4,300 people take part in Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics Illinois
An estimated 4,300 brave souls took part in the Polar Plunge in Lake Michigan this chilly Sunday, all to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.
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An estimated 4,300 brave souls took part in the Polar Plunge in Lake Michigan this chilly Sunday, all to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.
Some brave souls were set to take a dip in the frigid waters of Lake Michigan on Sunday for the Polar Plunge, to benefit the Special Olympics. Chicago Park District Special Olympics administrator Eileen Guinane, Special Children’s Charities director Amy Taylor, and Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Jason Lach join Suzanne Le Mignot with a preview.
Chicago's annual Polar Plunge returns to Lake Michigan this weekend.
A man's body was pulled from Lake Michigan offshore from Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood on Saturday.
The man who heroically jumped into Lake Michigan to save an 8-month-old baby in a stroller who had been blown into Chicago's Belmont Harbor doesn't know how to swim.
The Lac La Belle was one of the most popular steamers on Lake Michigan. It went down in 1872.
With air temperatures frigid and wind chills even colder, some Chicagoans decided it was the perfect time for some people to go get their cars washed or go for a run.
Dan O’Connor jumped right in on Monday morning when the lake water temperature was just 33 degrees.
The body of a Chicago Public Schools teacher who has been missing for more than a week has been found, her family confirmed Monday afternoon.
Safety officials said what may look like solid ice along the shoreline is unstable, especially as temperatures rise.
Shelf ice forms along the shoreline but is not connected to solid land. Experts said it can crack, collapse, or break away without warning.
The Chicago Harbor Lock is facing steep cuts to its federal funding under President Trump’s 2026 budget.
Far from Gulf Coast hurricanes and California wildfires, Chicagoland seems like a safe place to be in a warming world. But is it?
Lake View is one of Chicago's most iconic neighborhoods. It's home to Northhalsted, the city's premiere LGBTQ+ destination, Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs, and iconic music and arts venues like the Music Box movie theater, the Metro and the Vic. And it's got one of the nicest stretches of Chicago's Lakefront Trail, the bike and walking path along the shores of Lake Michigan. Producer Tom spoke to Paula Durica, the director of exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum, about the neighborhood's storied history and to Jam Productions CEO Jerry Mickelson about the Vic Theatre.
A woman was pulled out of Lake Michigan on Thursday near Rainbow Beach on the South Side of Chicago, and crews were still searching for another person missing in the water.
A body pulled out of Lake Michigan along Indiana Dunes National Park in May has been identified as a Chicago area man who had been missing since January.
A woman was rescued from Lake Michigan at 31st Street Beach on Chicago's South Side Wednesday afternoon.
Loved ones gathered to remember 1-year-old Jream Washington, her brother, 6-year-old Wyatt Patton, and their mother, 31-year-old Drake Patton, who were all pronounced dead after being pulled from Lake Michigan last Saturday.
On Saturday, 1-year-old Jream Washington, her brother, 6-year-old Wyatt Patton, and their mother, 31-year-old Drake Patton, were recovered from Lake Michigan hours apart near Hyde Park. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
The bodies of one-year-old Jream Washington and six-year-old Wyatt Payton were pulled from Lake Michigan on Chicago's South Side.
The grieving father is speaking out after his two young children were found dead in Lake Michigan on Saturday.
Brandon Washington said he's the one-year-old girl's father and helped raise the 6-year-old boy, who was also recovered from the water.
After decades of scouring the bottom of Lake Michigan, searchers have finally found the wreckage of a cargo schooner that sank during a ferocious storm almost 140 years ago off the Wisconsin coastline.
Divers found the body of a missing swimmer in Lake Michigan offshore from the north Chicago suburb of Evanston Saturday night.
Divers found the body of a missing swimmer in Lake Michigan offshore from the north Chicago suburb of Evanston Saturday night.
Metra is launching a pilot program for new fare collection technology at the beginning of April.
A man was charged Thursday after a long police chase that alternated between high and low speeds on interstates through Chicago's north suburbs the day before.
Two former FBI agents who helped investigate President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results sued the federal government, alleging they were wrongfully terminated.
Researchers at the University of Oklahoma and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are gathering information from people impacted by tornadoes, including here in Illinois.
Spanish officials said the search for University of Alabama student James Gracey, who went missing on a trip to Barcelona, is partially focused on the sea.
Two former FBI agents who helped investigate President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results sued the federal government, alleging they were wrongfully terminated.
Fresh off his win in the Tuesday's primary election, Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey visited the Chicago suburbs on Wednesday, and said he'll be focusing on building support in the Chicago area during his rematch with Gov. JB Pritzker.
Illinois' heavily Democratic tilt means statewide candidates and those in the Chicago area and its suburbs are favored to win in November.
Some Illinois primary election candidates raked in huge amounts of campaign cash. Not all of them won their primaries, despite massive spending.
