Stories by Associated Press

The Cubs were about to open their season at long last against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, and it sure sounded like a packed house at Wrigley Field. Of course, no fans were allowed inside the famed ballpark. The noise was piped in.

Chicago’s Christopher Columbus statues come down. Mayor Lightfoot and the president go toe-to-toe over federal law enforcement in Chicago. Some COVID-19 restrictions return, and baseball is back.

As public health officials warned Friday that the coronavirus posed new risks to parts of the Midwest and South, enhanced federal payments that helped avert financial ruin for millions of unemployed Americans were set to expire. 

The former United States president is expected to appear on “The Michelle Obama Podcast” on Spotify, the Obama’s Higher Ground and streaming service announced Friday. 

While some aldermen praised Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to take down the statues of Christopher Columbus, others said Friday she should not have acted unilaterally in the middle of the night.

The absence of a clear, publicly available plan has left city leaders, residents and even federal agencies to speculate about exactly what will happen and when. Here's a look at what's known so far.

The Chicago Parks Foundation has created a citywide volunteer program to help keep the parks clean.

Federal prosecutors recently indicated Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is a subject of a criminal investigation into influence peddling to benefit an energy utility. Will the 78-year-old be charged and if so with what possible crimes?

A towering likeness of Christopher Columbus no longer stands in Chicago’s Grant Park after Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered for its “temporary” removal.

The feel-good music of Fred Rogers inspires a neighborhood musician.

Even though the Obama Presidential Center has yet to receive final approval to break ground, Woodlawn’s real estate market is already bubbling, with the median sale price for single-family homes rising 90% from 2010 to 2019.

Chicago’s Gage Park neighborhood sits in two ZIP codes that have seen some of the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the city. 

Three out of four Americans, including a majority of Republicans, favor requiring people to wear face coverings while outside their homes, a new poll finds.

“It’s a different world, and it will be for a little while,” President Trump said, explaining his decision during one of his newly resuscitated White House briefings on the coronavirus. “To have a big convention is not the right time.”

It’s not so glamorous anymore, but there was a time when people clamored to enjoy the novelty of eating fast food from the comfort of their cars. Geoffrey Baer serves up some fast food history with a side of super signs in this week’s Ask Geoffrey.

A family of artists is encouraging communities to reclaim their neighborhoods through the art of storytelling. We check out their work at 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard in South Shore.

Organizers are pushing for the Chicago Police Department to release officer misconduct records, saying publicly available top-level data omits the public’s narrative and prevents them from seeking “narrative justice.”

Organizers are moving forward with the outdoor event, which showcases urban livestock and agriculture in its many forms. Prospective hosts have until July 26 to apply to be part of the September 2020 tour, no chickens required.

An audit by the Inspector General’s Office found numerous flaws in the Department of Streets and Sanitation’s system of clearing weeds from vacant lots, including the lack of an up-to-date list of city-owned vacant property.

Worn 24/7, the soft, flexible sensor is being used to monitor cough, shortness of breath and fever in a small number of patients and front-line health care workers. Researchers hope the device can provide more insight about the coronavirus.

Watch the July 23, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A baseball season that was on the brink before it ever began because of the virus outbreak is set to start Thursday night.

The three-week reprieve ordered by Gov. J.B. Pritzker allows state officials time to set up a program to distribute more than $300 million in help to landlords and tenants struggling to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic.

Attorneys representing Black Lives Matter Chicago and several other groups filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking an injunction to halt the feds from interfering with peaceful protests or making arrests without probable cause.

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President Donald Trump is expanding the administration’s intervention in local enforcement as he runs for reelection under a “law-and-order” mantle.