Stories by Associated Press

Reports from South Africa, where it emerged and is becoming the dominant strain, suggest that hospitalization rates have not increased alarmingly.

The impact of travel bans from certain countries as omicron spreads. Homicides in Cook County reach a historic level. How the U.S. is responding to Russian-Ukraine tensions. And the Hall of Fame for Minnie Minoso.

According to police department data, 32 people were shot in 28 shooting incidents over the weekend in Chicago.

Buck O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, joined Minnie Miñoso, Gil Hodges and three others in getting chosen for the Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Comet Leonard, discovered in January of this year by astronomer Greg Leonard, is racing toward the sun and will make its closest pass of Earth in the coming days. The Adler Planetarium is hosting a viewing session Tuesday morning. 

The programs administered by the Chicago Department of Housing and the Illinois Housing Development Authority will provide 18 months of rental assistance up to $25,000, officials said.

Honorees include Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels, actress-singer Bette Midler, opera singer Justino Diaz and folk music legend Joni Mitchell.

During his 36-year career on Capitol Hill, Dole became one of the most influential legislators and party leaders in the Senate, combining a talent for compromise with a caustic wit, which he often turned on himself but didn’t hesitate to turn on others, too.

The network had suspended its prime-time host on Tuesday to investigate his conduct, after New York’s attorney general released details showing he was more involved than previously known in helping to strategize and reach out to other journalists as his brother fought to keep his job.

In Smollett’s case, it may be important for him to testify because, as bizarre as the brothers’ testimony was, they are the only witnesses to the incident who have testified. And, said Chicago-based defense attorney, Joe Lopez, Smollett’s attorneys “haven’t been able to impeach these brothers.”

Alicia Ponce is an architect and one of the founding members of Arquitina, a professional leadership and licensure initiative that supports Latinas in architecture and encourages Latinas to join the industry.

A 5% uptick in the Latino population, a whopping 30% increase in the Asian population, and a 10% decrease in the Black population have translated into factions fighting for wards mapped to maintain racial majorities and all but ensure proportionate racial representation.

Many Black women may be familiar with the cosmetics brand Fashion Fair — founded in 1973 by Eunice Johnson, wife of John Johnson, the Black publishing magnate behind Ebony and Jet magazines.

A new docuseries is bringing national attention to the unsolved murders of dozens of Chicago women.  “The Hunt for the Chicago Strangler” is a three-part docuseries focused on the disappearances of at least 51 Chicago women who were all found strangled from 2001 to 2018. 

Chicago alderpeople are at odds over redrawing the city’s ward map, a procedure that happens every 10 years to account for population changes. The biggest sticking point is the balance of power between Black and Latino Chicagoans.

The Mestiza Shop on 18th Street offers wares made by local artists as well as imported goods. The items range from the traditional to the quirky – but all with a distinctively Latina accent.

Latinos now make up 19% of the country's population, and half of them are under age 29. And while America’s Latinos spend an estimated $1.7 trillion annually, the Hispanic Marketing Council says only 6% of overall industry investment is spent targeting the Latino community.

A special Black Voices/Latino Voices crossover on the city's ward map battle. Plus, marketing to Latinos. A unique experience at a Pilsen shop. And La Ultima Palabra.

A special Black Voices/Latino Voices crossover on the city’s ward remap battle. Plus, new attention for 51 cold cases of killed Black women — a beloved Chicago cosmetics brand gets a makeover.

Employers in some industries, such as restaurants, bars, and hotels, pulled back on hiring in November. By contrast, job growth remained solid in areas like transportation and warehousing, which are benefiting from the growth of online commerce.

In New York City, officials quickly reached out to a man who tested positive for the variant and had attended an anime conference at a Manhattan convention center last month along with more than 50,000 people. Five other attendees have also been infected with the coronavirus, though officials don’t yet know whether it was with the omicron variant.

A Detroit business owner spotted a car tied to the Crumbleys in his parking lot late Friday, Oakland County Undersheriff Michael McCabe said in a statement. A woman seen near the vehicle ran away when the business owner called 911, McCabe said. The couple was later located and arrested by Detroit police.

James and Jennifer Crumbley committed “egregious” acts, from buying a gun on Black Friday and making it available to Ethan Crumbley to resisting his removal from school when they were summoned a few hours before the shooting, Oakland County prosecutor Karen McDonald said.

Jussie Smollett on trial again for alleged fake hate crime attack. City ward remap deadline comes and goes as Black and Latino alderpeople still at odds. COVID-19 cases skyrocket with Omicron variant now in the U.S., and more.

Now in its 44th year, the ride draws tens of thousands of participants and collects heaps of toys for children in need.

New COVID-19 cases in South Africa have burgeoned from about 200 a day in mid-November to more than 16,000 on Friday.