Stories by Paul Caine

How Mayor Brandon Johnson did in his testimony before Congress. And what’s next for Deerfield-based Walgreens after being picked up by a private equity firm.

Across-the-board cuts at the Social Security Administration are prompting questions about how the benefits of millions of recipients may be affected. Here’s a look at cuts to the agency, which serves more than 70 million Americans, and potential effects for recipients.

Kwame Raoul’s office joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general who are seeking a temporary restraining order against numerous federal agencies to stop what he’s called the “illegal mass layoffs.”

John Schwarz, the 57-year-old founder of The People’s Union USA from Chicago, is calling on Americans to boycott Amazon and its companies, including Zappos, Ring, Whole Foods, Twitch and Prime Video, for one week.

The country’s bitterly tribal politics are spilling into text chains, social media posts and heated conversations as Americans absorb the reality of the government’s cost-cutting measures. Expecting sympathy, some axed workers are finding family and friends who instead are steadfast in their support of what they see as a bloated government’s waste.

In a statement Thursday, SBA administrator Kelly Loeffler said offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City and Seattle will be relocated to “less costly, more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and comply with federal immigration law.”

A House GOP budget plan passed last week asks the agriculture committee, which funds food assistance programs like SNAP, to cut $230 billion over 10 years. The energy and commerce committee, responsible for health care spending like Medicaid, was also asked to cut $880 billion over the decade.

How businesses and consumers are reacting to Trump’s tariff plans. And a program aimed at improving fresh food access loses federal funding.

President Donald Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs threats have roiled financial markets, lowered consumer confidence, and enveloped many businesses in an uncertain atmosphere that could delay hiring and investment.

Clocks will officially move ahead one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, but President Donald Trump has called Daylight Saving Time “inconvenient, and very costly.”

Deerfield-based Walgreens said Thursday that Sycamore will pay $11.45 per share, giving the deal an equity value just under $10 billion. Shareholders could eventually receive up to another $3 per share under certain conditions.

In a court order Thursday, Judge Jennifer Schiffer granted Syed a sentence reduction to time served, allowing him to remain free. Syed’s conviction was vacated in 2022 and he was released and has remained out of prison since.

Some of Illinois’ largest school districts already have adopted their own limits on cellphones in their classrooms, including Springfield, Peoria and Champaign.

Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced Thursday the dates for this year’s spring and summer festivals.

Next year will mark 50 years since the founding of Chicago’s Black Ensemble Theater. Many well-regarded theaters have come and gone in that time, but BET is still growing under the leadership of its founder and CEO, Jackie Taylor.

U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island granted the preliminary injunction in the lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen Democratic states after a Trump administration plan for a sweeping pause on federal spending stirred up a wave of confusion and anxiety across the United States.

Brittany Hall, 31, of Chicago, was charged this week with five counts of sexual abuse of a ward and three counts of abusive sexual contact.

The proposal, House Bill 1910, does not provide for funding from the state, but it stipulates the opioid antagonists may be supplied by local county health departments. Training library staff would be overseen by organizations selected by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In all, Chicago taxpayers have spent $101.8 million since 2019 to resolve lawsuits brought by 26 people who were injured or on behalf of those killed during police pursuits, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias on Thursday announced that of the nearly 385,000 votes his office received between January and February, more than 165,000 (43% of all ballots) were cast for the existing flag.

A Chicago Police officer knocked Miracle Boyd's phone out of her hand, sending it into her face and knocking out one and a half teeth during a July 2020 protest of the Columbus statue in Grant Park.

Mayor Brandon Johnson defends Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city before Congress. And the latest on contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union.

For many Black people, Afro Sheen is a household name. Businessman George Johnson created the products in 1954 on Chicago’s South Side. He pushed through racial barriers to become one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs in the U.S. by the late 1960s.

Photography, film and fabrics are used to write the continent’s expansive story, starting chronologically during the liberation period of the mid-20th century up until today.

CTU leaders met outside Chicago Public Schools’ Loop headquarters ahead of Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting where they expressed hope that a new contract could be finalized soon if district leaders agree to their final demands.

“Any action that amplify fears of deportations makes Chicago more dangerous,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.