Stories by Paul Caine

A rough first NFL start for Justin Fields as the rookie quarterback is sacked nine times by the Cleveland Browns. Can the team remedy its offensive woes in time for the winless Detroit Lions? James “Big Cat” Williams’ gives us three keys to the upcoming game.

Chicago scientist Heather Skeen studied the gut bacteria of the migratory Kirtland’s warbler and made a surprising discovery with potentially far-reaching implications.

A historian devoted to keeping alive the stories of long-dead victims of racial violence along the Texas-Mexico border and a civil rights activist whose mission is to make sure people who leave prison are free to walk into the voting booth are among this year’s MacArthur fellows.

Local leaders are working to redevelop a massive city site into a mixed-use, community-driven project. They’ve gotten millions in seed money from the state — and are hoping for city support, too.

The Board of Directors of Chicago Public Media— the parent of WBEZ— unanimously approved a non-binding letter of intent for the group and the Sun-Times to explore joining together as a local nonprofit news organization.

Live from Arlington Heights with reaction to the Bears deal and a game preview. Merger talks between WBEZ and the Sun-Times. A new South Side development. And a local MacArthur Genius Grant winner.

Pedro Martinez, Chicago Public Schools’ new CEO, said Thursday the district will provide more COVID-19 testing and work harder to keep families in the loop on case information amid confusion and criticism through the first month of the school year.

With only hours to spare, Congress passed legislation that would avoid a partial federal shutdown and keep the government funded through Dec. 3, and sent the bill to President Joe Biden.

One of North America’s most common native bumble bee species, the aptly named American bumble bee, is on the ropes. Among the threats to its survival: competition from honey bees.

Cook County Board of Commissioners President Toni Preckwinkle has announced she will run for a fourth term as the county’s top elected official, putting her response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the center of her bid for reelection.

Gaetano Donizetti’s beguiling romantic comedy is a delightful  and winningly insightful tale of true love, money, egotism, self-doubt, wishful thinking and charlatanism. And, to top it all off, it comes with a happy ending.

While Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’d be disappointed if the Chicago Bears no longer played in the Windy City, he said the state isn’t planning on intervening and that city officials and the team need to “work out their differences.”

The growing share of city property taxes sent to tax increment finance districts has fueled a perennial argument over whether the districts actually spur redevelopment and eradicate blight or serve to exacerbate growing inequality in Chicago.

Amid all the focus on COVID-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot.

A judge on Wednesday finalized an out-of-court settlement between former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and a man who alleged that Hastert sexually abused him decades ago.

The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed the “reddish-orange discharge” that poured into Lake Michigan on Sunday from a steel plant in Portage, Indiana, was caused by high levels of iron, and says there’s no indication of health risks for people who may come into direct contact with the water.

Flu season is right around the corner and new COVID-19 variants are expected to emerge in the coming months. Dr. Ngozi Ezike joins us to discuss the latest COVID-19 developments in Illinois as cases continue to climb due to the highly contagious delta variant. 

A Bears season ticket holder, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she would approach negotiations to keep the Bears in Chicago not as a fan but as the steward of taxpayer funds and as a “business decision.”

Research shows Black and brown-led nonprofits receive less funding than their white counterparts. Now, a new program by the United Way of Metro Chicago is working to address this disparity.

Rescued ruins and a virtual tour of a lost masterpiece of Chicago architecture — we speak with the city’s cultural historian and a noted artist who were part of a team exploring a long-lost theater and more.

The former Chicago Public Schools CEO is taking over a scholarship organization that’s promising to “redefine the education landscape” in Chicago.

The Chicago Bears took a major step toward moving out of their longtime home at Soldier Field — one of the most recognizable stadiums in the United States — and into the suburbs by signing a purchase agreement for Arlington Park.

The Bears ink a deal for Arlington Park. The state’s top doc on COVID-19 rates in children. Former CPS CEO Janice Jackson on her next move. And a virtual tour of a long-lost theater.

His government overhaul plans at stake, President Joe Biden appeared unable to swiftly strike agreement with two wavering Democratic senators trying to trim back his potentially historic $3.5 trillion measure that will collapse without their support.

College athletes who earn millions for their schools are employees, the National Labor Relations Board’s top lawyer said in guidance released Wednesday that would allow players at private universities to unionize and negotiate over their working conditions.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot acknowledged that she cannot force alderpeople to get vaccinated against COVID-19 since they are independently elected and do not report to the mayor.