Thursday, July 9, 2026

Illinois lawmakers and advocates are still grappling with changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. After a sold-out run at Raven Theatre this spring, the musical “Octet” is being remounted by the Goodman. About a hundred Chicagoans gathered to recite the Declaration of Independence at the Newberry Library on Wednesday. Plus, Lake Michigan is Chicago’s shimmering corner of the five Great Lakes. But there was a brief moment in the 1990s when Vermont tried to make Lake Champlain the sixth Great Lake.