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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Chicago. Written by Monica Eng, Justin Kaufmann and Carrie Shepherd.

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Chicago gift ideas: Local food, books and experiences to shop

If you want to be the partygoer who stands out at your next White Elephant exchange, we've got you covered.

Things to Do

New Asian grocery store and food court officially opens in Chicago

The food court features a full bar, bubble tea stand and cafe along with six food stalls.

Food and Drink

Migrant resettlement progress report

The city has helped find housing for nearly a third of the new arrivals.

News

Chicago is emerging as a quantum tech hub

The cutting-edge particle can help speed up broadband, eliminate hacking and create new treatments in the quest to cure cancer.

Business

Illinois debates school choice tax credit

The program program has raised questions about whether state tax incentives should be used to fund private schools.

Politics

Illinois lawmakers this week will consider extending a controversial tax credit for folks who fund private <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="school" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/education" data-vars-content-id="b69b9099-2567-4850-a321-f3c8683b22ce" data-vars-headline="Illinois debates school choice tax credit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/education" target="_self">school</a> scholarships for low-income families.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Invest in Kids" data-vars-click-url="https://tax.illinois.gov/programs/investinkids.html" data-vars-content-id="b69b9099-2567-4850-a321-f3c8683b22ce" data-vars-headline="Illinois debates school choice tax credit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://tax.illinois.gov/programs/investinkids.html" target="_blank">Invest in Kids</a> program has raised questions about whether state tax incentives should be used to fund private schools, especially religious schools.

Illustration of a red apple with a hundred dollar bill for a leaf. 

What Illinois student loan borrowers should know as payments resume

From late payments to figuring out your status, consider these tips.

This month, more than a million borrowers statewide will have to start coughing up <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="student loan payments" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/10/student-loan-payments" data-vars-content-id="c6f9e345-cbb7-4cdc-b35d-8169f93a33f4" data-vars-headline="What Illinois student loan borrowers should know as payments resume" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/10/student-loan-payments" target="_self">student loan payments</a> for the first time since 2020.Why it matters: The three-year pause on payments gave more than 40 million U.S. borrowers a reprieve during the pandemic. But now they&#x27;ll have to factor payments into monthly budgets.

Illinois makes the grade on new college rankings

Northwestern University is No. 9 in the country, up one position from last year.

Education

The new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. News &amp; World Report Best Colleges Rankings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges" data-vars-content-id="355f5d3b-d94e-4067-b137-3eb6dad7cf25" data-vars-headline="Illinois makes the grade on new college rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges" target="_blank">U.S. News &amp; World Report Best Colleges Rankings</a> are out, and Illinois schools score near the top of the list.By the numbers: Northwestern University is No. 9 in the country for the 2023-24 school year, up one position <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="from last year" data-vars-click-url="https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/illinois-schools-ranked-among-u-s-news-2022-2023-best-colleges" data-vars-content-id="355f5d3b-d94e-4067-b137-3eb6dad7cf25" data-vars-headline="Illinois makes the grade on new college rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/illinois-schools-ranked-among-u-s-news-2022-2023-best-colleges" target="_blank">from last year</a>. Meanwhile, University of Chicago ranked No. 12 — dropping six spots.

Illustration of a line chart on a college pennant.

CPS experiments with scratch cooking at more schools

Westinghouse, South Shore, Little Village and Lane Tech High Schools are now cooking up freshly made lunches.

After decades of increasingly serving students more processed foods, CPS is experimenting with scratch cooking again.Why it matters: A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="growing body of research" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/27/ultra-processed-foods-predigested-health-risks/" data-vars-content-id="451f3962-e6fe-42c8-ba25-d07f2004fd6b" data-vars-headline="CPS experiments with scratch cooking at more schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/27/ultra-processed-foods-predigested-health-risks/" target="_blank">growing body of research</a> suggests that eating highly processed foods can affect appetite, weight gain, nutrient absorption and chronic disease, the Washington Post reported this summer.

Open-faced burger with lettuce, tomato, and onions on paper plate next to peach and small carton of milk.

Things to watch while prepping for the new CPS year

While most suburban schools are already back in session, CPS officially launches its new academic year for more than 300,000 students Monday.

