Stories by Blair Paddock

Hanukkah and Christmas are held during some of the shortest days of the year — meaning, they’re also the darkest. But these holidays offer light through menorahs and advent candles, and now, the glow of a computer screen.

Meet a champion archer from Chicago who has overcome health obstacles to travel the world and win gold medals.

Commercial Avenue has long been the main business corridor in South Chicago, but in recent years the strip has struggled to fill vacant storefronts – a trend that was seriously exacerbated by civil unrest and looting this summer.

A little over a month after she won reelection, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was officially sworn in. Following the ceremony, she reflected on the challenges of 2020 and looked ahead to the next four years.

The Philadelphia Phillies, the team Dick Allen started out with, announced his death Monday. The seven-time All-Star, 1964 NL Rookie of the Year and 1972 AL MVP started out with the Philadelphia Phillies, who retired his No. 15 in September.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday said officials are still “still watching and waiting” to see if there will be a surge statewide in the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations stemming from holiday gatherings.

The European Union on Monday invited U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to help mend tattered trans-Atlantic ties and urged him to join it in a long-term “strategic dialogue” that would address global issues ranging from COVID-19 to climate change.

The 2021 Chicago Auto Show will not take place in February due to the coronavirus pandemic. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter editor Ann Dwyer has details.

As Donald Trump’s presidency winds down, his administration is ratcheting up the pace of federal executions despite a surge of coronavirus cases in prisons, announcing plans for five starting Thursday.

Lakeview Ald. Tom Tunney acknowledged Monday that he allowed diners to eat inside his restaurant in defiance of a ban imposed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in an effort to stop a sustained and grave surge of the coronavirus.

Advocates and lawyers anticipate a flurry of clemency action from President Donald Trump in the coming weeks that could test the limits of presidential pardon power.

Watch the Dec. 7, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

If you have pain, you may be tempted to tough it out while the nation sees a surge in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. But that’s not advisable, physical therapists say. 

President Donald Trump said Sunday his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the latest in Trump’s inner circle to contract the disease that is now surging across the U.S.

Six new works on display as part of the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit aim to get community members outside to explore the area and support local businesses as winter sets in amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Sunday marked the first day this month in which Illinois’ daily death toll dipped below 125. There were only 10 days in November when triple-digit numbers were recorded in the number of virus-related deaths.

More than 500 volunteers participated in the kickoff event for My Block My Hood My City’s third annual Be Part of the Light event, which aims to decorate a 12-mile stretch of King Drive on the city’s South Side.

President Donald Trump is pressing his grievances over losing the presidential election, using a weekend rally to spread baseless allegations of misconduct in last month’s voting in Georgia and beyond.

Public health guidance to avoid big parties in the age of coronavirus is about to collide with what is typically one of America’s biggest celebrations of all: the swearing-in of a new president.

Coronavirus infections across the U.S. continue to rise as the country moves deeper into a holiday season when eagerly anticipated gatherings of family and friends could push the numbers even higher and overwhelm hospitals.

Most brides and grooms-to-be have had to scale back wedding plans as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. But Emily Bugg and Billy Lewis of Chicago had an idea to pivot their wedding celebrations to something even better.

President Donald Trump fruitlessly pressed Georgia’s governor on Saturday to call a special legislative session aimed at overturning the presidential election results in that state.

Coronavirus cases surge after Thanksgiving as a record number of deaths are reported this week. With approval of a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon, the first Illinois residents are expected to be vaccinated later this month.

Under pressure from moderates in both parties, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have initiated late-game negotiations. Here are the top issues for the end-stage COVID-19 relief talks.

Illinois expects to get 109,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer if federal officials grant an emergency use authorization to the pharmaceutical company as expected, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday.

The nation’s unwillingness to tamp down on travel offered a warning in advance of Christmas and New Year’s as virus deaths and hospitalizations hit new highs a week after Thanksgiving.