justice, they hope the increased attention on the Epstein Files — and the stories of survivors – will help others stand up to abuse happening in their own communities.

The Cermak Road Chamber of Commerce and Casa Puebla said in a statement the Mexican community continues to face challenges under the Trump administration. “There is nothing to celebrate,” organizers said in a statement.

Home care workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois and state legislators gathered Thursday in front of the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield to rally in support of a bill that would raise wages for home care workers serving seniors through the state’s Community Care Program.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is hosting its sixth annual Missing Persons Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The event aims to connect people with resources to locate missing loved ones.