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With animal fossils hard to come by, the researchers extracted environmental DNA, also known as eDNA, from soil samples. This is the genetic material that organisms shed into their surroundings — for example, through hair, waste, spit or decomposing carcasses.

Gary LaPaille, who served as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party from 1990 to 1998, died Thursday at 68 from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

In nearly three hours of arguments, liberal and conservative justices appeared to take issue with the main thrust of a challenge asking them to essentially eliminate the power of state courts to strike down legislature-drawn, gerrymandered congressional district maps on grounds that they violate state constitutions.

“Everything I have in my life I owe to public education,” Sendhil Revuluri said during the meeting. “Our city, our students, our educators all need and deserve a board that listens to the community, focuses on student outcomes, sets clear goals to drive our progress and then holds one another and our district accountable for that progress.”

Sky watchers will have their eyes peeled Wednesday night for a rare-ish celestial event: an “eclipse” of Mars.

The changes approved last week by Democratic members of the General Assembly is the fourth follow-up bill to the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, or SAFE-T Act.

The question for the justices is whether the U.S. Constitution’s provision giving state legislatures the power to make the rules about the “times, places and manner” of congressional elections cuts state courts out of the process.

Third Coast Percussion is nominated for a Grammy for the fourth year in a row. “Gauntlet” is a new work that has the ensemble making music from a table full of toys and everyday items.

CTA says it’s trying to close the huge staffing shortfall that’s been causing ghost trains and buses. Examining a legislature theory once called fringe that is now before the Supreme Court. And the possibilities of percussion.

Chicago police are seeking the community’s help after a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot outside Michele Clark Magnet High School Tuesday afternoon.

Last week, state Rep. Morgan, D-Deerfield, introduced a wide-ranging gun control bill that would prevent the future sale of what the measure describes as “assault weapons,” as well as large-capacity magazines and devices that can switch other firearms into machine-gun style guns.

A spokesperson for Uber, said firm officials were “pleased to put this matter behind us.” 

Donald Trump and his family were not charged in this case, but the former president was mentioned repeatedly during the trial by prosecutors about his connection to the benefits doled out to certain executives, including company-funded apartments, car leases and personal expenses.

Ja’Mal Green, one of the six candidates for mayor who filed at 9 a.m. Nov. 21, won a lottery for that coveted pole position on the ballot, one that many people believe could offer a boost in a crowded race.

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has decided to make criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, the panel’s chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, told reporters Tuesday.

Corrie Singleton, 21, and Darrell Singleton, 18, both of South Holland, Illinois, have been charged in federal court in Chicago with robbery, bank larceny by assault and other firearm offenses.

Pure, grand-scale magic. That is the only way to describe the Joffrey Ballet’s glorious production of “The Nutcracker,” which breaks the mold of the traditional version by being set against the grandeur of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair.

Hiring bonuses, retention bonuses and a raise for new employees are all part of the CTA’s plan to attract and keep bus and train operators and mechanics as the agency claws its way out of a huge staffing shortfall.

A WTTW investigation finds dozens of CTA operators working 80-hour weeks. A new push to ban assault weapons. The University of Chicago wins an NCAA championship. And the local creator of the comedy series “South Side.”

Sultan Salahuddin is from the South Side, Auburn Gresham and South Shore specifically. Much of the show relies on organic stories that come from lived experiences. 

Chicago defeated Williams College 2-0 on Saturday for the Maroons’ first NCAA men’s soccer title in program history. The title capped an undefeated season (22-0-1) and set a school record for wins in Sitch's first year as head coach.

Rates of deaths from drug overdoses among older adults have more than tripled in the past two decades, according to one report published Wednesday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. In 2020, more than 5,000 adults 65 and older in the United States died of a drug overdose.

Researchers at the Field Museum are embarking on a project to discover what was the point — if any — of T. rex’s tiny arms.

The U.S. federal government has yet again delayed nationwide security requirements for driver’s licenses and other identification cards, giving states, including Illinois, more time to issue REAL IDs to residents.

Ayanna Nesbitt, 50, of Chicago, was indicted last week in federal court on five counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday, after she allegedly stole money that was intended to be provided to CTA retirees or their beneficiaries.

According to Chicago Police Department data, at least 17 people were shot in 13 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included a pair of double homicides.