New Illinois laws starting July 1: Cocktails-to-go, AI bullying and more
Fourteen new laws will go into effect in Illinois on July 1, 2026.
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Fourteen new laws will go into effect in Illinois on July 1, 2026.
The sale will split ownership of the pizza chain between a U.S.-based private equity firm and a Chinese restaurant company.
BUILD Coffee and Books in Woodlawn is a neighborhood staple, a nourishing space for community and creativity that is now just steps from the Obama Presidential Center.
Three Chicago bars will be helping Blue Moon (the beer) celebrate May's blue moon (in the sky) with some blue brew (in a glass).
No injuries have been reported because of the issue, the Food and Drug Administration said.
Sam Sianis, the longtime owner of the Chicago's iconic Billy Goat Tavern, has died at the age of 91, the restaurant announced Friday.
Jim's Original said its UIC location is moving south to East Pilsen after their lease is up at the end of June.
Have you ever wanted to eat like the pope? Well now you can, with his mother's recipe for "Messy Josephs."
Chicago farmers market season is here and markets are opening across the city in May and June.
A Palestinian-American owned bakery in the Loop is adding a Middle Eastern twist to familiar pastries.
Filbert's Root Beer in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood is turning 100 this year, and they attribute their longevity to a strategy many other businesses eschew: keeping it small.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
The kitchen was busy, and the line of customers wrapped out the door at Best Sub # 2, but the fixture and owner of the shop, 63-year-old Asif Amin Cheema, was noticeably absent.
Struggling pizza chain Papa John's said it will close 200 restaurants this year and another 100 by the end of 2027.
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by an Illinois man who alleged that Buffalo Wild Wings' use of the term "boneless wings" was deceptive.
A diner in Bridgeport is reclaiming the site of painful and personal history, bringing something good to a corner where its co-owner's family experienced great pain.
A company that makes THC-infused drinks said they will soon be selling their carbonated beverages at the United Center.
The 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists list is out, and more than 20 Chicago restaurants, chefs and bartenders have made the grade.
Kristen Pierce-Sherrod, the CEO of Harold's Chicken and the daughter of founder Harold Pierce, has died, according to her family.
The market cites slower foot traffic and higher food prices for the closure.
Achatz, whose world-renowned fine dining restaurant, Alinea, was built on the ethos of near constant change and creativity, is no stranger to the swerves of life.
Stefanie and Daniel Cohen opened the hydroponic farm in an effort to connect people to their food.
Chicago Restaurant Week returns at the end of January 2026, and will take place through the Chicagoland area.
Kitchen 17, Native Foods, Chicago Raw, and The Chicago Diner are closing, a gut punch to the city that was awarded the most vegan-friendly of 2025.
Despite the drop in temperatures and leftover snow from over the weekend, Bears' fans bundled up to take advantage of the deal.
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and after half a century it's still bringing joy to countless people in the Chicago area.
The Tinley Park Country Music fest was hugely delayed and somewhat damaged by strong storms on Friday.
A Park Ridge daycare worker has been arrested and charged for striking a child, police said.
Nathan Church and Masyn Winn hit three-run homers and the St. Louis Cardinals had 17 hits overall to beat the Chicago Cubs 17-1.
About 13,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in 2025, and with America's 250 birthday celebration about to start, doctors worry even more people could get hurt this year.
President Trump hasn't committed to a firm number of people who will receive clemency — he's scheduled to have a meeting on pardons Friday afternoon, sources said.
Dr. Debra Houry, who resigned in protest from the health agency, said the spread of misinformation impacted lives.
David Hearn is accused of ripping out a piece of sealant on the bottom of the Reflecting Pool on June 19, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch is making moves to remove state Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield) from office.
Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas DePodesta, who has led FBI Chicago for the past three years, is leaving his post on July 6.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
An Illinois law banning "swipe fees" on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a federal judge that once permitted it issued a permanent injunction against it this week.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
Environmental and community groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to act on a petition challenging U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit renewal.
In the four years since Roe v. Wade was overturned and Illinois became a destination for abortion care, Illinois providers and advocates have rebuilt the state's infrastructure to support the tens of thousands of people who travel to the state for abortion services every year.
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month, raising awareness of a disorder that affects a person's ability to speak, write, and understand both spoken and written language.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
Daley's Restaurant, known as Chicago's oldest, has served Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood for more than 130 years.
Walgreens is set to close in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on Thursday, and there's growing concern about where families will get their medications.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married as they celebrated their wedding with hundreds of guests Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Renowned singer-songwriter and Chicago-area native John Prine will be honored with a mural at the Old Town School of Folk Music in the Lincoln Square community.
Victor Willis, lead singer of the disco group Village People, whose hit "Y.M.C.A." became a fixture at rallies for President Trump, has died at the age of 74, his wife and the band said.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding plans include a rehearsal dinner and a late-night celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York City, according to sources familiar with the security planning.
Chicago rapper Twista has pleaded guilty to willfully failing to pay income taxes.
A mostly cloudy forecast for the Fourth of July Saturday, with afternoon and evening thunderstorms likely. Highs in the upper 80s.
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and after half a century it's still bringing joy to countless people in the Chicago area.
The Tinley Park Country Music fest was hugely delayed and somewhat damaged by strong storms on Friday.
It's official: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married. They wed in a ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler in Madison Square Garden.
Three children died on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin after a boat capsized and sank during a severe storm Friday.
Two Chicago police officers were shot on the city's South Side Friday evening during a struggle after a traffic stop. The driver was also shot and critically injured.
Another round of thunderstorms is approaching, prompting a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the entire Chicago area into the overnight hours.
Three children died on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin after a boat capsized during a severe storm Friday, Lake Geneva police said.
Multiple Fourth of July fireworks displays planned for Friday night in the Chicago area have been canceled or rescheduled because of strong thunderstorms moving through the area.
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and after half a century it's still bringing joy to countless people in the Chicago area.
About 13,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries in 2025, and with America's 250 birthday celebration about to start, doctors worry even more people could get hurt this year.
A new AI-powered tool being used by some police departments claims to turn a shell casing into an investigative lead in under 24 minutes.
University of Illinois - Chicago scientists took their lab work to the streets of the South Side during this week's heat wave, checking on tree cover and tree health in some of Chicago's more vulnerable neighborhoods.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
An Uber driver who was assaulted during a ride said he begged Chicago police officers not once but twice for help, but was left to fend for himself.
Nathan Church and Masyn Winn hit three-run homers and the St. Louis Cardinals had 17 hits overall to beat the Chicago Cubs 17-1.
Brayan Rocchio hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Cleveland Guardians a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the AL Central.
The Cubs (49-38) have won five straight after sweeping the Padres (43-42), who have lost five in a row.
Dean Kremer pitched six impressive innings in his return from a quad injury, and the Baltimore Orioles avoided a sweep Wednesday with a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Alex Bregman, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong added homers to help the Cubs win for the 10th time in 12 games.
Chicago police are looking for three men who targeted four businesses in Bridgeport and Bronzeville overnight, on the hunt for ATMs and cash registers.
Two people are dead, and one is injured after a shooting at Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, Michigan, on Friday.
A man was ordered detained Thursday after the shooting death of an employee at an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Matteson, Illinois, earlier this week.
A man is charged for sexually assaulting a woman while she was jogging on the 606 Trail in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood over the weekend.
Burglars crashed a sport-utility vehicle into a convenience store in Chicago's Loop early Thursday morning.
