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Pick up an Illinois passport for America's 250th

A new Illinois passport guides visitors to 60 historic sites, from Cahokia Mounds to Pullman.

History

Illinois is putting its own stamp on the country&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="250th birthday." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/07/black-history-250-who-decides" data-vars-content-id="7bb4c31b-b800-458a-b75b-ce75bbca4afe" data-vars-headline="Pick up an Illinois passport for America&#x27;s 250th" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/07/black-history-250-who-decides" target="_self">250th birthday.</a>

Can you identify these iconic Chicago dive bars? Take the quiz

How well do you know the city's favorite watering holes?

This week, I had the distinct pleasure of hosting Axios colleagues who were in town for a conference. Of course, I took them to some of the legendary watering holes in the city.

Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order

The Illinois ACLU says it would disenfranchise millions of voters.

Election

Illinois advocates are challenging President Trump&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="latest effort to change voting laws" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-proof" data-vars-content-id="1c207705-be16-4233-a92b-7e6f3a70c53f" data-vars-headline="Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-proof" target="_self">latest effort to change voting laws</a>, which would create voter lists that the Postal Service would use to identify who gets a mail-in ballot.Why it matters: The U.S. Constitution <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="places the job of election administration" data-vars-click-url="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/" data-vars-content-id="1c207705-be16-4233-a92b-7e6f3a70c53f" data-vars-headline="Illinois pushes back on latest Trump voting order" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-2/ALDE_00013577/" target="_blank">places the job of election administration</a> in the hands of the states and Congress.

Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club delivers elevated cocktails

Drinks aren't cheap, but the balance, strength and service make Kitty's a standout.

Food and Drink

I love wine, but as my friend and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Twin Cities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities" data-vars-content-id="07409809-4619-4a00-8740-850296b2747f" data-vars-headline="Kitty&#x27;s Cosmopolitan Club delivers elevated cocktails" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities" target="_self">Twin Cities</a> colleague Torey says, &quot;It doesn&#x27;t always love me back.&quot;The big picture: I&#x27;ve been ordering cocktails when I go out, and a tasty, balanced, strong drink isn&#x27;t always easy to find.

Lead levels in 72 Illinois towns triggered alerts

A new report reveals 72 Illinois towns had water lead levels so high they required action — under a weak system set to toughen in 2027.

Environment

Lead levels in the water of 72 Illinois communities got so high in recent years that officials had to notify citizens and take action.Why it matters: Public health authorities agree that no level of ingested lead is safe, and the detection of these high levels, known as exceedances, happened under a testing system so weak that the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal government finally updated it last year" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/10/08/epa-chicago-lead-pipe-removal" data-vars-content-id="fb98d4b7-e852-4e17-a901-418d9142a399" data-vars-headline="Lead levels in 72 Illinois towns triggered alerts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/10/08/epa-chicago-lead-pipe-removal" target="_self">federal government finally updated it last year</a>.

New rules speed up Chicago lead pipe removal

New rules could cut the timeline for removal in half.

Health

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="New federal rules" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/08/biden-harris-lead-pipe-removal-26-billion" data-vars-content-id="5b1890c0-8281-4b67-9326-ddc007c15e41" data-vars-headline="New rules speed up Chicago lead pipe removal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/08/biden-harris-lead-pipe-removal-26-billion" target="_self">New federal rules</a> will require Chicago to remove and replace its 400,000 toxic lead water lines about twice as quickly as previous rules did — but still not as fast as most other U.S. cities.Why it matters: Health authorities say no level of ingested lead is safe, and a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2022 Axios analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2022/06/21/high-lead-levels-chicago-home-water" data-vars-content-id="5b1890c0-8281-4b67-9326-ddc007c15e41" data-vars-headline="New rules speed up Chicago lead pipe removal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2022/06/21/high-lead-levels-chicago-home-water" target="_self">2022 Axios analysis</a> found that more than a third of Chicago homes tested had high levels of lead in their water.

Chicago technology tested to remove "forever chemicals" from water

If successful, the tech could be used to pretreat and clean contaminated water.

Climate

Local scientists just got a boost in funding to develop technologies that remove toxic &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="forever chemicals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/forever-chemicals-tap-water-pfas-study" data-vars-content-id="9f8f8b9a-3275-44fe-ad23-fb04f2290bb4" data-vars-headline="Chicago technology tested to remove &quot;forever chemicals&quot; from water" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/forever-chemicals-tap-water-pfas-study" target="_self">forever chemicals</a>&quot; from the Great Lakes.Why it matters: These chemicals — collectively called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — have been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="found in about 45%" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/forever-chemicals-tap-water-pfas-study" data-vars-content-id="9f8f8b9a-3275-44fe-ad23-fb04f2290bb4" data-vars-headline="Chicago technology tested to remove &quot;forever chemicals&quot; from water" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/07/forever-chemicals-tap-water-pfas-study" target="_self">found in about 45%</a> of U.S tap water, and they&#x27;re linked to cancers and other <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="health problems" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/13/forever-chemicals-blood-pressure-women" data-vars-content-id="9f8f8b9a-3275-44fe-ad23-fb04f2290bb4" data-vars-headline="Chicago technology tested to remove &quot;forever chemicals&quot; from water" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/13/forever-chemicals-blood-pressure-women" target="_self">health problems</a>.

A heat table that displays Illinois towns exceeding the EPA lead threshold of 15 parts per billion in 2025. Elgin in Kane County has the highest 90th percentile lead reading at 50 ppb. Lincolnwood, Bartlett, Deerfield, and LeRoy range from 16 to 34 ppb, all above the EPA limit.

Illinois towns that exceeded EPA lead thresholds in 2025

Data: Protect Kids from Lead analysis of Illinois Environmental Protection Agency data. Note: Towns exceed the limit if 10% of homes measured have more than 15ppb of lead in their water. Table: Axios Visuals

Water

Lead levels in 72 Illinois towns triggered alerts

New rules speed up Chicago lead pipe removal

Chicago technology tested to remove "forever chemicals" from water