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Monday, May 18, 2026 May 18, 2026

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More than 300 runners participated in Saturday’s inaugural 103rd Street Corridor Peace Walk and Run. Chicagoans can experience the magic of storytelling at the debut show of Cooler by the Lake tomorrow night. Chicago Stars forward Mallory Swanson is back on the active roster after her maternity leave following the birth of her first child in November. Plus, more students in Chicago and across Illinois are getting official recognition for being able to speak, read and write in English and another language. The Seal of Biliteracy can get students college credit and a leg up at jobs. At Roosevelt High School in Albany Park, students and staff are embracing this opportunity.

Friday, May 15, 2026 May 15, 2026

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Sam Sianis, the legendary owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, died of natural causes at 91 years old. The 2026 Crosstown Classic kicks off this evening, and the White Sox will host the Cubs at Rate Field for the three-game series. The annual Chi Food Truck Fest is back at Daley Plaza for people lunching in the Loop. Singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra has carved out a space as a leading voice in modern folk music. The singer-songwriter recently found a home right here in Chicago, playing with a group of local musicians under the moniker Hurray for the Riff Raff.

Thursday, May 14, 2026 May 14, 2026

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The Iran War is approaching the three month mark, and peace talks between the sides have stalled. Some University of Chicago undergraduates are getting a tuition break. The University announced it would cover the cost of tuition for students whose families make less than $250,000 a year starting in fall 2027. A bill backed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is aimed at helping Illinois residents with auto insurance rates. Plus, Aadam Jacobs obsessively documented Chicago’s indie rock scene for decades. He was a fixture at local venues, recording shows religiously in the 80s, 90s and beyond. For a while, the future of Jacobs’ personal archive was uncertain. Much of it lived in his home, on shelves or in boxes, and tape quality degrades over time. But over the past few years, a team of volunteer audio archivists began converting the recordings to digital formats and releasing them to the public.

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 May 13, 2026

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A Chicago program that sends mental health professionals instead of police to non-violent 911 calls is now operating citywide. The Adler Planetarium kicks off its summer programming next week. The White Sox are looking to get to a .500 record tonight against the Kansas City Royals. Plus, hot dogs are not just a Chicago thing. They’re very much a Gary, Indiana thing too. The smash-hit TV show “The Bear” is putting a spotlight on one of Gary’s best-kept secrets – a hot dog joint nearly as old as the city itself.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 May 12, 2026

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The Chicago City Council could soon vote on a measure that would give restaurants more time to increase their workers’ wages. The Iran war has pushed inflation to its highest level in three years. The rocker, poet and author Patti Smith is the newest winner of an annual literary honor. Plus, a calm has returned to Chicago this spring. Groups of U.S. Border Patrol agents are no longer making surprise visits to Michigan Avenue or marching through neighborhoods like Little Village or Back of the Yards. Volunteer responders who warn residents about immigration enforcement activity say they remain on high alert, and they’re using this time to adapt their strategies and prepare for whatever comes next.

Monday, May 11, 2026 May 11, 2026

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A key city panel says Chicago taxpayers should help bankroll the development of a “cultural and entertainment district” around the United Center. Friends of the Chicago River spent their 34th year cleaning up the Chicago River. The Bulls won the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft during Sunday’s lottery, and experts call this year’s draft class one of the best in years. Plus, the Chicago Bears’ search for a new stadium is now approaching five years. It seems like a resolution may be coming soon, but many question marks remain around what the team and the Illinois and Indiana state legislatures want to see happen.

Friday, May 8, 2026 May 08, 2026

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Chicago Democratic billionaire and private equity CEO Michael Sacks is sounding off on Mayor Brandon Johnson after the mayor criticized Sack’s opposition to his progressive budget proposal. Chicago advocates sounded the alarm Thursday after receiving reports that ICE agents were making arrests at Cook County courthouses. Today marks the one year anniversary of Pope Leo XIV’s appointment to the papacy. Plus, the popular annual Kilbourn Park plant sale on Chicago’s north west side is celebrating its 30th anniversary this weekend with over 15,000 plants for sale. Along with the regular stock of tomatoes, herbs and annuals, there are also many native plant species on offer this year. It reflects a growing trend across the country in favor of more climate change resilient gardens.

Thursday, May 7, 2026 May 07, 2026

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A Cook County elected official is hailing the not guilty verdict in her DUI case. Four Chicago-area protesters are suing the federal government over DNA samples taken after they were arrested outside the Broadview ICE facility. Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant is in Chicago to perform for thousands of Chicago Public School students on Friday. Plus, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney is known for his poignant observations on race. He won an Oscar for co-writing the movie Moonlight, based on one of his plays. This spring, his new work, Windfall, premieres at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 May 06, 2026

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Anjanette Young, a social worker who became a police reform advocate after a 2019 botched raid on her home, is one step closer to having official sway over Chicago police policy. Another Walgreens on the city's South Side is closing, and community leaders say the closing of the pharmacy's Chatham location follows a trend of corporate abandonment in the area. Tickets to visit the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park neighborhood went on sale Wednesday morning. Plus, the principal of an all-boys Catholic school high school on Chicago’s South Side won the prestigious Golden Apple Award on Monday, and it was a moment to celebrate his school’s resurgence.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 May 05, 2026

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is headed to Springfield today in part to lobby against a proposal that would give tax breaks to the Bears for a suburban stadium. The Chicago Sky are getting ready for a new season, and they have a lot of new faces. A group of Chicago musicians is putting together a benefit concert in support of a local nonprofit that uplifts immigrant communities. Plus, earlier this year, the world’s most famous classical music concert featured Florence Price, a late Chicago composer. But was it really her music?

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