Illinois

Festival season is back and Windy City Hot Dog Fest is ready to welcome you back later today for another weekend of good food and good times! Karyn Terrones, Media & Marketing Director for Special Events Management joins to share more about what’s in store for the festival this year.

Malört is attempting to secure a world record – for the largest mass of people taking a shot of Malört at the same time! It’s happening later this summer on August 30th and it’s also doubling as a fundraising event for a good cause. CEO and Head Distiller at CH Distillery Tremaine Atkinson joins to share more.

Is the dream of homeownership fading in Chicago? Kinexx Modular Construction is teaming up with 20 professional athletes—including Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson—to change the landscape of urban real estate. Discover how this unique partnership and their innovative "funding league" are working to transform vacant urban lots into high-quality, attainable modular homes for Chicagoans. We dive into the future of modular construction, the power of community investment, and how this model could solve housing shortages across the country.

Homelessness among Latinos in Chicago is surging, but the data only tells half the story. Dr. Karlia Brown from the University of Illinois Chicago’s Research on Race & Public Policy joins ChicagoNOW to uncover the hidden reality behind the numbers including the massive rise in "doubled-up" homelessness.

As families head into summer, a new statewide survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is raising concerns about how consistently parents are protecting kids from harmful sun exposure. The report found that fewer than half of Illinois parents always apply sunscreen to their children before outdoor activities, and many don’t reapply it as recommended. Dr. Anthony Mancini, Chief of Pediatric Dermatology at Lurie Children’s joins ChicagoNOW to share more.

One might not predict that the closure of a Chinatown gathering place would send patrons to the bright lights and loud machines of a local casino.

Barstool Sports' Dave Portnoy visited the South Loop to review Flo & Santos, giving their traditional cheese pizza a 7.1 score. The general manager responds to the review, gently noting that "El Pres" might not be fully accustomed to classic Chicago tavern-style thin crust. From their unique Polish-Italian fusion menu to their signature square cuts, here is the "Inside Scoop" on why the restaurant feels their pizza earned a spot closer to an 8.0.

A local pantry partner and a participating family discuss how a new Fox 32 Cares initiative with the Greater Chicago Food Depository is helping meet rising food needs for kids and families during the summer months.

With the World Cup approaching, a new interactive soccer arcade in Oak Brook is giving fans a chance to compete in high-tech games and take part in upcoming free play events and tournaments.

With just days left in the legislative session, Illinois lawmakers are scrambling to finalize a mega-project bill aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in-state, while key details and competing proposals remain in flux.

All lanes have reopened on the Ohio and Ontario Street feeder ramps connecting downtown Chicago to the Kennedy Expressway after 17 months of construction.

Father Michael Pfleger discusses what’s driving Chicago’s recent teen takeover gatherings, whether curfews and parent fines could help, and how the city should respond to rising violence involving young people.