Stories by Acacia Hernandez

The e-commerce giant recently began installing lockers inside Chicago parks, and says the lockers are a “secure and convenient” option. But that so-called convenience has proven controversial. 

For the first time in 17 months, Chicago Public Schools students returned to the classroom for full-time, in-person learning Monday. At some schools, the mayor was there to welcome them back.

The White House says more than 116,000 people have so far been evacuated, but not everyone has been able to escape. Hundreds of Afghan refugees could settle in the Chicago area, and local immigrant groups are working around the clock to try and make that happen.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was “deeply concerned” by the altercation between a white male officer and Nikkita Brown, a Black woman. The incident is now under investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

Ed Asner, the burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later in the drama “Lou Grant,” died Sunday. He was 91.

While Mayor Lori Lightfoot contends Chicago is “fiscally bouncing back,” Chicago’s top financial officials made it clear at a hearing Monday that the city’s finances are still mired in the deep hole created by the economic catastrophe of the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s the last summer weekend to squeeze in a family vacation, but the delta variant of COVID-19 is discouraging Labor Day weekend travel. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann Dwyer takes us behind the headline of that story and more.

The 1975 cult classic has just been added to Millennium Park’s outdoor film series. And while it wouldn’t be a proper “Rocky Horror” screening without audience participation, the city has some dos and don’ts when it comes to your DIY props.

After several days of  testimony from women claiming they were groomed and sexually abused by R. Kelly, a man took the witness stand at Kelly’s sex-trafficking trial in New York City on Monday to say the R&B star exploited him in the same way when he was a high school student.

Some of the biggest school systems in the U.S. are taking a hard line with teachers and staff members who are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19: Get a jab or lose your job. 

Hiccups, hope and trepidation on the first day of school. Chicago immigrant groups prepare to resettle Afghans. Debating Amazon lockers in local parks. Hurricane Ida relief. And remembering Ed Asner.

The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there.

Among the five people who were fatally shot over the weekend in Chicago, three were killed or discovered dead within a 30-minute time frame early Sunday, according to police.

According to the National Weather Service, drier air is moving into the region, bringing with it more comfortable weather.

Jacob Blake was shot seven times on Aug. 23, 2020 by Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. A year later, he feels nothing is different in terms of policing and the general divisiveness of the world, but he’s determined to change that.

A U.S. drone strike blew up a vehicle carrying “multiple suicide bombers” from Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate on Sunday before they could attack the ongoing military evacuation at Kabul’s international airport, American officials said.

It’s been more than a year since Chicago Public Schools students have sat inside their classrooms full time. Now, with mask mandates, vaccine requirements for staff and other COVID-19 safety protocols in place, CPS children are about to embark on a year unlike any other.

Renters across the country may soon face eviction now that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration’s extension of the eviction moratorium. We discuss resources available to local renters.

A group of police officers and community leaders are using their time off to give back to underserved communities by getting young kids to play sports. We head to Columbus Park on the West Side to learn more.  

We talk with Chicago Public Schools parents ahead of the return to in-person learning. How renters are faring as financial assistance has been slow to arrive. And getting in the game at Columbus Park.

The founder and executive director of Dion’s Chicago Dream talks about the importance of providing fresh, quality produce to fight food insecurity — and the lessons nonprofits should be learning from the pandemic.

Law enforcement agencies are struggling nationwide with increasing violent crime as calls mount for changing how police interact with citizens, especially those with mental health issues.

Chicago Public School students return to in-person learning — some parents share their thoughts. We discuss controversial gunshot detection technology. And the last word on Latino entrepreneurs.

According to a new report from the city’s inspector general, alerts by the gunshot detection system ShotSpotter used by the Chicago Police Department “rarely” lead to evidence of a gun crime. 

Chicago Public Schools students are scheduled to return for in-person classes Monday. But what will that return look like amid an ongoing pandemic? CPS parents join “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” for a panel discussion.

A business school dean gives us the last word on supporting Latino entrepreneurs — and how that can benefit all Americans.