Stories by Patty Wetli

The 2020 census of the region’s trees — the largest undertaking of its kind in the country — will build on the inaugural 2010 count and help municipalities set priorities for creating healthier green infrastructure, particularly in underserved communities.

Like many other commercial corridors across the city, Milwaukee Avenue suffered extensive damage just as businesses were about to start welcoming shoppers inside once again.

When the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, my great-great-great-great-grandparents were there.

Friday’s celebrations will be marked from coast to coast with marches and demonstrations of civil disobedience, along with expressions of Black joy in spite of an especially traumatic time for the nation. 

As Latino communities scramble to understand why the coronavirus has hit them so hard, they’re calling upon elected officials to do more to help reverse the trend of rising infection rates.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color in the U.S. But many African Americans say they’re facing two pandemics — not only the coronavirus, but also violence. 

New rules requiring nonprofit organizations to register as lobbyists will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2021 amid an outcry about the impact of the new regulations and delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Testing for COVID-19 involves inserting a swab deep into the nasal cavity. But the virus can also be detected in saliva, and early research by University of Chicago scientists found those less invasive tests to be just as accurate.

CPS on Thursday announced it had laid off 703 employees, including 286 teachers, as part of its annual staffing adjustments, which the district said are caused by declining enrollment, changing student demographics and programmatic changes.

Watch the June 18, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Never mind the square footage, floor plan or estimated property taxes. The primary selling point of this two-story mixed-use building rests almost entirely in its exquisite facade, which bears the unmistakable mark of the man who designed it.

As she celebrated the planned reopening next week of the lakefront trail and the 606, Mayor Lori Lightfoot called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to allow restaurants to reopen to indoor diners “sooner rather later.”

The case stems from a yearslong battle between the city of Chicago and the Fraternal Order of Police, which has argued that its collective bargaining agreement requires complaint files be destroyed after five years.

The 5-4 decision means that nearly 20,000 young people in Illinois who have legal status thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program launched by former President Barack Obama will not face the threat of deportation.

When a Chicago high school student found herself limited in activities due to the pandemic, she created an opportunity that would not only occupy her time, but the time of others. 

Low-income communities across the city are bracing for what could be a large number of evictions once a statewide moratorium is lifted. In one of those communities, a fight over housing has been brewing for years as a large tenant prepares to move in. 

Bars, lounges, taverns and brewery taprooms — basically any establishment that serves alcohol on-site, but not food — will be allowed to reopen Wednesday, with a whole slew of caveats.

Despite enthusiasm from transportation advocates and residents eager for more room to roam, some shared streets aren’t ready just yet – and at least one previously announced plan for outdoor dining isn’t happening at all.

The new WTTW-produced PBS series “Prehistoric Road Trip” is a project more than two billion years in the making. Host Emily Graslie tells us about the show.

Funding will be used to support communities and businesses disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus and the unrest following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday recognized Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, but stopped short of making June 19 an official city holiday.

To limit the potential for overcrowding, the garden is implementing a timed-ticketed entry policy. Non-members will get their first chance to register for a slot on Friday. Here’s what else you need to know.

Aldermen signed off on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to spend $1.13 billion in federal funds designed to help the city cover the cost of responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

A couple hundred activists gathered outside of Chicago City Hall on Wednesday to call on the mayor and City Council to create a new elected board that would have the power to investigate and fire police officers. 

Prosecutors brought murder charges Wednesday against the white Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks in the back, saying that the black man posed no threat when he was gunned down.

An ordinance that would terminate the $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department failed to advance Wednesday, but supporters of the measure vowed to continue their campaign.