Four beluga whales who arrived at the Shedd Aquarium this week are showing signs of “relaxed behavior.” The city of Chicago is marking the completion of a years-long campaign to commemorate the 1919 race riot. Patrick Kane was reintroduced as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

Plus, America is celebrating its 250th anniversary this month. At a recent reading of the Declaration of Independence at Chicago’s Newberry Library, some Chicagoans shared their thoughts on the milestone. 

A new state law makes July 25 Emmett Till Day in Illinois. More than 800 unionized workers at the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, have been blocked from returning to work for more than four months. One of the greatest Chicago Blackhawks in franchise history is returning to the team.

Plus, Annie Clark, the superstar guitarist who performs under the name St. Vincent, will play with the Chicago Symphony this weekend at Ravinia. It’s a stop on her nationwide tour, appearing with local orchestras. It’s part of a larger trend that puts Clark in the company of many of her pop peers.

Chicago Police have finally issued guidelines on how to collect and retain evidence against federal immigration agents suspected of violating state law. The National Archives at Chicago is closing within the next few years. One of the few living Negro League Baseball players will be at tonight’s Double Duty Classic game at Rate Field. 

Plus, brothers and restaurateurs Teddy and Alexis Vejar spent their childhood surrounded by great cooks both in Mexico and the U.S. Now, they run the restaurant Jarabe on the city’s Near West Side, where they serve cochinita pibil. The dish reminds them of when their dad would cook it for them when they were kids. 

Six people in Cook County have died from heat-related causes so far in July. Two independent candidates seeking to replace Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia won’t appear on the fall ballot. A new study from Northwestern Medicine says women experience more severe neurological symptoms of long COVID than men. 

Plus, school districts across the country are seeing a spike in students with autism. As it has in other places, the increase in students with special needs is putting a tremendous strain on Chicago Public Schools’ budget. It’s a key reason why, despite declining enrollment, CPS has added staff.

The National Weather Service is predicting scattered thunderstorms will roll through the area this evening in addition to the air quality alert already in effect as pollution from Canadian wildfire smoke persists. Illinois' former state public health director has dropped his bid to be the next U.S. Senator from Maine. Current Blackhawks star Connor Bedard hopes he can team up with a star of Blackhawks past.

Plus, it’s been more than three months since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park suddenly closed. Now, patients nearby on Chicago’s West Side are traveling farther for care and ending up in crowded emergency departments at other hospitals. These are the unintended consequences when a community hospital shuts down. Doctors worry more hospitals like West Suburban could close. 

Rain could be returning to the Chicago area this weekend, which could potentially help improve the poor air quality we’ve seen. Judges with the Illinois State Board of elections do not think two independent candidates should be on the ballot in the state's fourth congressional district. The 19th annual Silver Room Sound System Block Party returns this Saturday.

Plus, indie rocker Lucy Dacus performs this weekend in Millennium Park. She is backed by the Chicago Philharmonic, and it’s a full circle moment of sorts. 

Chicago’s air quality today is among the worst in the world. The candidates for Illinois governor show a stark contrast in campaign spending as they face off for the second time. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has less than $1 million in the bank roughly two weeks before candidates for mayor start collecting signatures to get on the ballot. 

Plus, layoff notices went out to more than 1500 Chicago Public School staffers yesterday. This includes nearly 800 teachers. The cash-strapped district plans to furlough staff for five days when students aren’t in class to save money. This is part of the budget plan for the school year that starts next month, and the deficit is $732 million. 

Wildfire smoke from Canada is moving into the Chicago area Wednesday night. It could cause hazy conditions, reduced visibility and a slight smoky smell. Northwestern Medicine recently performed a rare quadruple organ transplant. A new whimsically-colored piano has popped up at Navy Pier, thanks to the group Chicago Plays.

Plus, the big draw in Chicago theater this summer is “Iceboy! The Musical.” The world premiere currently running at the Goodman is a spoof of playwright Eugene O’Neill’s process for writing the play “The Iceman Cometh.” It features real-life married couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, who have both starred in popular TV comedies.

The appointment of Dr. Garth Walker to lead the Chicago Department of Public Health has sailed through a key city council panel. People who live in Chicago’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods will soon have improved cooling options. A new analysis says Illinois residents lost nearly $8 billion to sports betting last year. 

Plus, Vladimir Putin’s government made it illegal to criticize the war after Russia invaded Ukraine. But one Russian family couldn’t hold back their outrage. That led to persecution and a frantic effort to seek asylum in the U.S. — a country with a long history of protecting Russian dissidents. Instead of being welcomed, some of the family has been in detention for almost nine months. The rest of the family is in Chicago’s northern suburbs, trying to get them out. 

A second summer heat wave is hitting the Chicago area this week. A sweeping, bipartisan housing bill that expands access to financing and restricts home purchases by large investors became law in the U.S. Chicago Transit Authority officials say a security surge over the last six months has led to a 30% decline in all reported transit crime.

Plus, Illinois is legally required to provide health care to people locked up in state prisons. It’s been a year since the state backed out of a massive contract with the private company charged with providing that care. People incarcerated in Illinois say they’re still not getting even basic medical attention for treatable conditions. Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Corrections has been signing short-term deals with a different for-profit prison health care company called Centurion Health.