Though most suburban schools are already back in session, CPS officially launches its academic year for more than 300,000 students on Monday.Why it matters: The resumption of the school year will dramatically shift commuting, working and sleeping patterns for at least a million Chicagoans, including students, teachers, staff, parents and workers at school-related businesses.

Chicago families' back-to-school shopping habits are changing

Illinois is no longer freezing back-to-school sales taxes.

Chicago parents will be spending less on back-to-school supplies this year, according to a new survey <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="from Deloitte" data-vars-click-url="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/retail-distribution/back-to-school-survey.html" data-vars-content-id="4ede536a-6b8b-4298-a243-637402cc7b73" data-vars-headline="Chicago families&#x27; back-to-school shopping habits are changing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/retail-distribution/back-to-school-survey.html" target="_blank">from Deloitte</a>.Why it matters: Rising costs are squeezing families&#x27; back-to-school budgets, but a slowdown in spending could hurt local businesses during one of the year&#x27;s biggest shopping periods.

Illustration of an eaten apple with a skin made of a dollar bill

The Chicago area is quickly emerging as a national leader in quantum technology.What&#x27;s happening: The region was recently designated a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="quantum technology hub" data-vars-click-url="https://quantumcomputingreport.com/chicago-region-designated-as-a-u-s-tech-hub-for-quantum-technology-as-part-of-the-u-s-chips-and-science-act/" data-vars-content-id="0ce6d6e2-3b81-434c-98cc-8ff521ac9d8a" data-vars-headline="Chicago is emerging as a quantum tech hub" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://quantumcomputingreport.com/chicago-region-designated-as-a-u-s-tech-hub-for-quantum-technology-as-part-of-the-u-s-chips-and-science-act/" target="_blank">quantum technology hub</a> by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which will bring federal funding to area universities.

Illinois' new anti-bullying law gets parents involved sooner

Many parents don't know when their kids are involved in bullying at school or online, one advocate tells Axios.

Illinois&#x27; public, private, and charter schools are now required to inform parents and guardians sooner if their child is involved in bullying.Driving the news: Gov. JB Pritzker last week approved an update to the state&#x27;s anti-bullying law that shortens the window schools have to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="contact parents" data-vars-click-url="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26570.html" data-vars-content-id="21665fba-a3ee-4ebd-84b9-8f08c0675676" data-vars-headline="Illinois&#x27; new anti-bullying law gets parents involved sooner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26570.html" target="_blank">contact parents</a> if their student is bullying, or the target of bullying, to 24 hours — up from 10 days.

Illustration of a twenty-four-hour timer on a cell phone surrounded by angry emojis. 

The new faces of Chicago's Board of Education

Mayor Johnson has signaled a sea change by appointing a group of activists and educators.

You might have heard the Chicago Board of Education recently got some new leadership.If you want to sound well informed when you drop your kid off at camp or while waiting for a beer at a street fest, Axios has you covered.

Illinoisans becoming better educated and higher paid, new study suggests

Data suggests that people who moved out of Illinois were more likely to be younger, Black, and low income.

The average Illinoisan has become higher paid and better educated over the last decade, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new analysis of federal data" data-vars-click-url="https://illinoisepi.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/ilepi-pmcr-decade-of-illinois-migration-patterns-final.pdf" data-vars-content-id="34010284-fd19-4d4a-8ef1-a9f38c27091b" data-vars-headline="Illinoisans becoming better educated and higher paid, new study suggests" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://illinoisepi.files.wordpress.com/2023/10/ilepi-pmcr-decade-of-illinois-migration-patterns-final.pdf" target="_blank">new analysis of federal data</a>.Why it matters: The findings counter common narratives about the state supposedly losing population, brains and money due to outmigration.

Illustration of animated data visualizations within the outline of Illinois.

CPS enrollment rises for first time in 12 years

The small increase represents a big trend reversal in a district that has lost 20% of its students in the last decade.

This semester, CPS officials saw their first enrollment increase in more than a decade.Why it matters: Enrollment declines can translate into decreased state and federal funding and potentially more school closings.

Illustration of a chalkboard in the shape of an upward arrow.