Stories by Patty Wetli

For more than a century, Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church has been an anchor in the Bronzeville community. Now its supporters are one step closer to securing the building's future for the next 100 years.

Elizabeth often gave the impression of a serious demeanor, and many have noted her “poker face,” but those who knew her described her as having a mischievous sense of humor and a talent for mimicry in private company.

The measure known as the “Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City Ordinance” would ratify and expand an executive order signed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in July after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The Justice Department said Thursday that it was appealing a judge’s decision granting the appointment of an independent arbiter to review records seized by the FBI from former President Donald Trump’s Florida home.

The fate of a pair of endangered 20th century State Street skyscrapers remains up in the air after the Commission on Chicago Landmarks punted during its monthly meeting Thursday when it came time to decide whether to afford the Century and Consumers buildings landmark status.

American folk music, monarch butterfly migration, Ted Talks and more fun surprises usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Bernard Shaw was CNN’s first chief anchor and was with the network when it launched on June 1, 1980. He retired from CNN after more than 20 years on February 28, 2001.

Alexsandro Hernandez, 19, has been ordered held without bail after he was charged Thursday with one count each of attempted robbery and felony murder following the fatal Aug. 1 shooting of 18-year-old Irving Ibarez in Galewood.

Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became king on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. No date has been set for his coronation, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether the new monarch would call himself Charles III or choose another name as his grandfather did.

Bannon’s state-level charges in New York are expected to closely resemble an attempted federal prosecution that ended abruptly, before trial, when Donald Trump pardoned Bannon on his last day in office

Advocates say more needs to be done to increase equity in marijuana licensing. More churn at City Hall, the latest on the R. Kelly trial and a federal search of a former president.

Three local organizations are banding together in an effort to bring more equity to the Illinois marijuana industry.

Derrel McDavid testified he didn’t believe early allegations that the R&B singer had sexually abused minors in the 1990s, stating he thought such claims were not only false, but were the “cost of doing business” in the entertainment industry.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are trading barbs over buses of migrants sent to Chicago. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.

The groups say they don’t just want things like protected bike lanes, signal priority for buses, and other improvements to be limited to this stretch of street, calling on the Chicago Department of Transportation to “perform critical safety and quality-of-life upgrades” in the course of every major street resurfacing citywide.

Like any good host, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has done its best to make sure the guests feel welcome.

The order came over the strenuous objections of the Justice Department, which said a so-called special master was not necessary in part because officials had already completed their review of potentially privileged documents. The move was cheered by Trump supporters seeking a check on the government’s probe.

The law, which was long dormant before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, violates the Michigan Constitution, said Judge Elizabeth Gleicher.

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle returned to the White House on Wednesday for the unveiling of official portraits with a modern vibe: him standing expressionless against a white background and her seated on a sofa in the Red Room wearing a formal light blue dress.

The South Side alderperson said he is “ready to hand the reins over to a new generation of leadership” after 20 years in office.

In renderings released Tuesday of a proposed master plan for Arlington Park, the Bears stressed that the “stadium shown is a placeholder and not an actual design.” But that didn't stop people from poking fun at the artwork.

The Bears unveil preliminary Arlington Heights plans. Plus, Chicago gets new COVID booster shots, why so many City Council members are choosing to hang it up, and airlines vow to improve customer service as air travel rebounds.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady urged all Chicagoans older than 12 who were vaccinated against COVID-19 with the original vaccine at least two months ago to get the updated vaccine, which targets the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of the omicron variant of COVID-19. 

The Department of Transportation unveiled what it’s calling the Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which allows passengers to see what they’re entitled to if their flight is cancelled or significantly delayed.

Music critic Jim DeRogatis and his employer, The New Yorker, filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber to quash a subpoena filed by Kelly’s co-defendant Derrel McDavid, citing it as “unduly burdensome, unreasonable and oppressive.”

The swelling waters of the Indus, a major river in this part of the world, have wreaked havoc as heavy rains and massive flooding unleashed devastation across much of Pakistan. At least 1,343 people have been killed and millions have lost their homes, with many experts blaming the unusually heavy monsoon rains on climate change.