Stories by Erica Demarest

If you’re seeking activities that don’t break the bank this winter, look no further than local museums, zoos and gardens. A number have announced free admission days in 2024.

According to CDC estimates, since the beginning of October, there have been at least 10 million illnesses, 110,000 hospitalizations, and 6,500 deaths from flu so far this season. The agency said 27 children have died of flu.

Friday’s government report showed that December’s job gain exceeded the 173,000 that were added in November. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7% — the 23rd straight month that joblessness has come in below 4%.

National data from the FBI covering January to September 2023 showed an 8.2% drop in all violent crime, including a 15.6% drop in murders, compared to the same period in 2022. These declines were seen in cities over 1 million people and those under 10,000, and across all four regional quadrants of the US.

The trains are running at reduced speeds of 35 miles per hour “out of an abundance of caution,” officials said.

The latest on the financial toll of the migrant crisis that’s gripping Chicago. How the city’s suburbs are trying to curb unannounced migrant drop-offs. And a look at what homebuyers and sellers can expect to see in 2024.

Interest rates saw record highs last year, reaching almost 8% and raising concerns for first-time buyers looking to get into the market. This was until 2023 saw a slight decline beginning in November. The trend is expected to continue, sparking interest again for that group.

Chicago’s 60-day shelter-stay limit has asylum seekers looking to find permanent housing in the area. A new privately funded apartment-style living arrangement has been in the works since October and could offer a solution.

The tally, which includes all invoices paid through Dec. 15, defies predictions released by city officials in mid-October that the cost of the migrant crisis to taxpayers would top $361 million by the end of 2023.

The Chicago City Council passed an ordinance allowing officials to impound buses bringing migrants to the city outside official hours and landing zones. It’s led multiple suburbs to follow in Chicago’s footsteps by passing similar emergency policies.

A group of five voters filed a joint objection to former President Donald Trump’s candidacy, arguing that he should be disqualified under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits anyone who took part in an insurrection against the U.S. from holding federal office.

Illinois boasts the largest population of wintering bald eagles outside of Alaska. They’re attracted to our not-quite-frozen waterways.

The Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center abruptly closed on Dec. 31. The judge who ordered the closure said staffing shortages made it difficult to meet state standards for caring for youth in custody.

Even an artistic genius gets by with a little help from his friends. “Picasso: Drawing from Life” spotlights the artist’s works on paper and explores the influence of friends, muses, fellow artists and dealers.

The four former Commonwealth Edison officials convicted last year of conspiring to bribe ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will not be sentenced until at least next month, but the delay could last much longer.

The State Health Improvement Plan is part of a larger five-year plan that Illinois officials will use to outline and address the major public health issues facing the state.  

Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks will headline a double-bill at Soldier Field on June 21, officials said Thursday morning.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced that he’ll appoint Heidi Mueller, the current head of Illinois’ Juvenile Justice Department, to head the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) starting in February.

Michael Madigan’s corruption trial gets delayed. The state’s health department declares racism a public health crisis. And looking back at the war on poverty.

As the 60th anniversary of the war on poverty approaches, the Shriver Center on Poverty Law is hosting a one-day poverty summit, bringing together a diverse group of academic, community and government leaders.

Joseph Czuba, 71, is accused of fatally stabbing of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and wounding Hanan Shaheen on Oct. 14 in in Plainfield. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Ninety percent of the opioid overdose deaths involved fentanyl, according to Cook County’s Medical Examiner’s Office. 

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan appeared in court in person for the first time Wednesday, as a judge pushed back his upcoming federal racketeering and bribery charges to October.

Celebrate the golden-winged warbler while it’s still around. It’s suffered one of the steepest population declines of any songbird in the last half century.

Say hello to the Lancashire heeler, the latest breed recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Tom Girardi also faces federal wire fraud charges in Chicago, where he is accused of stealing about $3 million from family members of victims of a 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people.