Illinois enters the reopening bridge phase as summer festivals are announced. Leaked emails spell trouble for the mayor. Rahm may be headed to Japan. And the sudden death of a Chicago star-architect.

Illinois is on track to open fully in June. Cultural institutions prepare for their return. High-profile political corruption cases heat up in court. And bombshell resignations both at CPS and COPA.

A current and former alderman indicted. Another police shooting video released. Trouble over renaming Lake Shore Drive after DuSable. And the Bears shock the NFL Draft and land quarterback Justin Fields.

The Derek Chauvin verdict brings some relief to Chicago. Ald. Ed Burke allegedly makes anti-Semitic statements. City Council meets in person. And Superintendent David Brown addresses the media about shootings.

Bodycam video released in the shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. Demonstrators across the city respond. CTU and CPS strike a deal on return to high school. And Obama Center on track.

COVID-19 surges and vaccine eligibility expands. The vice president hits town. Strained relations between Mayor Lightfoot and Gov. Pritzker. And CTU may delay a return to class for high schoolers.

Another attack at the U.S. Capitol. Questions surround the police shooting of a 13-year-old boy. Mixed signals on Chicago police reform. And the mayor warns of a COVID-19 “quantum leap” in the last week.

A Loretto Hospital executive resigns amid growing controversy. Mayor Lightfoot sidelines a vaccine contractor over more improper vaccinations. Evanston passes the nation’s first reparations law. Chicago homicides are on the rise.

Gov. Pritzker’s plans for a full reopen. A West Side hospital in trouble for Trump Tower vaccinations. The Bears’ new quarterback lands with a thud, and Loyola and Illinois tip off the NCAA tourney.

Illinois officials plan on how to spend roughly $13 billion from the stimulus bill. Mayor Lightfoot hints at a near normal summer for Chicago. State lawmakers head back to Springfield. And Loyola and the University of Illinois brace for the NCAA tournament.

Officials are opening mass vaccination sites hoping they’ll correct disparities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Lower COVID-19 infections prompt Mayor Lori Lightfoot to relax restrictions on restaurants. And a return to in-person learning for Chicago high schoolers is floated. 

The fight is on to replace Michael Madigan as Democratic Party chair, while his legislative successor steps down after three days on the job. And Chicago City Council erupts over COVID-19 spending. 

A political era ends. A report slams the police response to summer unrest. Gov. Pritzker’s budget has no income tax hike but some pain for business. Vaccination rates lag in Black and Brown communities.