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday approved a $27 million settlement with the family of an innocent woman killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
For Cook County residents hoping to lower their property tax bills, applications are open for exemptions.
Officials in the north Chicago suburb of Wilmette issued a warning Tuesday about scammers who are impersonating representatives of village departments.
The war with Iran is causing gas prices to surge, with motorists in Chicago and around the country guaranteed to feel the impact at the pump Monday morning.
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to roll back its civil rights code last year.
Food containing norovirus may smell and taste normal but still cause serious illness if consumed, FDA warns.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment from biotherapeutics company CSL for a new plasma therapy manufacturing plant in Kanakee.
When a doctor was told there was no cure for his daughter's condition, he was motivated to transform not only her health, but the lives of thousands of others.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
Hundreds of workers were locked out of the BP refinery in Whiting, Indiana, on Thursday after contract negotiations failed to produce a deal ahead of a midnight deadline.
The artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries have suffered a setback as they try to reshape the midterm elections and establish themselves as power players in American politics.
Wednesday marked the last day to help celebrate Lou Malnati's pizzeria's 55th birthday with a special deal.
Despite a rash of restaurant closures, veterans of the plant-based food business pushed back against prophecies of doom — and in one case argued that such closures notwithstanding, plant-based eating is only growing.
Two popular Chicago craft breweries – Half Acre Beer Co. and Maplewood Brewery & Distillery – announced on Tuesday they are merging to create a new "premier Chicago beverage company."
Afroman spoke to CBS News after he won the case, which tested the limits of parody and the license artists can take in social commentary directed at public figures.
The late Sister Jean has been honored with T-shirts, socks, and bobbleheads — and now her spirit lives on with a new documentary.
Legendary Chicago blues singer and guitarist Buddy Guy took the stage at the Oscars Sunday night, performing alongside the cast of "Sinners."
Amy Madigan, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Sunday night, is the daughter of a newsman who helped shape CBS Chicago in the 1960s.
"One Battle After Another" took home several big awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and the newly created Best Casting.
Chicagoans with the group Levántate Por Cuba are bringing portable solar panels, vitamins, and medicine to Cuba in response to the U.S. oil blockage.
Yvette and Jasper are looking for forever homes.
Lollapalooza tickets are on sale but quickly selling out for the 2026 music festival in Grant Park. Organizers released the daily lineup as well.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has your 11 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Israeli attacks on Iranian oil facilities and retaliatory strikes on oil and natural gas sites belonging to American partners in the Middle East sent energy prices surging overnight. As Natalie Brand reports, President Trump has threatened to “blow up” Iran’s largest natural gas field if Iran attacks a facility in Qatar again.
An 18-year-old Loyola University student was shot and killed while walking near the lakefront in Rogers Park overnight, school officials confirmed.
Spanish officials said the search for University of Alabama student James Gracey, who went missing on a trip to Barcelona, is partially focused on the sea.
Lollapalooza tickets go on sale Thursday morning for the 2026 music festival in Grant Park. Headliners include Charli XCX, Lorde, Olivia Dean and the Smashing Pumpkins.
Metra is launching a pilot program for new fare collection technology at the beginning of April.
A man was charged Thursday after a long police chase that alternated between high and low speeds on interstates through Chicago's north suburbs the day before.
United Steel Workers union representatives said that some workers had already had their access cards deactivated.
Have you ever walked into a business with no employees? You may soon; autonomous businesses are becoming more popular.
Streets were left pooled with rainwater, and homes flooded after Sunday night's storms. Residents say there is one clear solution
Attorneys for the family of a woman killed in a crash during a high-speed police chase in 2017 say officers involved failed to activate their body cameras or turned them off during the pursuit.
A new specialized unit is being created to prosecute domestic violence homicides in Cook County, as these killings surged 15% last year, even as overall violent crime declined across Chicago.
The sluggish Bulls shot 38.5% in the first half and committed 11 turnovers, leading to 20 points for the Raptors.
It's the Illini's sixth tournament appearance under head coach Brad Underwood, but for the first time in program history, the Illini are led by a freshman all-American.
The White Sox's current lease for Rate Field expires after the 2029 season.
Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at expanding sports betting in the state.
The WNBA and its players' union reached a verbal agreement on a transformational new collective bargaining agreement early Wednesday morning, both sides said.
A man was charged Thursday after a long police chase that alternated between high and low speeds on interstates through Chicago's north suburbs the day before.
A man from Chicago's northwest suburbs stood charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of a crash and driving drunk, after authorities said he hit a pedestrian overnight near Barrington, Illinois.
A man stood charged Tuesday in two separate shootings that wounded a Chicago police sergeant and a 63-year-old woman in the Pullman and Roseland neighborhoods this past weekend.
Jurors delivered their verdict Monday in the trial of Kouri Richins, a Utah mother accused of murdering her husband and later publishing a children's book about grief.
A suspect Is in custody after one person was killed and another was critically injured in a stabbing on Sunday morning at a home in Merrillville, Indiana.