Stories by Blair Paddock

As Highland Park and surrounding communities continue to grieve over the mass shooting on July 4th, some Latino residents are being targeted for scam calls. Residents say that scammers are calling them pretending to be from the Mexican consulate or offering legal assistance.

Between 2000 to 2016, six of Chicago’s suburbs flipped from majority white suburbs to majority Latino.That's a reflection of a broader trend of immigrants bypassing the historical “port of entry” neighborhoods in the city and settling directly in the suburbs. And as the demographics of these communities have evolved, their institutions have had to find new ways to serve and engage residents.

Another alderperson decides to retire before her term is up. Rep Adam Kinzinger leads an explosive Jan. 6 hearing. NASCAR is coming to Chicago. And Pritzker catches COVID-19 after a trip to Florida.

Three new publications by Chicago students are available for pre-order now through the work of nonprofit 826CHI, which partners with Chicago Public Schools to provide free, project-based field trips to CPS classrooms, as well as in-school programming.

A 45-day strike that’s put a strain on road projects throughout northern Illinois could come to an end this weekend when members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 union vote on an offer from their employers, collectively known as the Chicago Area Aggregate Producers Association (CAAPA).

Chicago Shakespeare has canceled its Friday and Saturday shows following a shooting during its Thursday night performance.

Faces of Fitness will feature a variety of classes including Pure Barre, Orange Theory, Barry’s Bootcamp, and SoulCycle on different stages. Attendees can try out classes for boxing, dance, HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio, and more.

Three people are in custody following the shooting, according to Police Superintendent David Brown, while a fourth man allegedly involved is still being sought.

“While we are pleased to be receiving these additional doses, we simply need more vaccine in Chicago,” said Dr. Alison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Analysis of the Jan. 6 committee’s final, scheduled hearing in primetime. Plus, artist Taylor Bennett has a concert and new album, all about self-love. 

A local music artist is working to encourage the next generation with an album committed to self-growth, no matter the circumstance. You can see Taylor Bennett perform his new album “Coming of Age” Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Hall. Tickets are free.

The Thursday prime-time hearing will dive into the 187 minutes that Trump failed to act on Jan. 6, 2021, despite pleas from aides, allies and even his family.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability recommended that Officer Evan Solano be fired for shooting Alvarez in the back and killing him after a brief chase in Portage Park, but Chicago Police Supt. David Brown disagreed with that conclusion. 

Ald. Michele Smith’s resignation will be effective Aug. 12, she said. Mayor Lori Lightfoot must appoint a replacement by Oct. 12 — in the middle of the next aldermanic election

“ShotSpotter inflates gunfire statistics, thereby providing false justification for oppressive police tactics in neighborhoods under its surveillance — all of which are already overpoliced,” attorneys wrote in a federal lawsuit against the city of Chicago.

The House’s 228-195 roll call was largely along party lines and sent the measure to the Senate, where it seemed doomed. Democrats said that with the high court recently overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision from 1973, the justices and GOP lawmakers are on track to go even further than banning abortions.

After noticing changes in their menstrual cycles after getting a COVID-19 vaccine, a pair of researchers surveyed others about their experiences. A new analysis of over 35,000 responses finds many experienced changes to their periods, including unexpected bleeding. 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden was experiencing “mild symptoms” and has begun taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug designed to reduce the severity of the disease.

Neighborhood street fests, dinosaurs and dragons, pizza pies and cat videos usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Chicago police said the teen has been arrested and charged with one count each of vehicular hijacking and aggravated battery. 

Tiarra Berry, 19, has been charged with one count each of battery to a transit passenger and robbery stemming from the March 1 incident.

Speed cameras and ethics reform at City Council. Gun control on Capitol Hill. Our Spotlight Politics on that and more. Backlash over music fests in neighborhood parks. And a stunning fossil discovery.

Rep. Elaine Luria, a Democrat first elected in 2018, is facing a difficult reelection in a Virginia swing district that was redrawn to be more Republican. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican who’s a pariah to some in his party because of his condemnation of former President Donald Trump, decided not to seek another term in his Illinois district.

A contingent of Lake County elected officials was in Washington Wednesday as the horrific events of the July 4 parade mass shooting took center stage at a U.S. Senate hearing. The Highland Park tragedy has re-energized calls for a ban on guns like the kind the shooter used, but critics say that’s the wrong focus.

This summer hundreds of thousands of music lovers will descend on the city for its annual music festivals. And that impact on public land is a point of contention for some neighbors who live near the parks.

A team lead by a University of Chicago paleontologist says a fossil that was found years ago — and for years largely ignored — could shed more light on that pivotal time in the evolution of life.