Indiana Governor Mike Braun is calling for an investigation into NIPSCO’s response to power outages in Northwest Indiana. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public School leaders rang the symbolic bell at a West Side elementary school Monday morning. People who live on Chicago’s South Side will soon have the chance to train as midwives in their own community. 

Plus, besides deep-fried Oreos, Cheetos-covered corndogs, and pork belly and fries in a cone, the Illinois State Fair last week offered a heaping serving of politics. Democrats are working to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker, replace retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and weather a sexual harassment scandal confronting House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. Republicans are working to overcome a possible Democratic wave across the country this fall. They are trying to exploit the Welch crisis, and they blame Pritzker for rising household costs. 

A Chicago police officer who racked up more complaints than any other officer in recent years now faces firing. Tornado sirens were accidentally activated this morning in multiple Chicago suburbs for the second time in three days. The annual Supertri Chicago is returning this weekend to the city.

Plus, we hear from a journalist in Gary, Indiana, about the city’s continued struggle to regain electricity following last week’s storm.

Northwest Indiana power utility NIPSCO now says all of its customers should be restored by the end of Tuesday. Chicago will continue to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. with a free concert at Clarendon Community Center Park. The Pulitzer Prizes and the Chicago-based American Library Association on Thursday announced the national tour of “Pulitzer on the Road.”

Plus, when a 64-year-old man from west suburban Addison was detained during the early weeks of Operation Midway Blitz last September, his family tried for months to keep his sandwich shop afloat while trying to get him out of detention. But Asif Amin Cheema was deported to his native Pakistan in January. So much has changed in the past year for the family without their patriarch. 

The Illinois Tollway Board Wednesday morning unanimously approved the first passenger toll increase since 2012. Rats are a problem that have plagued Chicago for years, but there are ways to prevent their spread. The Chicago Bears are continuing training camp, but their injury list is starting to pile up.

Plus, school lunch used to be good. We explore how Chicago Public School lunches went from delicious to disappointing.

A gruesome discovery at a far South Side funeral home earlier this month has exposed a lack of state oversight of the funeral and burial industry. A long-delayed casino complex in Chicago's River West neighborhood says its massive debt creates “substantial doubt” for its future. Millions of birds migrate through Chicago every year, but traveling around glass buildings can be deadly.

Plus, Puerto Rico is going through a major water crisis due to severe drought. The island’s government began cutting water service to people’s homes and that’s causing anger. The crisis is exposing major weakness in Puerto Rico’s water delivery infrastructure. 

Puerto Rico is experiencing a major water crisis due to severe drought, and Chicago's large Puerto Rican community is keeping an eye on what’s happening on the ground. Chicago has a break from the rain on Monday, but don’t put away the umbrellas yet. The Chicago Bears beat the Cleveland Browns in a preseason matchup on Saturday and had a practice Sunday. 

Plus, former charter school operator Aspira has declared bankruptcy. It comes just 11 years after the nonprofit built a modern school in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood with $27 million dollars from the state of Illinois. Now, Aspira wants to sell the building for $11 million dollars and pocket some of the proceeds for its own operations.

Chicago homeowners affected by severe flooding could see some financial relief. The Chicago Sinfonietta has reached a one-year labor agreement with its musicians. The Chicago Bears open the preseason on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

Plus, in recent years, many Chicago renters have been priced out of their neighborhoods. In some parts of the city, there’s an ordinance in place that gives tenants a shot at buying their building if it goes up for sale. But, it’s not easy buying a building. One Northwest Side group is trying to change that with help from some young organizers.

Four more belugas arrived at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium on Thursday from a shuttered aquatic park in Niagara Falls, Canada. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says the Chicago Bears have discussed various provisions they want to see in an Illinois stadium plan, but the team hasn't put a specific legislative proposal on the table. A new study shows chatbots could be changing who wins some research grants. 

Plus, for Muslim families in the Chicago area, it is a challenge to find a preschool that reflects their values and supports their children’s development. Culturally and religiously competent options are scarce. Some families are choosing to enroll their children in a full Arabic immersion preschool in southwest suburban Bridgeview.

A bloc of 27 Chicago City Council members is calling on Bally's to resume construction on its full, planned downtown casino development. Tornadoes have been sweeping through Illinois and the Chicago metro area this year, far from the traditional Tornado Alley. The Chicago Bears open the preseason at Soldier Field on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

Plus, when Alexandra Usher was a grad student at University of Chicago, she’d often get stuck in traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. It gave her a lot of time to stare off into the lake. One day she noticed something odd. What she saw was the wreck of the Silver Spray. Alexandra wants to know the story behind that wreck and what about other shipwrecks in the lake and whether the average Chicagoan can visit them.

The Chicago area is relatively calm after a wild afternoon of thunderstorms, strong winds and tornado warnings. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is using his executive order pen to tighten the rules on data centers. The Chicago Sky fell to the Seattle Storm on Monday night.

Plus, you might notice signs that are often wooden and hand painted while driving around neighborhoods on Chicago’s south and west sides. More or less, they read “Hey, welcome to the neighborhood. Welcome to the block.” These are signs for block clubs. We break down the history behind them.