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Macy’s State Street celebrates 119 years of holiday magic with Great Tree Lighting

I swear I could smell the pine trees the moment I walked into the Walnut Room at Macy’s State Street for its 119th Great Tree Lighting on the morning of Nov. 7. The historic dining room was packed with diners and onlookers, all eager to catch a glimpse of one of Chicago’s most beloved holiday traditions and the first major tree lighting of the season.

CBS Chicago

Pritzker pauses events next week for medical procedure

Governor JB Pritzker will pause his events next week so he can recover from a medical procedure, his office said Friday.

Chicago, IL · 4d

nprillinois.org

publisher · 127.4K followers

Pritzker appeals FEMA’s decision to deny Illinois disaster aid

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker appealed the Trump administration's decision to deny Illinois' request for federal disaster relief on Thursday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Illinois' request last month without explanation for federal resources to respond to August storms. In an appeal submitted to the agency, the state provided updated damage numbers showing the storm cost eligible for public assistance is now $43 million — up from $27.6 million in the original request and well above FEMA's $24.9 million standard.

Illinois · 4d

NBC Chicago

Chicago mayoral candidates, including Johnson and Giannoulias, face petition challenges

Petition challenges are a staple of Chicago politics, but this year could be especially chaotic as 12 mayoral contenders are facing those challenges. For the first time, that list includes Chicago’s incumbent mayor, as Brandon Johnson’s petitions will face the scrutiny of Election Board hearings in coming weeks.

publisher · 127.4K followers

NBC Chicago

Bridgeport residents dispute report dismissing impacts of proposed Amtrak yard

A new study suggests a proposed Amtrak maintenance yard in Bridgeport would not have an adverse impact on the thousands of residents there, but questions remain in the minds of residents and officials. The study was released by the Federal Railroad Administration on Friday. The report concluded that the impact...

everafterinthewoods.com

Most Illinois Families Don’t Know Garfield Park Conservatory Stays Warm, Green And Free All Winter

A 65-foot glass ceiling in Illinois keeps palm trees happy while snow piles up outside. Yes, palms. More than 70 of them grow in one enormous room on the West Side of the state’s biggest city. The building opened in 1908, and its outline was shaped to echo a...

CBS Chicago

JW Marriott sues developer over office-to-residential conversion

JW Marriott is suing a Chicago developer working on the city's LaSalle Street Reimagined Initiative, alleging the project is illegally moving forward without the hotel's consent.

uptownupdate.com

Second Phase Of Cedar Street Development on Clifton to Replace Parking Lot

With construction on 4725 N. Clifton under way, Cedar Street (Flats) is moving forward with their long-planned phase two. Per documents filed with the City, Cedar will build a new building at 4735 N. Clifton to fill the parking lot northward from the new 4725 building, spanning the remainder of Clifton to Lawrence.

partner publisher · 229.1K followers

The Center Square

Chicago festival grounds proposal raises questions over benefits

(The Center Square) – Chicago voters overwhelmingly voted Tuesday in support of a permanent festival grounds for the city in a non-binding ballot question. While there was support, the question may have left some with more questions about the proposal. The question, which asked if it should have its own festival grounds on publicly owned land, didn't advise voters of a location, costs to the city’s taxpayers or when planning would begin. Alderman Nicole Lee, the councilwoman behind the ballot question, said a festival site would help shift the delay and closure of public parks after events like Lollapalooza or Riot Fest. After a particularly rainy Riot Fest concluded in Douglass Park, neighborhood residents complained the park’s grass had been entirely killed and the park was mainly a field of mud. Residents complain each year that the festival ruins the park, but Riot Fest’s organizers say they bear the costs of restoring the park. This year, restoration began two days after the festival concluded, and the festival’s founder, “Riot” Mike Petryshyn said it cost them between $400,000 and $600,000. One co-owner of the independently owned music venue Bookclub in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood, Nick Heineman, raised questions in a video

