Tuesday, May 12, 2026

The Chicago City Council could soon vote on a measure that would give restaurants more time to increase their workers’ wages. The Iran war has pushed inflation to its highest level in three years. The rocker, poet and author Patti Smith is the newest winner of an annual literary honor. Plus, a calm has returned to Chicago this spring. Groups of U.S. Border Patrol agents are no longer making surprise visits to Michigan Avenue or marching through neighborhoods like Little Village or Back of the Yards. Volunteer responders who warn residents about immigration enforcement activity say they remain on high alert, and they’re using this time to adapt their strategies and prepare for whatever comes next.