The Rink, 1122 E. 87th St., has been a haven for South Side skaters for 50 years. As one skater says as he rolls by, “Everybody’s welcome. No one is invited.” This year, owners and married couple Curtis and Ramona Pouncy hosted a glow-in-the-dark mural contest in honor of The Rink’s 50th anniversary. Artists were asked to create an image that captured what The Rink means to them and the community. A mural celebrating “The Rink Way” now lights the floor under red and green lights.

In “A House of Dynamite,” the U.S. nuclear defense apparatus is caught off-guard by a single intercontinental ballistic missile, which is fired from an unknown point of origin and is headed toward Chicago. What do experts say would happen if this played out in real life?

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis took the unusual step of ordering Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino to appear in court every day to report on “use of force incidents” after a series of tear gassings in Chicago neighborhoods flouted her past orders. On Wednesday, less than two hours before Bovino — the head of Trump’s Chicago immigration crackdown — was set to appear before Ellis for his first check-in, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals put a temporary halt to the judge’s order. Without comment, the appellate court granted an emergency motion from the Trump administration that described Ellis’ order as “extraordinary and extraordinarily disruptive.” On today's podcast, federal defense attorney Mike Leonard on the role of federal judges in Operation Midway Blitz.

65% of men say they avoid seeking medical attention as long as possible Only 3 in 5 men go for their annual physical. And in Chicago, men are 10% less likely to have a primary care provider compared to women. And die 6 years earlier than women on average. On today’s Block Club Chicago podcast, sponsored by Rush, doctor Zachary Glaser from Rush University's Department of Urology, on how 'Movember' can make a difference.

With the Obama Presidential Center set to open next year, Maxwell Evans joins the podcast to discuss the long journey for the center, how neighbors feel as it nears completion, and if people really think it looks kind of ugly.

When 16-year-old Ofelia Torres’ father called from the Broadview ICE facility to say he had been taken by four masked federal immigration agents, the teen’s mother was at home helping drain the small IV port that keeps Ofelia nourished and alive during Stage 4, while the teenager showed her cousins how the small medical contraption worked. For almost a year, Ofelia Torres, a student at Lake View High School, has been receiving treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer. She had been home from the hospital for less than a day when the call came Saturday.

Hundreds of people showed up Tuesday night at events across the Northwest and West sides to assemble whistle kits that Chicagoans can use to alert neighbors when immigration enforcement agents are nearby. The events came as Chicagoans are increasingly looking for ways to peacefully resist federal operations Midway Blitz and At Large, immigration enforcement programs that kicked off in September.

A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order Thursday against National Guard Troops mobilized this week in Illinois against the will of state and local officials.

Live from Saturday's Block Club Chicago Block Party at Half Acre, we wanted to know the most Chicago thing that's ever happened to you! Thank you all for coming to the event!

After a crowdfunding campaign, a full interior overhaul and rummaging through a ton of sports memorabilia, a highly-anticipated women’s sports bar is now open in Logan Square. Babe’s Sports Bar at 3017 W. Armitage Ave. had a soft opening Saturday after nearly a year of renovations, creating a space for fans of women’s professional sports, said bar owner Nora McConnell-Johnson.

Michele Dreczynski has fond memories of her son riding bikes through the park by her riverside townhouse “completely free and untethered.” That was before the park — with city-mandated public hours — was fenced in by her homeowner association. Metal gates at River Village North Townhomes, 1005 N. Kingsbury St., have gone up near West Hobbie and Oak streets, completing the fencing around the small, manicured park along the Near North Side riverwalk.

Today's episode, sponsored by Chase For Business, highlights the story of Chris Clark and his growing racketball empire - Toss and Spin. Joining Chris on the podcast is Mikal Quarles, the visionary behind the "Coaching For Impact" program that teams up small business owners with Chase coaches to help their businesses grow. Today's episode was recorded Thursday at Chase For Business' 'Make Your Move' Summit at the Salt Shed, which continues Friday, downtown.

It’s been 27 years since a Milwaukee man strolled into a Chicago studio to record the thousands of directions, delays and warnings that still move the nation’s third-largest city. Lee Crooks, “The Voice of the CTA” who tells “L” and bus riders what stop is coming and on which side the doors open, doesn’t have much to say about the fact that most people still don’t know the name behind the recordings.

CPS said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Education it would not walk back the rollout of its Black Student Success Plan or change its policies related to transgender students until a federal investigation is completed.

Development fights are often won or lost in the community meeting. And so-called (though some would argue unfairly labeled) NIMBYs are often at the meetings in force, and can kill a project or fight for a compromise. Quinn Myers details some battles he's covered, and Madison Savedra is in the midst of a fight brewing on the North Side over a gigantic zoning change with huge consequences.

Yohei Yamada reunites boaters with valuables they’ve dropped into the lake — from cellphones to wedding rings and Rolex watches. In the water is also where he is finding himself again.

Anthony Rizzo, one of the most beloved Chicago Cubs in recent memory, announced his retirement from baseball Wednesday morning — and he’s doing so as a Cub. The 14-year MLB veteran, who spent a decade anchoring first base at Wrigley Field, will work with the Cubs as an official ambassador, the team announced Wednesday.

The surge in federal immigration raids has started in Chicago. The surge, dubbed Operation Midway Blitz, will target undocumented people in Chicago and throughout Illinois, according to a press release issued Monday by the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Data centers powering artificial intelligence are putting a strain on Lake Michigan and other local water systems, which could lead to water shortages if not addressed, according to a recent report from the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The Austin shop carries on the legacy of its founder, James Cole, who died in 2022. But these days, employees are as likely to fix up Jordans and Uggs as they are leather dress shoes, said his son and current owner Vernon Cole.