Chicago Minimum Wage Rises to $17.05 as Tipped-Wage Increase Is Delayed to 2028
Chicago’s minimum wage rose to $17.05 per hour on July 1, 2026, for employers with four or more workers, while a larger scheduled increase in
The Chicago Journal — News, Business, Politics, Sports & Health
Taste of Chicago 2026 Returns to Grant Park July 8 to 12 as Summer Economic Driver
Taste of Chicago returns to Grant Park from July 8 to 12, 2026, for a five-day, free-admission festival that the City of Chicago frames as a driver of summer tourism and local business. The 46th edition of the food and music event brings acclaimed chefs, neighborhood restaurants, and a music
BUSINESS
Obama Presidential Center Draws Sold-Out Crowds in First Week: Next Ticket Window Opens July 1
The Obama Presidential Center opened its doors on Juneteenth, and within days, every available museum ticket through the opening period was gone. The 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park — more than a decade in the making, five years under construction, and projected to draw over 700,000 annual visitors — has
Chicago’s Windy City Nickname Has Little To Do With The Weather
Step off a train in Chicago on a January afternoon, feel the gusts tearing down the avenues from Lake Michigan,
Chicago Opens HomeGrown Grants Offering Up to $70,000 Toward a First Home
Chicago began accepting applications on June 8 for the HomeGrown Purchase Assistance Program, a $21 million initiative that offers eligible
A Demolished Chicago Office Building Gave The World The Skyscraper
The tall buildings that define skylines from New York to Dubai trace their structural logic to a 10-story office block
ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
The Lakefront Trail Maintenance Crew That Keeps 18 Miles Pristine
The lakefront trail maintenance team works year-round to keep Chicago’s most popular recreational path safe and smooth for millions of cyclists, runners, and pedestrians. The crew manages pavement repairs, surface cleaning, winter clearing, and structural inspections along the entire route from the northern city limits to the southern edge. Who
Chicago Bears Edge Toward Indiana as Hammond Stadium Plan Gains Ground
The Chicago Bears are closer than ever to playing their home games outside Illinois, a prospect that would have seemed
Five Days to May 31: What Happens to the Bears Stadium Bill if Springfield Adjourns Without Action
The Illinois General Assembly has until midnight on Sunday, May 31, 2026, to pass the megaprojects economic development bill that
Chicago Bears Stadium Decision Is Closing In as Springfield Faces a Late-Spring Deadline
Six years into one of the more drawn-out stadium negotiations in NFL history, the Chicago Bears say a decision is
TECHNOLOGY
