Stories by Paul Caine

What if homeowners didn’t have to plow sidewalks and city workers took up that function instead? There is a growing movement to do just that — and it’s driven by the inconsistency and lack of accessibility of Chicago’s sidewalks after a big snow event.

The Chicago Bears agreed to trade linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. It’s the Bears’ second major trade involving a defensive player in less than a week.

The district attorney’s remarks come as the gruesome attack on the husband of the House speaker is being mocked and dismissed in conservative, far-right social media, even among some Republicans leaders and those at the highest levels of social power. San Francisco’s police chief has also said the attack was targeted.

Three former Illinois prison guards face life behind bars after the 2018 fatal beating of a 65-year-old inmate in a case marked by the unpunished lies of other correctional officers who continue to get pay raises, records obtained by The Associated Press and court documents show.

The Supreme Court wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race Monday, debating whether to end the use of affirmative action in higher education.

The City Colleges of Chicago Teachers Union Local 1600 called off a planned Nov. 2 walkout after tentatively reaching a four-year contract agreement late Sunday.

The area around Bubbly Creek was once a wetland, until the channel became choked first with sewage and then animal waste from the Union Stockyards. Now the wetlands, with a twist, are making a comeback.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 35 people were shot in 32 individual shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday evening and 11:59 p.m. Sunday night. Those victims included a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old who were each killed.

The annual Black Harvest Film Festival kicks off its 28th year of celebrating Black filmmaking on Nov. 4, with a schedule packed with screenings of independent feature films, screenings of anniversary and restored films, and special events. 

The podcast’s latest season offers the same level of legends’ stories but in a new format. This season, each weekly episode covers the “making” years of a different figure via interviews with three people who had personal or professional relationships with the subject.

HIV rates in Chicago reach historic lows — but disparities persist. What do Rihanna, Jesse Jackson and RuPaul have in common? They’re all in the next season of the Making podcast. Plus, a new park in Roseland.

The vivid orange and yellow cempasúchiles, known as marigolds in English, frequently adorn Día de los Muertos ofrendas. Native to Mexico, the flowers bloom at this time of year just in time for the holiday.

A new report from the Chicago Department of Public Health says not only are fewer people being diagnosed, but more people who are already living with HIV-AIDS are reaching viral suppression. 

The infrastructure the city and state has built to receive migrants aims to ensure individuals and families are stabilized before they move on in their journey. 

Three shootings resulted in four people dead and three injured, with the deadliest incident taking place during a street takeover at Archer and Kedzie avenues. In the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 23, more than 100 cars gathered at the intersection to watch a “drifting” event that ended with an exchange of gunfire. 

An outbreak of violence in Brighton Park. Calls for shelter locations to house migrants from Texas. And learn about the flower that adorns ofrendas for Dia de Muertos.

The amenities were created with the goal to ensure the park is utilized by all ages, especially those residing in Roseland, Morgan Park and West Pullman.

Chicago Teachers Union candidate Brandon Johnson enters race for mayor. Candidates for statewide offices tussle in debates as election nears. Mayor Lori Lightfoot gets rebuke in City Council. And the suddenly hot Bears head to Dallas.

Those shouts were a chilling echo of the chants during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, when rioters trying to stop Joe Biden’s election searched menacingly through the halls for the speaker.

Sean Dunnavant, 53, was denied bail during a hearing Friday after he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery in the fatal shooting of 66-year-old Salim Khamo.

Barack Obama is trying to do something he couldn’t during two terms as president: help Democrats succeed in national midterm elections when they already hold the White House.

The Senate candidates faced off in the WTTW studio and wrangled over gun control, abortion and inflation.

In a special hour-long forum in partnership with WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, candidates for U.S. senator Tammy Duckworth and Kathy Salvi on gun violence, abortion, the economy and more.

When people are incarcerated in Illinois prisons, they cannot vote until they are released and re-registered to vote.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said he had “zero tolerance” for police officers who are members of hate groups or associate with members of hate groups.

Marco Simonetti, 58, was issued a $5,000 D-bond during a hearing Thursday following his arrest on charges of aggravated battery and official misconduct stemming from an incident in Aug. 2021.