On Monday evening, the Illinois state Senate passed an assault weapons bill with some changes to the version passed by the House on Friday. The bill will now return to the House for a concurring vote before heading to the governor’s desk.
Stories by paul caine
Breakout Season for Fields in Otherwise Dismal Year for the Bears
The Chicago Bears are poised to get a top draft pick and have lots of money to spend to improve a last-place team, but can they use the draft well and spend wisely?
Cook County Expected to Exceed 2,000 Opioid Deaths in 2022, Setting New Record
The key culprit appears to be the widespread availability of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
Week in Review: Looking Back at the Biggest Stories of 2022
From a wide-open mayoral contest to major issues on the agenda statewide like guns and abortion, to the economic picture, and the outlook in local sports — we recap the year that was and look into our crystal ball to 2023.
Spotlight Politics: Assault Weapons Ban Debate; Race for Mayor
Illinois lawmakers hold hearings on a possible assault weapons ban. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
Chuck Swirsky, Radio Voice of Chicago Bulls, Reflects on 50 Years in Broadcasting
Chuck Swirsky has been the radio play-by-play voice for the Chicago Bulls since 2008. A pioneer of Chicago sports talk radio, Swirsky has also covered many iconic moments in sports history – including L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
After 36 Flights, NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Exceeds All Expectations
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter is the first aircraft humankind has ever created that is capable of powered, controlled flight on another world. NASA’s team lead on the project discusses its significance.
‘Triple-demic’ Threat Causing Medication Shortages for Children
Pharmacies across the country are seeing surging demand for child-friendly versions of Amoxicillin, Tamiflu and other drugs. That demand has led at times to empty shelves and parents having to try multiple pharmacies to find their child’s prescription.
Chicago Comedian Pat McGann on Being a Latecomer to Stand-Up and Playing the Iconic Chicago Theatre
Pat McGann made a transition from sales to stand-up comedy and in the years since has appeared on late night television and in his own special. Next year, he will headline a show at the Chicago Theatre.
Week in Review: Lightfoot and García File; Ed Burke Calls It Quits
Federally indicted Ald. Ed Burke finally calls it a career after 54 years. Lightfoot and García officially file their paperwork to run for mayor, Latino neighborhoods got socked with higher property taxes. And the SAFE-T act gets a revamp.
University of Chicago Series Highlights How School’s Scholars Have Changed the World
A new series of video shorts from the University of Chicago aims to highlight the role its researchers and scientists have played in transforming our understanding of the world — and indeed the cosmos.
Spotlight Politics: End of an Era at City Hall; Proposed Changes to SAFE-T Act
Proposed changes to the controversial SAFE-T Act that ends cash bail in Illinois. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
Spotlight Politics: Lopez Drops Out of Mayoral Race; García Addresses FTX Donations
Ald. Ray Lopez drops out of the mayoral race, but not before launching another stinging attack on incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
Big Tech Companies Face Trying Times Amid Wave of Layoffs
A wave of layoffs at tech giants like Facebook parent Meta, Amazon and Twitter — along with falling share prices — seems to signal a changed environment for big tech.
Illinois GOP Taking Stock, Looking to Future After ‘Very Disappointing’ Election
Last Tuesday was instead an unmitigated disaster for the Illinois GOP — losing every race for statewide office and falling further into super-minority status in the statehouse. It’s prompted calls from within for some soul-searching.
Enrique Limón Takes the Helm at the Chicago Reader
Tasked with the job of maintaining the Reader’s relevance in an ever-changing media landscape is Enrique Limón. He is the Reader’s new editor-in-chief and the first Latino to hold that position in the publication’s more than 50-year history.
Advocates Push for City of Chicago Pilot Program to Clear Sidewalks of Snow and Ice
What if homeowners didn’t have to plow sidewalks and city workers took up that function instead? There is a growing movement to do just that — and it’s driven by the inconsistency and lack of accessibility of Chicago’s sidewalks after a big snow event.
Week in Review: Pritzker and Bailey Trade Barbs, Duckworth Holds Big Cash Advantage
Gubernatorial candidates punch hard in a final debate. Bailey scores big deposit from conservative billionaire and we dig into other big races. In sports, the Bulls tip off the season as the Bears try to stave off collapse.
Spotlight Politics: Pritzker and Bailey Spar in Final Debate Before Election
The final debate in the race for governor turns out to be short on substance but high on name-calling. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
Former AG Eric Holder Dismisses Trump Claims DOJ ‘Weaponized’ Against Him
Former U.S. Attorney General under President Barack Obama, Eric Holder, says that if former President Donald Trump were an ordinary citizen he would likely have already been indicted.
The Week in Review: Pritzker and Bailey Sling Mud in Debate; Lightfoot Unveils $16.4B Budget Plan
Gubernatorial candidates sling mud in their first televised debate. No property tax hikes in Mayor Lightfoot’s election year budget. Homeless advocates press Lightfoot for more funding. And the White Sox head into an offseason full of questions.
Spotlight Politics: Lightfoot Unveils City Budget; Latino Leaders Urge Garcia to Run
Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveils a $16.4 billion budget proposal – but bows to political reality and drops a property tax hike linked to inflation. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
While Chicago Recycling Rate Remains Stubbornly Low, Advocates and Officials Eye Improvements
Chicago has long had a tortured relationship with recycling. City leaders have scrapped old programs and replaced them with new ones, but the result is the same recycling rates in the single digits.
The Week in Review: Lightfoot Nixes Tax Increase, Pritzker Leads Poll
Mayor Lori Lightfoot nixes a plan for a $42 million property tax increase tied to inflation. And a WGN poll says Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has a double-digit lead over his Republican challenger Darren Bailey, who this week likened Chicago to an unruly child.
Queen Elizabeth’s Death Prompts Mourning But Also Discussions on Monarchy and Empire
To many, Queen Elizabeth's 70-year reign was a symbol of tradition and stability that linked the present to the past. But on her death, along with expressions of sympathy, many people from former colonies from Ireland to Kenya — and here in America — have pushed back on the glorification of the monarchy and empire.
Spotlight Politics: Welch Defends Ending Cash Bail; Pritzker Threatens to Sue Conservative PAC
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch makes a spirited defense of the SAFE-T Act and the end of cash bail. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
