Stories by Paul Caine

Former President Joe Biden returns to the national stage — calling out the Trump administration’s actions on Social Security. And alderpeople are blocking Jan. 6 rioters from working with the city.

Indiana’s Legislature this week gave final approval to a bill that would create the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission to recommend whether to change the border between the two states. The move comes as residents of some Illinois counties are seeking to separate from the Chicago area.

The citywide career fair is making its return following successful fairs in the spring and fall of last year, according to a news release.

Departed staffers include people who booked complex international trips to remote Indian pharmaceutical plants, lab scientists who tested food samples for contamination, and communication specialists who alerted the public to urgent safety recalls.

States with active outbreaks include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024.

Skunk cabbage is the first native wildflower to emerge in Chicago’s woodlands in spring. Other ephemerals will follow, blooming briefly on the forest floor before disappearing for another year.

The event, “Spend in the Black: Resurrecting the Black Dollar” will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 75th Street and King Drive. The purpose of the event is to redirect collective economic power into local communities, according to event organizers.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she is “deeply concerned” that Trump administration officials aren’t complying with her earlier order that maintains the bureau’s existence.

The new leader of the Chicago Park District on his vision for the future. And exploring Chicago’s Latino history in an upcoming exhibit.

After 10 years as the 35th Ward alderperson, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa is moving to a different office: superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District.

Glamorous Quinceañera dresses and an Indigenous ceremonial mask are among the items that will be on display in “Aquí en Chicago,” an upcoming Chicago History Museum exhibit celebrating the long history of Latinos in the city.

A federal judge on Wednesday said he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt of court for violating his orders to turn around planes carrying deportees to El Salvador.

The substances are illegal in most places, but the wave of scientific research focused on the benefits of supervised hallucinatory experiences has spurred Oregon and Colorado to legalize psychedelic therapy. Further opening the door to microdosing, a handful of cities have officially directed police to make psychedelics a low priority for enforcement.

Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally has been halted nationwide by three district courts around the country. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings.

About 35,000 out-of-state patients traveled to Illinois for an abortion last year, accounting for 39% of all abortions provided in the state, according to a recent study.

Reynaldo Rodriguez depicts his personal odyssey in sculptures made from moving boxes and packages from Amazon. The self-taught artist shaped and crafted the discarded cardboard into an exhibition he calls “La Mudanza.”

Northwestern officials say the university intends to fund at-risk research, days after the Trump administration announced plans to freeze nearly $800 million in federal funding.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and other public officials lauded the program after a Northwestern University study found that specific “hotspots” where peacekeepers have been deployed have seen drops of more than 40% in gun violence.

After nearly a year of bargaining, the Chicago Teachers Union is one step closer to finalizing a deal with Chicago Public Schools. The contract now needs approval from the Chicago Board of Education.

An effort to ban Jan. 6 participants from city jobs. What’s behind disparities in pregnancy-related deaths. And Stacy Davis Gates on the new CTU contract.

New research shows the rate of women dying from pregnancy-related medical conditions has worsened in recent years. And Black women are three times as likely to die of such an illness as White women.

Between Easter, Passover and 4/20, there will be a lot of foodstuffs consumed this weekend. But bread alone won’t sustain you, so make a meal for your mind in Chicago’s cultural kitchen.

Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign reported just $3,250 in contributions of more than $200 from people who live in the 9th Congressional District, less than 1% of the total amount raised by the campaign, federal records show.

Analog communication is having a moment, ironically thanks to digital platforms where people share product info and connect over their shared love of stationery.

The Illinois House gave its approval to legislation that would give high school athletes a limited right to compete in non-school events or on non-school teams during the same season in which they play for their school.

Many public defender offices in Illinois, especially in rural areas, are in desperate need of resources to provide adequate defense services.