Citywide

About 9 miles of protected bike lanes will be finished by the end of the year, including two sections on the Far South Side.

But local officials have warned a new variant that is resistant to the vaccines — or people not getting their flu and COVID-19 shots, leading to a double epidemic — could cause "significant trouble" in Chicago.

Chicagoans are being warned to stay away from Lake Michigan as the lakefront is battered by huge waves.

Several films in the October festival are from Chicago filmmakers or tell Chicago-based stories, including Harold Washington's election campaign and the city's mental health crisis.

"The country as a whole: still not doing very well from a COVID perspective as Delta's coming through," Chicago's top doctor said.

There should be some sunshine and warmer weather for the weekend, though.

“This is part of a pattern where access to important health care is a lot harder with people who don’t have cars," bicyclist Jeremy Glover said.

Pedro Martinez, a graduate of Benito Juarez High School, took over as schools chief last week.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot's plan includes $635 million for affordable housing and $135 million for violence prevention, among other initiatives.

The old rules saw the city lose out on businesses and tax revenue during the first round of dispensary licensing, Lightfoot's cannabis advisor said.

CDC data shows high percentages of all Illinois age groups have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, including nearly 95 percent of those 65 and older.

The mayor’s budget plan is likely to be met with tough scrutiny amid ongoing calls from some aldermen and advocacy groups to divest money from the police department.

Volunteers with the city's Vaccine Ambassdor program have been working since June to directly contact Chicagoans to answer questions and help them sign up for vaccine appointments.

Lawyers say the Chicago Police Department has yet to turn over vital evidence, like body cam footage and police reports taken after a Black woman was grabbed by an officer telling her to leave a closed park.

Jingmai O'Connor of The Field Museum, co-wrote a study on the recently discovered Yuanchuavis fossil bird, which lived during the Early Cretaceous period.

An elite group of five contestants are racing to visit 367 Vienna Beef hot dog stands before the challenge ends in four weeks. The owner of Byron's in Uptown said the contest has helped boost business.

The oldest of 10 children, Martinez grew up in Chicago, attended Benito Juarez High and has three sisters teaching in Chicago Public Schools.

The Elkay bottle filling stations are being set up at city parks, buildings and community centers to improve access to clean drinking water and reduce single-use plastics.

"When we jump double dutch, it takes us back in time to a place where we didn’t have to worry about kids, jobs, bills, any of those things," founder Pamela Robinson said. "It's a club for women to come out and play outside again."