Basements fill with stormwater and sewage when a big storm hits. Why is this happening, and what can be done to prevent it?

It takes a lot to drive a Chicago Transit Authority train. Since the pandemic, the job itself hasn’t changed, but challenges remain.

Each year tens of thousands of people take part in 5ks, 10ks, marathons, half-marathons and more in Chicago. But how does one get permission? And what’s it like to navigate the process and work with the various city departments to put on an event like this? As we get ready for the 46th annual Chicago Marathon this weekend, Curious City talked to one race director who organizes ultramarathons to find out. And of course, as you might imagine, there’s just a little bit of bureaucracy involved.

Before it was a place to gamble or shop, the Medinah Temple was the longtime home to the Medinah Shriners, an organization shrouded in secrecy.

It can be a tense situation when a dog bites another dog at the park. Who’s making sure it’s handled properly?

No matter what kind of dog you have, there are a number of rules to follow at the dog park. But, who’s keeping it all in check?

In the ‘90s, an old bowling alley hosted a few punk shows. For a little over a decade, it became the all-ages heart of Chicago’s punk and indie scene.

Chicago collects thousands of tons of garbage each year. We answer some questions about garbage, and follow an all-women collection crew on the job.

Devon Avenue in the West Ridge neighborhood has been the region’s top destination for South Asian restaurants, grocery stores, clothing, jewelry and more. But with more South Asian families settling in the suburbs, what does the future hold for the area known as “Little India”?

The history of traveling queer parties in Chicago is rooted in exclusion and racism. This week, we spoke with Pat McCombs and Vera Washington — longtime organizers of Executive Sweet, a traveling party focused on Black lesbians that got its start in the 1980s. We also talked with Tori and Jae Rice of smallWORLD Collective, a group that organizes events today — and learned how queer Black organizers have been at the forefront of traveling parties in Chicago.

For more than 3 decades, Soul Train brought the coolest music and dancers to TV sets across the country. It also featured the coolest host, Don Cornelius, who started the program in Chicago in a studio the size of a small living room at WCIU Channel 26. On the 53rd anniversary of Soul Train going national, we take you back to its earliest days, and see how it still looms large over local culture.