Stories by Acacia Hernandez

Some Chicago restaurant owners are asking for more time before the city’s proof of vaccine requirement takes effect at local restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment venues Jan. 3. A coalition of about 30 restaurants is saying there hasn’t been enough time to adjust operations amid the holidays.

Stock indexes are mixed on Wall Street in afternoon trading Tuesday, placing the market within striking distance of another record high as investors close out their positions for 2021.

For the last 40 years, a family business has been committed to preserving Chicago’s art scene, whether it be through engraving pieces or framing them. Now they’ve taken a turn in how they’re enhancing artwork through a custom framing process.

“By getting tested before returning from break, we can have a successful and healthy start to the new year,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a statement.

The guidance has raised questions about how it was crafted and why it was changed now, in the middle of another wintertime spike in cases, this one driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.

The National Weather Service on Tuesday said that as of 12:10 p.m., one-tenth of an inch of snow had been recorded at O’Hare Airport — Chicago’s official weather site — making the first measurable snowfall in 287 days.

State legislatures across the country will be responding to the possibility of seismic change to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion across the U.S.

Local television producer and writer Joan Tortorici Ruppert lost her father as a young child. But through a collection of rediscovered photo negatives, she’s getting to know who he was before he was her father and getting a glimpse into Chicago history too. 

Spiking omicron cases and major headaches with air travel. The region approaches a record snow drought. A halt on student debt payments. And remembering the late Lincoln Park Zoo chief Lester Fisher.

President Joe Biden said financial recovery from the pandemic will take longer than job recovery, especially for those with student loans.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a "burst of wet snow" on Tuesday and a chance of light snow on Wednesday, which could bring Chicago's snow-free streak to an end.

Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday, with major U.S. airlines each canceling dozens of flights.

With cases of COVID-19 skyrocketing and hospitalizations surging in Illinois, officials are pleading with unvaccinated residents to change their minds about receiving shots.

From almost the very first note it was apparent that something was very wrong with the sound system and miking, and much of the dialogue and singing, all along the way, was either inaudible or garbled. In fact, the only clear sound came from the orchestra, seated in the pit and led by Michael McBride.

Chicago will ring in 2022 with a 1.5-mile-long fireworks display on New Year’s Eve, the largest in the city’s history, officials announced.

According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 16 shootings across the city between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

More than 700 flights entering, leaving or flying within the U.S. were called off, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. That figure was down from nearly 1,000 on Saturday. More than 50 flights were already canceled for Monday.

U.S. regulators authorized Pfizer’s pill, Paxlovid, and Merck’s molnupiravir last week. In high-risk patients, both were shown to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19, although Pfizer’s was much more effective.

The buoyant, blunt-spoken clergyman used his pulpit as the first Black bishop of Johannesburg and later the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town as well as frequent public demonstrations to galvanize public opinion against racial inequity, both at home and globally.

As of Dec. 6, about 226,000 people had shared in the nearly $1.5 billion that FEMA has spent on COVID-19 related funeral costs. With the nation’s coronavirus death toll topping 800,000, it’s clear that many families who are eligible for reimbursement have yet to take advantage of the funeral benefit.

Did you know wrapping paper isn’t recyclable in Chicago? Read on for more tips on how to deal with post-holiday waste.

It’s the season of giving! Even if you are low on funds, you can still make an impact. Here are four ways you can spread goodwill during the holidays without spending a dime.

Books and authors mattered in 2021, sometimes more than the industry wanted.

For many places of worship, it’s business as usual. But some churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship have been offering virtual or outdoor services, and will be doing so for holiday events. 

With the right mindset, you can enjoy the season without sabotaging your well-being.

More than 5 million children ages 5 to 11 have gotten a first dose since early November, and government safety monitoring has not uncovered any surprise problems.