Stories by Marc Vitali

Having missed the opening, I saw the glowing reviews for this Chicago-area premiere and trekked up to Writers Theatre in Glencoe. I went with a skeptic’s eye and my arms folded. “Critics think it’s good, huh? What do they know?” Well, they know enough to have the good sense to embrace this irresistible production.

Donald Trump’s speeches for years have hewed to divisive “us” versus “them” messaging, but tying those themes to specific religious Americans who oppose him is out of line and even dangerous, according to rhetoric experts, religious leaders and academics.

Maggie Smith, the masterful, scene-stealing actor who won an Oscar for 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” and gained new fans in the 21st century as the dowager Countess of Grantham in “ Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, died Friday. She was 89.

The National Weather Service is forecasting the worst to hit late Friday afternoon. Expect strong wind gusts from the northeast, reaching 45 to 55 miles per hour.

The 6-0 vote by the board overseeing the Chicago Public Schools came two days after CEO Pedro Martinez announced he had refused Mayor Brandon Johnson’s request to resign, an unprecedented show of public defiance by the head of a city agency toward the mayor.

What comes next for migrant care as three shelters are set to close next month. And some Pilsen residents are pushing back on a plan they say would further gentrify the area.

Shelters in Pilsen and in the West Loop will close Oct. 1, while a shelter in Hyde Park will close Oct. 24. All of the residents will be offered space in one of the 14 shelters the city will continue to operate, officials said.

Those in favor of the expansion believe the TIF district could help fix economic and developmental challenges, while those opposed think it may further gentrify the community and push long-standing residents out of the beloved enclave.

The website has been reopened on the heels of a summer COVID-19 virus wave and heading into the fall and winter respiratory virus season, with health officials urging Americans to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine and their yearly flu shot.

The donation will help expand the work of UChicago’s Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, which launched last year. The forum aims to promote the understanding, practice and advancement of open dialogue at the school and beyond.

This week’s “Pick Six” — our weekly roundup of outdoorsy recommendations in each of the Chicago region’s six counties — ranges from a cool glacial remnant to a theatrical production that doubles as a hike.

A new mural is set to be unveiled at the Chicago Public Library’s Uptown Branch across the street from the now closed Gherkin Records.

With more Americans using ever-stronger marijuana, a federal advisory panel is calling for a public health approach that’s a big departure from “Just Say No.”

Rose, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft by his hometown Chicago Bulls and the league’s MVP in 2011, announced his retirement on Thursday. He was, and still is, the youngest MVP winner in NBA history, claiming that award when he was just 22.

In 2008, Marcel Brown was arrested for murder at the age of 18. He spent a decade in prison before being exonerated. A federal jury awarded him a record-setting $50 million when he sued the city over his wrongful conviction.

What data says about crime versus the public’s perception. And a jury awards a wrongfully convicted man $50 million. He shares his story.

Even though statistics show improvement, a 2023 Gallup poll revealed that three-quarters of Americans believe crime has worsened across the country, including in their hometowns.

Quantum computers operate significantly faster, which backers promise will yield astonishing breakthroughs in medicine, finance and science.

The judge’s ruling is another striking dissent to a practice that has been hailed as one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mauro Glorioso, a former chair of the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board who later became its executive director, sued the newspaper in 2021, alleging he was defamed by the Sun-Times’ coverage of the board’s handling of a property tax appeal for Trump Tower in downtown Chicago. 

The number of women in construction industry apprenticeship programs has remained mostly steady in the state, going from 3% to 5% since 2009, according to Illinois Department of Labor data. While there has been some progress in more women going into the trades, there’s more work to be done to help women stay in the trades, according to leaders in the industry.

“Borrowing to pay for operating expenses in a business, in a government, etc., is not a great idea unless you know how you’re going to pay for that, because it’s going to come due,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said, “speaking as a businessperson.”

Fall means it’s time for just about everybody to get up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines – and a lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV.

DuSable Lake Shore Drive overnight closures for resurfacing work will extend this week from Irving Park Road to LaSalle Drive in all southbound lanes.

Escalating tensions at Chicago Public Schools as the pressure on its CEO grows. And the latest on a scam targeting elderly residents around Chinatown.

“We’ve been sharing a lot about phone and text scams, but people are less on guard when they talk to a real person,” said Grace Chan McKibben, the executive director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community.