Stories by Associated Press

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of official portraits with a modern vibe: him standing expressionless against a white background and her seated on a sofa in the Red Room wearing a formal light blue dress.

The South Side alderperson said he is “ready to hand the reins over to a new generation of leadership” after 20 years in office.

In renderings released Tuesday of a proposed master plan for Arlington Park, the Bears stressed that the “stadium shown is a placeholder and not an actual design.” But that didn't stop people from poking fun at the artwork.

The Bears unveil preliminary Arlington Heights plans. Plus, Chicago gets new COVID booster shots, why so many City Council members are choosing to hang it up, and airlines vow to improve customer service as air travel rebounds.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady urged all Chicagoans older than 12 who were vaccinated against COVID-19 with the original vaccine at least two months ago to get the updated vaccine, which targets the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron variant of COVID-19. 

The Department of Transportation unveiled what it’s calling the Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which allows passengers to see what they’re entitled to if their flight is cancelled or significantly delayed.

Music critic Jim DeRogatis and his employer, The New Yorker, filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber to quash a subpoena filed by Kelly’s co-defendant Derrel McDavid, citing it as “unduly burdensome, unreasonable and oppressive.”

The swelling waters of the Indus, a major river in this part of the world, have wreaked havoc as heavy rains and massive flooding unleashed devastation across much of Pakistan. At least 1,343 people have been killed and millions have lost their homes, with many experts blaming the unusually heavy monsoon rains on climate change.

Morton Arboretum conducted an international search to select a successor to retiring CEO and president Gerard Donnelly, and landed on a familiar face, close to home.

Russia has choked off the supplies of cheap natural gas that the continent depended on for years to run factories, generate electricity and heat homes. That has pushed European governments into a desperate scramble for new supplies and for ways to blunt the impact as economic growth slows and household utility bills rise.

Both events served as the latest vivid illustration of why 2022 has rightly been designated “The Year of Chicago Dance.”

A trio of high-level renderings released by the team on Tuesday demonstrate the scope of the Bears ambition. More than just a new stadium, the team is aiming to turn the 326-acre Arlington Park property into "a multi-purpose entertainment district anchored by a new, best-in-class enclosed stadium."

The settlement resolves one of the biggest legal threats facing the beleaguered company, which still faces nine separate lawsuits from other states. Additionally, Juul faces hundreds of personal suits brought on behalf of teenagers and others who say they became addicted to the company’s vaping products.

According to Chicago police, 55 people were shot in 47 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday.

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson announced Tuesday he is exploring a possible run for Chicago mayor, taking the first step toward confronting Mayor Lori Lightfoot with a serious challenge from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

The weather may still feel like summer, but when it comes to Chicago's beaches, the season is officially over.

In a city where air pollution is an environmental justice issue, local grassroots groups are self-installing, funding and monitoring air pollution monitors to understand the specific threats they face and demand change.

On this Labor Day, remembering the city’s long history of unions and what a pro-worker ballot measure means this November. Plus, LGBTQ icons make a splash and a South Side parade marches downtown.

The so-called Workers’ Rights Amendment would guarantee Illinois workers the constitutional right to collectively bargain for things like wages, hours and working conditions. 

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, 62, the first member of the Chicago Teachers Union to be elected to the City Council, said in a statement released on Labor Day that she wanted to start the “next chapter” of her life.

The group that arrived Sunday was made up of mostly families, their country of origin was not clear, Lightfoot said.

In 1925, the all-Black, all-male workers organized and founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in hopes of forcing the Pullman Company to the bargaining table.

This week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the names of seven interim commissioners who will make up the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, Chicago’s first civilian police oversight board. The group is charged with a tall order: rebuilding public trust in the department.

Jorge Garcia wasn’t always a bird paparazzo – in fact, he’s only been at it for a couple of years, after a gear upgrade for his job as a technologist took an unexpected turn. The fledgling interest soon hatched into a full-blown hobby.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, sweet and savory empanadas take center stage in a one-day festival at Whiting Lakefront Park along with cultural performances by local music and dance groups

What lies ahead for newly arrived migrants in Chicago. Answers for vendors at the Discount Mall. And a taste of the first-ever Empanada Fest in Northwest Indiana.