The prevalence of mass youth gatherings, known as teen takeovers, often increases with the temperature as the trend becomes more popular in summer months. So far this year, at least four major events have taken place in Chicago.

Last week Chicago saw its first so-called teen takeover of the year. Hundreds of young people gathered in the Loop on packed sidewalks and streets, resulting in eight arrests and 24 curfew violations.

The current Kratom Control Act in Illinois from 2014 only prohibits its sale to minors under the age of 18, but it does not require any labeling, testing standards, licensing or additional taxation.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget proposal includes a controversial head tax he hopes will generate $100 million to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs in the city.

The Chicago City Council on Wednesday passed the "snap curfew" ordinance by a vote of 27-22. Mayor Brandon Johnson has pledged to veto it.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Patient and Provider Protection Act into law in 2023, after lawmakers passed it following the overturning of Roe v. Wade; it solidified access to abortion and gender-affirming care in Illinois and protects physicians who treat out-of-state youth.

For many Black people, getting their hair done can be a costly ordeal. But Jessica Thurmond, a student in North Lawndale, is trying to alleviate that. She’s styling her classmates’ hair for free in her school’s bathroom stalls just in time for class.

Nearly half of U.S. teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age — and almost the same proportion say they’re cutting back on social media use, according to a Pew Research Center report.

The Illinois House gave its approval to legislation that would give high school athletes a limited right to compete in non-school events or on non-school teams during the same season in which they play for their school.

So-called “teen takeovers” have been a popular trend among some young people for years, and the large gatherings are already making headlines again as summer approaches. This chaotic scene reignited a debate on the citywide curfew for unaccompanied minors with calls to change the current curfew from 10 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services says one of its goals is to empower the next generation of young women.

Every picture tells a story, and now there’s a chance for young photographers in Chicago (and elsewhere) to tell their own stories and amplify them to the nation.

Social media use is prevalent among young people, with up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 saying that they use a social media platform, and more than a third saying that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center.

Some teenagers in Illinois who are too young to vote for this year's primary and general election are already preparing for their first chance to vote in other future elections.

The study compares firearm injury emergency department visits for kids at nine urban hospitals across the U.S. before and during the pandemic.

A new blood test could diagnose depression in teens. The co-author of a new study tells us how her research could cut down the disease's social stigma.