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The Bears would pitch in $2 billion, plus use a $300 million loan from the NFL; billions more in taxpayer money would be used to finance the other half of the stadium as well as to make infrastructure improvements and add park and public space to the area.

Currently, doctors say it can sometimes be difficult for medical personnel to access those forms, especially if a patient is incapacitated or having an emergency away from their medical home.

Starting May 21, Amtrak is adding a second daily passenger rail service dubbed Borealis, which connects Chicago and St. Paul through Milwaukee. The new rail service serves 13 train stations for an estimated travel time of 7 hours and 24 minutes between Chicago and St. Paul, according to Amtrak’s website.

The input from residents will help communities create strategies and take action to reduce the future risk of death, injuries and property damage from natural disasters, officials said.

“Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective” places an important, underappreciated Chicago artist where she clearly belongs — in the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s the first full survey of Ramberg’s work in the nearly 30 years since her untimely death.

After decades of decline, traffic fatalities have been climbing nationwide since 2014. Advocates said reducing speed limits is a relatively easy and high-impact intervention that will protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.

Attorneys for the family of Da’Karia Spicer, 10, killed in a 2020 traffic crash are seeking to make public their deposition of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who a day after the accident said she didn’t believe a police vehicle pursuit had led to the girl’s death.

Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up at college campuses across the U.S. after being inspired by demonstrators at Columbia University. As May commencement ceremonies near, administrators face added pressure to clear protesters.

Hundreds rally at local universities to support Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. And our Spotlight Politics team unpacks a plan that would merge the Chicago area’s public transit agencies.

Banks, credit unions and mortgage companies will soon have to report to state regulators about how many loans they make in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods. That's the result of a state law passed in 2021 as part of the Legislative Black Caucus' social and economic reform agenda.

The move comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug.

The Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition has gathered over 300 members to take part in this year’s Asian American Action Day events to advocate for language and immigration services and education equity, among other causes. 

Officials from the union and Chicago Public Schools began talks this week as the sides work to secure the first new teachers contract since former CTU organizer and educator Brandon Johnson was elected mayor.

It is now up to the Chicago City Council to confirm Mayor Brandon Johnson’s picks to serve four-year terms, which are set to be formally introduced on May 22 and could be voted on by the full City Council as soon as June.

“Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” host Joanna Hernandez moderated a conversation about how supporting victims of gun violence and finding a path toward healing plays a role in ending cycles of violence.

“I know he truly cared, not only for his own constituents, but for all of Chicago and for the success of our great city,” former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas wrote of former Ald. Ed Burke, who was convicted of 13 counts of bribery, attempted extortion and racketeering.

A group of eight U.S. newspapers is suing ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that the technology companies have been “purloining millions” of copyrighted news articles without permission or payment to train their artificial intelligence chatbots.

Walmart had made a big push into health care in recent years, opening clinics next to its superstores that offered primary and urgent care, labs, X-rays, behavioral health and dental work.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has come under heavy criticism from some Republicans for moving forward with aid for Ukraine as part of a $95 billion emergency spending package that passed this month.

Breast cancer death rates have fallen as treatment continues to improve. But breast cancer is still the second-most common cause of cancer death for U.S. women. About 240,000 cases are diagnosed annually and nearly 43,000 women die from breast cancer.

BirdCast, a project of Cornell Bird Lab and Colorado State University, has issued a high alert for Chicago, recommending lights out to reduce collision risks for birds.

It’s not uncommon for some cicadas to jump the gun, experts said. Recent sightings, especially after last weekend’s rains, aren’t a sign that the mass emergence has started. 

Last week’s announcement of a proposed new domed, lakeside stadium brought with it more questions. Namely, the price tag.

The complaint alleges Proft’s independent expenditure committee – the “People Who Play By The Rules PAC” – coordinated with Bailey, violating both state and federal law.

Lawmakers pitch a bold plan to merge CTA, Metra and Pace. Pushback to the Bears’ new stadium plans. And Asian American organizers plan a political action day. 

Starting this summer, families in Illinois with school-age children can receive a preloaded card to purchase groceries during summer break as part of a new permanent federal program called Summer EBT, or the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children.