Stories by Associated Press

Vice President Mike Pence has long played the straight man to Donald Trump, translating the president’s bombast into more measured, calming language. 

With a rise in homicides and shootings in June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls for an “all-hands-on-deck approach” to stopping violence. And she orders a 14-day quarantine for travelers from states where COVID-19 is surging.

Saturday will be unlike any Independence Day in recent memory. From Atlanta to San Diego, hundreds of fireworks shows have been canceled as officials restrict large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, especially as infections surge across the U.S.

State health officials are urging businesses and residents to comply with public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, which has now been detected in all of Illinois’ 102 counties.

Dodger Stadium’s 40-year wait to host the All-Star Game is going to last even longer. The game scheduled for July 14 was canceled Friday because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Be safe in all the ways that you can, protect yourself from the heat and protect yourself and all of Chicago from further spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said Friday morning.

Openlands’ searchable guide to parks, preserves, prairies, woodlands and more is a great resource for nature lovers. 

With confirmed cases climbing in 40 states, governors have ordered the wearing of masks in public, and families were urged to celebrate their independence at home. Even then, they were told to keep their backyard cookouts small.

Watch the July 2, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Auburn Gresham neighborhood was considered a hot spot for cases of COVID-19. It has recently become a hot spot for some of the city's increasing violence, too.

Standardized college entrance tests like the ACT and SAT may soon be a thing of the past. More than half of all U.S. colleges and universities have dropped the requirement for ACT and SAT scores due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes a win and a loss in court, as separate judges make opposite rulings on his executive actions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Geoffrey Baer shares the story of a clash between women’s suffragists and anti-lynching activists.

Chicago officials failed to act after the city’s watchdog found significant problems with the program that allows Chicago police officers to patrol schools, and used a federal judge’s order requiring reforms to delay any changes, the city’s watchdog told aldermen.

“What we’ve seen is a very disturbing week,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, said in a livestream with the American Medical Association. 

When it comes to Midwest brewing, Chicago tends to get overshadowed by neighboring cities. The revival of a popular early Chicago beer aims to prove the sudsy beverage has always been a vital part of the city’s economic and social life.

Chicago’s pension debt soared by approximately $1.7 billion in 2019, according to the city’s audited annual financial report released Thursday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot had clear words for bar and restaurant owners who refuse to follow the city’s coronavirus guidelines during the Fourth of July weekend: You will be shut down and you will not reopen soon.

AMC Theaters, the nation’s largest chain, is pushing back its plans to begin reopening theaters by two weeks following the closure because of COVID-19. 

Millennium Park’s Great Lawn is open to visitors again, with painted-on circles in place to emphasize social distancing guidelines. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the new rules in May after the delivery apps came under fierce criticism for hurting already-struggling restaurants by charging steep fees and service charges.

The northern saw-whet is a tiny owl with a big personality. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff caught this normally secretive owl performing a hilarious stare down.

Why artwork small enough to fit on a postage stamp is causing some trouble for the United States Postal Service.

Public schools in Illinois are now required to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history in their lesson plans. The Inclusion Curriculum Law is one of only five such laws across the country.

The pandemic and economic shutdown have made it difficult for many people across the state to pay their rent, which is why Gov. J.B. Pritkzer extended a moratorium on evictions through the end of July. Is that enough time?

July 1 marks the start of Illinois’ new fiscal year, which ushers in a bushel of new laws. Here are a handful that may come in handy.