Stories by Kristen Thometz

Acrobatic airplanes, colorful murals, street festivals and a floating river party usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Illinois legislators may be back in Springfield soon for a second extra session. Their sole goal: to strike a deal on a massive energy package. The result will impact everything from Illinois’ role in climate change to your energy bill. But the stakes are particularly high in one Illinois town. 

Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Grace forced a temporary halt Tuesday to the Haitian government’s response to the deadly weekend earthquake, feeding the growing anger and frustration among thousands who were left homeless.

Could Illinois’ vaccine verification portal — known as Vax Verify — leave residents’ personal information vulnerable to hacking? We discuss privacy concerns surrounding the newly unveiled portal.

How do you ask someone to put on a face mask? And how do you tell them if they’re wearing it incorrectly? We asked a trio of experts for advice.

Officials are trying to help Afghan allies who supported the American mission to leave the country as Taliban checkpoints spread across the country and its capital, Kabul. But how many Afghans can safely be evacuated and settled in the U.S.?

Chicago Public Schools will welcome students back to the classroom in less than two weeks, as the delta variant of COVID-19 is driving the number of infections up across the city. The rising case count has put another wedge between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union.

Redistricting season officially kicked off Thursday with the release of detailed population data from the U.S. Census Bureau that will be used to redraw voting districts nationwide — potentially helping determine control of the U.S. House in the 2022 elections.

City mask mandates return as COVID-19 cases spike. The Chicago Teachers Union on safety concerns ahead of the new school year. Local relief efforts for Haiti. And questions about COVID-19 etiquette.

Everyone in Chicago, regardless of their vaccination status, must wear a mask indoors starting Friday, Chicago’s top doctor announced Tuesday. The mandate comes amid the city’s fourth surge in COVID-19 infections, driven by the more transmissible delta variant.

U.S. health experts are expected to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot, to ensure lasting protection against the coronavirus.

Days after taking over the country following a lightning offensive, the Taliban made an effort to portray a more moderate stance, promising to respect women’s rights and inviting them to join the government. Some Afghan women sought to carefully test their limits.

The vaccines authorized in the U.S. continue to offer very strong protection against severe disease and death. But laboratory blood tests have suggested that antibodies can wane over time. That doesn’t mean protection disappears, but it could mean protection is not as strong or that it could take longer for the body to fight back against an infection.

State fairs in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin also are offering COVID-19 vaccinations as the delta variant spreads nationwide and relaxed masking leaves some public health officials concerned about another surge in infections.

An entry fee proposed by the National Park Service would provide funding for additional visitor amenities at the park and address a maintenance backlog, officials said. Here’s how you can weigh in on the plan.

Chicago Public Schools will not require eligible students to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but once in-person classes resume Aug. 30, those who are unvaccinated and test positive for the virus must quarantine for 14 days.

How do you ask someone to give you more space in the checkout line? Or tell your boss you don’t feel comfortable returning to the office? We asked a trio of experts for advice as part of our series.

How do you ask someone if they have been vaccinated? Or tell an unvaccinated family member they can’t come to your dinner party? We asked a trio of experts for advice. 

Most people know him for “I Believe I Can Fly,” the 1996 sing-along hit. Or possibly for a stinging parody by comedian Dave Chappelle. But starting this week, what prosecutors say was a not-so-secret dark side of R&B superstar R. Kelly will be presented in lurid detail for a jury in New York City.

Tangtang Zhao, 34, of Chicago, sold 125 authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccination cards to 11 different buyers for approximately $10 per card, according to a statement from the Department of Justice. 

The patriarch of Chicago’s piping plover family was seen taking off from Montrose Beach on Saturday morning and was spotted at his winter home near Galveston, Texas, a mere 53 hours later.

Chicago police officials have released video of two suspects sought in connection with the fatal shooting of Yvonne Ruzich early Monday as she sat inside her car in the 13300 block of South Baltimore Avenue.

The frequency of anti-Asian incidents — from taunts to outright assaults — reported in the United States so far this year seems poised to surpass last year despite months of political and social activism, according to a new report released Thursday.

Across the country, hospital systems are facing a shortage of nurses. In Cook County, the shortage prompted nurses at Stroger Hospital to go on strike this summer, for the first time in decades.

Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabul’s main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as America’s longest war ended with its enemy the victor.

Striking a defiant tone, President Joe Biden said Monday that he stands “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan as he acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” images coming out of the country after the swift Taliban takeover of the government.