News

Even though 69% of Chicago Public Schools' freshmen this year aspire to go to college, only about 19% are likely to receive a bachelor's degree within 10 years of starting high school, according to a University of Chicago analysis.

What's happening: To try to remedy the issue, a program called OneGoal teams students up with a cohort of other college-aspiring peers during their junior year of high school and continues support through their freshman year of college.

As a friendly seasonal reminder, we recently noted that the Department of Energy advises keeping your thermostat at an average of 78 degrees during the summer.

Reality check: Not knowing how many people actually do that, we surveyed our readers to find out where they usually keep it. The 379 readers who took our survey mostly said they keep their summer thermostat below 77.

A University of Wisconsin analysis recently ranked DuPage the healthiest county in the state when it comes to health factors like smoking and access to doctors.

Why it matters: DuPage also ranked the highest when it comes to health outcomes correlated to longer life.

The 10-day tax holiday for back-to-school shopping starts today.

Why it matters: The state, which introduced the holiday earlier this year to help Illinoisans afford supplies amid rising inflation, estimates it will save families $50 million.

As monkeypox virus (MPV) cases rise in Illinois, officials are forced to reserve vaccines for "the highest risk" individuals until more supplies arrive.

Why it matters: Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared a state of emergency Monday to expand MPV resources.

👋 Hey, it's Monica. I stopped by Whittier Elementary School in Pilsen last month to taste the future of CPS food.

• This was one of 40 summer tastings the district is holding to help shape the upcoming school year's new menu.

Last week I met up again with "The Bear" star Jeremy Allen White, just hours after he casually dropped into Mr. Beef and "freaked out" the customers.

Why it matters: In arguably the summer's hottest show, White plays a chef who takes over Mr. Beef (with a different name), and it's driving new hordes of excited fans to the Italian beef stand.

Lollapalooza kicked off last night in Grant Park with headliner Metallica.

Why it matters: The annual downtown festival attracts more than 350,000 music lovers and their tourism dollars, but this is the final year of Lolla's contract with the Park District.