Chicago, IL · 3d

hoodline.com

Chicago Marchers Flood Federal Plaza With Joy After Democrats' Midterm Sweep

Demonstrators packed Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago on Saturday for “The People Have Spoken” rally and march, a gathering that came just days after Democrats reclaimed control of both houses of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. As the crowd marched east on Adams Street, drums pounded and a familiar rallying cry echoed off the surrounding buildings: “This is what a blue wave looks like.”

southportcorridorchicago.com

Remember When? Southport’s Original CTA ‘L’ Station Before the 2008 Renovation

Before the modern entrance, elevators and longer platforms, the Southport “L” stop was a modest neighborhood station tucked beneath the elevated tracks. These historic photographs capture a Southport Avenue that longtime Lakeview residents may remember. Southport’s “L” dates back to 1907. Southport station opened May...

Streetsblog Capitol Hill

SBC Bike Lane Fest 2025-26: West Side, including Austin, Humboldt Park, East Garfield Park, and West Town

Another year, another Streetsblog Chicago Bike Lane Fest. Actually, we skipped last year, so this one covered projects from 2025 and 2026, but you get the idea. As always, it was a pleasure to check out virtually all of the bikeways installed during that period. This time, my mission took me from Pullman to Forest Glen, and from Brighton Park to Rogers Park.

Chicago, IL · 20h

Chicago Public Radio

The Rundown: Chicago businesses brace for hemp ban

Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and prepare yourselves, because the first snowflakes of the season could appear this week. Here’s what else you need to know today. Under Illinois’ new rules taking effect Thursday, hemp-derived THC products over the federal potency threshold of 0.4 milligrams of THC per container must be sold only at state-licensed cannabis dispensaries and be taxed the same as cannabis products.

evanstonroundtable.com

Here in Evanston: The fountain and the square

Fountain Square can seem deserted when it’s cold and windy, with vacant tables and chairs, scuttling leaves and the occasional pedestrian on the way to someplace else. In the warmer months — and in times of political strife — residents and others gather to listen and dance to music, participate in cultural festivals or stand in solidarity with others for peace and justice.

Evanston, IL · 1d

hoodline.com

Lincoln Park's Briny Swine Site Eyed for Seven-Story, 47-Unit Building

2577 N. Clark St. — Approximate Site of Proposed 47-Unit Building. The former home of Briny Swine on N. Clark Street could soon give way to a seven-story mixed-use building packed with 47 apartments, 10 of them set aside as affordable housing. An unnamed developer is behind the proposal for 2577 N. Clark, located near the intersection of N. Clark Street and W. Wrightwood Avenue in Lincoln Park.

CBS Chicago

publisher · 127.4K followers

Environmental assessment released for proposed Amtrak Bridgeport facility

The environmental assessment report done by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that the facility would not have a major impact.

Chicago, IL · 3d

NBC Chicago

Illinois Holocaust Museum set to reopen this week after renovations

After closing for more than a year to remodel, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center will reopen its Skokie location Wednesday with new exhibits and improved visitor experiences. “When the world feels in crisis, people look to history for lessons on resilience, on survival, on how to navigate tough...

Skokie, IL · 1d

Axios Chicago

partner publisher · 5.3K followers

Chicago parents protest Google's AI school policy

Chicago parents concerned about AI will join activists across the nation Wednesday to protest "Big tech bullies in our schools" at local Google headquarters. What happened: Google set off a firestorm — and then partially backtracked — last week when it announced it would take away Google search from any school that opts out of its artificial intelligence products like Gemini. Why it matters: CPS, like many districts, has integrated Google technology deeply into its infrastructure. And the move appeared aimed at leveraging that dependence. The blowback: "Google is using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI," former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said on social media. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called it "extortion" and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said "no corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children." The upshot: In the wake of the backlash, Google retreated on the Gemini part, but it still won't shut off generative AI Overviews on its school version of Google search. Schools must take the generative AI version or no Google search at all. What they're saying: "It's fundamentally problematic that a for-profit company is dictating the terms of how technology is operating

partner publisher · 8.4K followers

My Journal Courier

Hiring of Chicago law firm by city, county raising questions

Jacksonville and Morgan County hired Ancel Glink as both face public transparency concerns and a rise in open records requests.

Jacksonville, IL · 23h

CBS Chicago