Stories by Eunice Alpasan

A $25 million reconstruction project to improve accessibility at the Green Line’s Austin station on the West Side is underway amid broader funding uncertainty that stands in the way of efforts to make all rail stations on the Chicago Transit Authority fully accessible by 2038.

Chicago-area abortion providers and abortion fund groups have already seen more people from Wisconsin seeking abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022.

Members of a Chicago-based Muslim civil rights organization and advocacy group called on local elected officials to stand up against the Trump administration’s detainment of students who have shown support of Palestinian causes, during a news conference.

The CTA, Metra and Pace are facing an impending budget gap when federal COVID-19 relief funding runs out next year. Transit labor groups have stopped short of calling for a merging of the transit systems as a funding solution, unlike what some advocacy groups have called for.

Chicago-based film critic Marya E. Gates will make a book tour stop for a 35mm screening of Jane Campion’s “Bright Star” on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Music Box Theatre. The event includes a book signing and a post-screening discussion.

More than 3.3 million travelers are projected to pass through the airports between Thursday and March 31, a 4% increase from the same period last year, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Lollapalooza will be held from July 31-Aug. 3 in Grant Park. The four-day music festival includes more than 170 artists on eight stages.

Preckwinkle cited building upon efforts of her current tenure such as criminal justice reform, expanding health care access and relieving medical debt. The election will be held in 2026.

The Ravinia Festival summer lineup features more than 100 concerts and 40 artist debuts. Tickets for the summer season go on sale to the public April 24.

The downtown facility aims to meet the “unprecedented demand” for Real IDs while easing strain on DMV operations, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

This year’s construction is focused on the outbound Kennedy lanes. Work is expected to start Monday and be finished around Thanksgiving, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Metra has launched a survey to get feedback on potentially renaming lines to make the system “easier to understand for new and occasional riders,” according to the rail service on Monday.

As part of the program, the city provides repairs, and homeowners are not required to pay back any repair costs. Registration for a chance to apply begins at 9 a.m. Monday, March 10, and runs through 5 p.m. Friday, March 21.

A House GOP budget plan passed last week asks the agriculture committee, which funds food assistance programs like SNAP, to cut $230 billion over 10 years. The energy and commerce committee, responsible for health care spending like Medicaid, was also asked to cut $880 billion over the decade.

Pulaski Day honors Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born general who fought in the American Revolution. The holiday is observed in Illinois on the first Monday of March, near Pulaski’s birthday on March 6.

Cuts to Medicaid would especially impact the most vulnerable in communities, such as low-income individuals and people with disabilities, according to state Democratic congressional members.

Due to the surge in demand, the Secretary of State’s Office launched an online portal so residents can determine whether they need a REAL ID before the federal enforcement period begins. The office is asking residents to wait until after May 7 to apply if they do not have immediate travel plans.

“We started this program with a simple premise: In a healthy and functioning society, no one should fall into financial ruin simply because they got sick,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a news conference announcing the latest round of medical debt relief.

The Cook County Creative Placemaking program will award grants of $50,000 to $250,000 to suburban-based nonprofit organizations. Applications are being accepted through April 7.

The gas utility company’s pipe replacement program had been on hold for over a year so the Illinois Commerce Commission could determine how to move forward with the program, which has been years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. Thursday’s decision does not have an immediate effect on customers’ bills, according to state regulators.

More than 200 people rallied in downtown Chicago on Tuesday to push back on President Donald Trump’s sweeping efforts to cut government spending and reduce the size of the federal workforce.

“At a time of such political division, Americans need to find common ground,” said Dr. Scott Oakes, who studies the role of cells in diseases at the University of Chicago. “We should all agree that medical research is one of those areas where we can all come together.”

Cook County officials and health care providers gathered at a Friday news conference to remind residents to get tested and use a condom to protect against sexually transmitted infections.

Housing and shelter, utility assistance, access to food and employment and income assistance were the most common needs for residents, according to 211 Metro Chicago program leaders.

Lurie Children’s Hospital will continue to provide hormone therapy and puberty blockers, a hospital spokesperson confirmed, and specifically noted that mental health care will also continue as part of the hospital’s gender care program.

Supporters of gender-affirming care called on the University of Illinois health care system to be clearer and more transparent about its commitment to providing gender-affirming care in light of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end such care for minors.