Stories by Associated Press

An estimated 17 million people in the U.S. have the type of food allergies that can cause rapid, serious symptoms, including severe, whole-body reactions that are potentially deadly.

Red-winged blackbirds, American robins, and sandhill cranes are among the species of birds Chicagoans have spotted in recent days on the leading edge of spring migration. But wait — according to the calendar, it’s still winter.

Chicago first entered into a contract with ShotSpotter in 2017. The controversial technology relies on microphones and sensors to identify the sound of gunfire and alert law enforcement.

Voting machines must be updated after a local judicial candidate was knocked off the ballot by an appellate court.

Confusion over the end of the city’s ShotSpotter contract. State and county leaders agree to spend millions more in migrant care — but did Johnson renege on his commitment?

Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office records indicate Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero’s death was ruled “natural” and attributed to sepsis and other viruses, including COVID-19, adenovirus and rhinovirus/enterovirus.

“I’m going to spend all that money, I can assure you of that,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

Judge Arthur Engoron issued his decision after a 2½-month trial that saw the Republican presidential front-runner bristling under oath that he was the victim of a rigged legal system. Engoron concluded that Trump and his co-defendants “failed to accept responsibility” for their actions and that expert witnesses who testified for the defense “simply denied reality.”

Consumer advocates are pushing for a change to state law that would bar utilities from collecting money from customers for those expenditures, liability insurance covering executives and for the cost associated with filing rate cases. 

US auto safety regulations enacted in 2022 were supposed to finally allow ADB headlight, something for which the auto industry and safety groups had long been asking for. But, according to automakers and safety advocates, the new rules make it difficult for automakers to add the feature.

The stunning news — less than a month before an election that will give Putin another six years in power — brought renewed criticism and outrage directed at the Kremlin leader who has cracked down on all opposition at home.

The online portal of entertainment options serves as a reminder of the opportunity for local establishments seeking a bite of the estimated $150-200 million pie the Democratic National Convention is expected to bring.

City Council votes on a push to upend the police discipline system. Early voting locations open downtown. And we take you inside a lounge serving up Asian and Latino flavors.

With early voting kicking off at two downtown locations, election officials are calling on voters to make a plan to vote early. Early voting in all 50 wards will begin March 4. The Illinois primary election is March 19.

The owners of Belly Bowl Asian Kitchen and Lounge experiment with different spices and flavors, offering a blend of cultures.

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez on Thursday cut the ribbon on her office’s new Expungement Department, housed at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.

After a spirited debate, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) — once the leading progressive voice on the Chicago City Council — was the only alderperson to change their position since the December vote.

The still-unnamed pup arrived at Shedd Aquarium in November 2023 and recently made his public debut after acclimating behind the scenes.

That cost is on top of the $150 million already set aside in Chicago’s 2024 budget, the $100 million earmarked in Cook County’s budget to care for the migrants, and $160 million in state funds Pritzker agreed to spend to care for the migrants in mid-November, officials said.

For more than 35 years, the once bustling Ramova Theatre at 35th and Halsted streets sat vacant, deteriorating in condition. But in 2017, the building was purchased for exactly $1. The goal is to make the theater Bridgeport’s staple entertainment venue.

With musical accompaniment by John Coltrane’s album “A Love Supreme,” which gave the exhibition its name, Teague’s work is a reflection of his Chicago upbringing and classic design technique. 

Concerns over the state’s care of kids awaiting placement with DCFS. How this 120-year-old silent film still says so much. And a sneak peek inside a newly renovated Ramova Theatre.

The person who advocates in court for children who’ve been abused or neglected said the state’s Department of Children and Family Services is not only failing to meet the needs of kids in its care — but that the situation is getting worse.

Voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward will be asked whether Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson should “support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”

Last week, eight local Teamsters unions representing about 3,800 transportation-related employees authorized strikes amid the ongoing negotiations. A strike can still be avoided despite the authorization votes.

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S. marred by gun violence, following a shooting last year in downtown Denver after the Nuggets’ winning an NBA championship that injured several people, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade.