Stories by

Everything about one’s experience of living in Chicago can be traced back to segregation and race, according to community leader José Rico, executive director of Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Chicago.

Since we first met Tonika Lewis Johnson in 2020, she has expanded the Folded Map project — adding workshops, a play and a movie.

Efforts backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to reduce residential segregation in Chicago have begun to show signs of progress, officials with the Chicago Department of Housing say. The centerpiece of that effort is a revamped ordinance that requires developers who get special permission from the city or a subsidy to build more units earmarked for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans and pay higher fees. 

Germany made the first big move, taking steps to halt certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia — a massive, lucrative deal long sought by Moscow but criticized by the U.S. for increasing Europe’s reliance on Russian energy supplies.

George Floyd, 46, was killed on May 20, 2020, after Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck and pinned him to the street for 9 1/2 minutes as he was facedown and gasping for air. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down Floyd’s legs. Thao kept bystanders from intervening.

In the U.N. health agency’s weekly pandemic report, WHO said there were more than 12 million new coronavirus infections last week. The number of new COVID-19 deaths fell 8% to about 67,000 worldwide, the first time that weekly deaths have fallen since early January.

The administration said in a legal filing that a Feb. 11 ruling by a Louisiana federal judge will affect dozens of rules by at least four federal agencies. Among the immediate effects is an indefinite delay in planned oil and gas lease sales on public lands in a half-dozen states in the West.

Relatives of Irene Chavez filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the city and nearly a dozen Chicago police officers, claiming they ignored Chavez’s cries for help and refused to accommodate her mental health crisis following a December arrest.

“It’s important for us to recognize this moment for what it is: a huge step forward in our effort to overcome COVID-19,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

Chicago Tap Theatre danced onto the stage of the Athenaeum Theatre with 11 pieces by a variety of choreographers, all performed with the sort of percussive energy that suggested the COVID curse had better get out of town.

According to the Chicago Police Department, 29 people were shot in 26 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday.

West Garfield Park residents have a life expectancy of 69 years – one of the lowest in the city. The Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative aims to change that by creating an environment that promotes health and wellness in the neighborhood.

Chicago City Council members on the gang seizure ordinance and more. Plus, the latest from the border of Russia and Ukraine, a call to remove led pipes from child care facilities and local Afghan refugees start college.

Illinois state legislators are considering a proposal that would help facilitate carpet recycling, but the effort has what one might call wall-to-wall complications.

Northeastern Illinois University has provided 17 Afghan refugees with one-year scholarships to study at the school. 

In recent years, a patchwork of government and nonprofit programs have ramped up, offering help with lead testing and mitigation. But the need still far outstrips the available assistance, especially for high-priority places like child care facilities.

A trio of City Council members blasted Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to fight crime by going after the profits earned by Chicago’s gangs in an interview Monday on “Chicago Tonight.” 

A vaguely worded decree signed by Putin did not say if troops were on the move, and it cast the order as an effort to “maintain peace.” But it appeared to dash the slim remaining hopes of averting a major conflict in Europe that could cause massive casualties, energy shortages on the continent and economic chaos around the globe.

Daron Hardy, 25, was denied bail during a court hearing Monday afternoon following his arrest on a charge of first-degree murder stemming from the killing of his brother, 26-year-old Darnell Hardy.

While Chicago has been without a permanent inspector general, former 11th Ward Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson became the 37th alderperson to be convicted of a crime since 1969. Alds. Ed Burke (14th Ward) and Carrie Austin (34th Ward) are awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to bribery and corruption charges.

The U.S. has written to the top United Nations human rights official that it has “credible information” that Russian forces are identifying Ukrainians “to be killed or sent to camps” if it further invades Ukraine and occupies it.

Russia extended military drills near Ukraine’s northern borders Sunday amid increased fears that two days of sustained shelling along the contact line between soldiers and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine could spark an invasion.

What should parents know about COVID-19 safety for their kids? Are activities such as playdates, dance classes and moviegoing OK to resume? If masks become optional at school, does that mean your children should take them off? 

Tensions in Woodlawn over affordable housing near the future Obama Center. How racism in health care influences health behaviors and outcomes. And a tribute to the late designer Virgil Abloh.

Tensions and frustrations are running high in the Woodlawn neighborhood as residents feel the effects of the incoming Obama Presidential Center. 

A new study from Verywell Health has found that Black patients often have a different medical experience than White patients due to discrimination and inequities in health care settings.