Stories by Paul Caine

On Monday evening, the Illinois state Senate passed an assault weapons bill with some changes to the version passed by the House on Friday. The bill will now return to the House for a concurring vote before heading to the governor’s desk.

The man behind the Hail Mary proposal to keep the Bears at Soldier Field. The fate of a state assault weapons ban. Tackling childhood obesity. And former Bear Brian Urlacher tangled up in a hairy situation.

Jordan Porter-Woodruff had created a new collection celebrating her favorite artists. It’s now on display in a solo exhibition at the Epiphany Arts Center, 201 S. Ashland Ave., titled, “Portraits: An Intimate View.”

The longstanding practice of “watchful waiting,” or delaying treatment to see whether children and teens outgrow or overcome obesity on their own only worsens the problem that affects more than 14.4 million young people in the U.S.

Walgreens says it’s peeling back spending on efforts to combat shoplifting. Machine company John Deere reaches a deal to let farmers repair their own equipment. And former Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher gets caught up in a hairy lawsuit.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and a prominent developer are trying to sell the team on some dazzling new changes to Soldier Field in a Hail Mary attempt to keep the team in Chicago.

With the unanimous endorsement of the City Council’s Health and Human Relations Committee, the full City Council is scheduled to consider the measure, backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, at its meeting scheduled for Jan. 18. 

Delores McNeely, 76, Gwendolyn Osborne, 72, and Janice Reed, 68, died May 14 after temperatures soared into the 90s for several days.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is set to celebrate his 82nd birthday while on trial for orchestrating a criminal enterprise for a decade while serving as Illinois’ most powerful politician.

Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announced Sunday on Instagram that he was diagnosed in recent days. The three-time All-Star was scheduled to begin treatment on Monday.

Former McDonald’s CEO Stephen Easterbrook has been charged by federal regulators with making false and misleading statements to investors about the circumstances of firing by the burger giant in November 2019.

After earlier announcing that Colorado would help asylum-seeking migrants leave the state for their intended destinations, Gov. Jared Polis said the state would not be sending additional buses of migrants to New York City and Chicago following “a very productive conversation” with the mayors of both cities, according to a press release from his office.

Chicago will pick No. 1 for the first time since 1947 after it lost 29-13 to the Minnesota Vikings in its season finale on Sunday. It was the 10th straight loss for the Bears (3-14), extending a franchise record, and the 14 losses overall also marked the most in team history.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 11 people were shot in 10 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included a 29-year-old man killed in a West Englewood home Friday night.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners removed Frederick Collins from the Feb. 28 ballot on Friday, ruling that the Chicago police officer had not collected at least 12,500 valid signatures from registered Chicago voters to qualify for the contest. 

Mayors Lori Lightfoot and Eric Adams are urging Colorado's governor to instead partner with Chicago and New York City to advocate for federal solutions to the nation’s ongoing challenges surrounding asylum seekers.

Organizations across the city are working to provide more mental health services to Black and Latino Chicagoans. Part of that effort involves growing a more diverse pool of therapists.

The sounds of Mexican folk music cross borders, genres and generations. Oftentimes, music is passed through families who play traditional music in celebrations and at home.

Energy infrastructure is under constant threat — from extreme weather to security concerns. As the effects of climate change challenge the energy production sector, the utilities charged with producing that energy sustainably, equitably and affordably are at an inflection point.

President Joe Biden said the U.S. would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the border from Mexico illegally, his boldest move yet to confront the arrivals of migrants that have spiraled since he took office.

According to the American Heart Association, about 55% of Black adults have high blood pressure. Black Americans also have disproportionately high rates of severe hypertension and tend to develop it earlier in life.

President Joe Biden's crackdown on the border. Logan Square residents battle high property taxes. How to find a therapist who understands you. And a twist on traditional Mexican folk music. 

We talk about hypertension, a silent-killer prevalent in the Black community. An energy giant has a new leader at a critical time. And "Work Friends" opens at Cherry Mountain Arts.

Twelve members of the Chicago City Council are not seeking re-election, which will mean nearly a quarter of the city will get new political leadership in 2023.

Female composers of centuries past might well have been smiling from afar Friday evening as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Marin Alsop, performed a program of three works by immensely gifted contemporary female composers.

The prize is now the third-largest in U.S. history.