Stories by Amanda Vinicky

A major part of a $1.2 billion multi-pronged state tax relief program will be disbursed to 6 million Illinois households starting Monday through the next six to eight weeks. The amount you’ll get back depends on factors such as income, family size and home value.

The procession was a huge event for Scotland as the U.K. takes days to mourn its longest-reigning monarch, the only one most Britons have ever known. People turned out hours early to grab a space by the police barricades in Edinburgh. By afternoon, the crowds were 10 people deep.

The Yes Chef! Culinary Camp is a free community fostered by the Foundation for Culinary Arts for under-resourced Chicago Public Schools students from ages 13 to 18. After several weeklong summer programs, the organization decided to kick off a series of two-day virtual camps, beginning this fall.

President Robert L. Manuel was the former president of the University of Indianapolis and an administrator at Georgetown and New York University. Now, he’s setting big goals for the DePaul community. 

Chicago is mourning the loss of one of its most celebrated native sons, as the family of Ramsey Lewis announced the award-winning musician died peacefully at his Chicago home Monday morning, at the age of 87.

Attorneys for both the prosecution and defense prepared to deliver their final statements to jurors in the trial of R. Kelly and his former employees, Derrel McDavid and June Brown.

“The race has been run and it is time to pass the gavel to a successor,” Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke said.

Intense rains fell Sunday morning at a rate rarely seen in Chicago, overwhelming the city’s stormwater system and flooding streets, viaducts and basements.

Beyond official condolences praising the queen’s longevity and service, there is some bitterness about the past in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Talk has turned to the legacies of colonialism, from slavery to corporal punishment in African schools to looted artifacts held in British institutions.

According to Chicago police, 30 people were shot in 26 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Four of those victims died.

As buses of migrants arrive from Texas, the city of Chicago and local community organizations are working to get the newly arrived people settled.

The future of flight. That's how a Chicago-area nonprofit describes its program and passion for aviation. Tuskegee Next aims to help Black and Brown students take to the skies.

The February 2023 election represents a nearly unprecedented opportunity for Democratic Socialists to not only take on Mayor Lori Lightfoot but also to remake the Chicago City Council after a wave of retirements and departures.

For the first time, the work of a Pilsen graffiti artist is being showcased inside — at the Elmhurst Art Museum to be exact. Sentrock shares the message behind his graffiti character seen flying around the city.

An equitable monkeypox vaccine rollout. Plus, a local children’s book author on expanding kids’ reading options, training the next generation of pilots and entering the purple universe. 

The Prince Estate is painting Chicago purple. The late singer's estate is partnering with an entertainment company to bring “The Prince Immersive Experience” to downtown Chicago.

Local organizations help newly-arrived immigrants. Plus, how traffic safety contributes to public safety. And the Last Word on embracing the unexpected things in life. 

The children’s section at your local library is probably overflowing with books about figures in Black history and illustrations of the Black experience in America. While those depictions are important for children to see, they aren’t always — well fun. That was the experience of author Clothilde Ewing.

Estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the rates of traffic-related deaths are the highest they’ve been in 20 years. An analysis by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests Latino and Black Americans are disproportionately affected by vehicular fatalities. 

While cases in white men have dropped in recent weeks, Black people are making up a growing percentage of infections — nearly 38% during the final week of August, according to the latest data available. Latinos are also disproportionately infected, making up roughly a third of infections.

Chicago’s festival season and Hispanic Heritage Month are due to intersect at 18th Street and Blue Island on Sept. 17 and 18 when Pilsen Fest brings Mexican art, music, and of course food to the heart of the historic neighborhood.

The acting career of Raspy Rivera was derailed by an injury in 2020. But she says that injury wound up being a life-changing gift. 

According to the White Sox, La Russa will travel with the team to Chicago after the series finale against the A’s, but the 77-year-old Hall of Famer hasn’t been cleared to return to the dugout as an active manager.

The accession ceremony was a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country, a relic of a time before mass communications.

The news came after days of apparent advances by Ukraine south of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, in what could become the biggest battlefield success for Ukrainian forces since they thwarted a Russian attempt to seize the capital of Kyiv.

The Bears unveil Arlington Heights dome plans, two more veteran alderpeople decide to hang it up, more migrants are sent from Texas to Chicago, and the Bears are set to open their season at their home for now — Soldier Field.