Rebecca Johnson – Page 9

Rebecca De La Luz, left, records the reunion of Manny Cruz and his wife, Marisol Sanchez, at their home in Elgin on Dec. 4, 2025. Looking on are Cruz’s children Javier, 8, and Veronica, 11. De La Luz is a volunteer who has become a conduit between detainees at North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, and their families in Illinois. She has transported more than a dozen people back to their homes after lawyers secured their release. With the family’s permission, De La Luz posts video updates to her Facebook page, which is meant to inspire others to get involved in helping better the lives of families affected by the recent detainment of immigrants. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Illinois mom covers 250-mile distance to reunite formerly detained immigrants with their Chicago families: ‘They deserve to know somebody cares’

December 14, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Rebecca De La Luz helps people detained at the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, reunite with their Chicago-area families.

Adilzaya Dasbaljir, right, gives her sister, Ijilzaya, a kiss on the cheek after taking pictures on East Solidarity Drive while touring the lakefront on Ijilzaya's birthday on Dec. 13, 2025, in Chicago. The temperature at the time was 12 degrees. "This is no problem," Adilzaya said regarding the weather. The siblings were visiting from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

‘Dangerously cold’ wind chills as low as minus 25 expected in Chicago area Saturday night

December 13, 2025 at 7:15 p.m.

A cold weather advisory remains in effect from 8 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday in northern and central Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez wraps himself in a blanket while barricading himself on a second-floor balcony of an apartment on Maple Lane on Dec. 6, 2025, in Elgin. The blanket was tossed up to him by a bystander when federal agents weren’t watching. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

‘The story of one more Venezuelan, one more Latino,’ says aunt of man arrested by ICE in Elgin standoff

December 11, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

His aunt describes him as an “incredibly hardworking” man with a huge heart. The Department of Homeland Security says he’s a suspected member of a Venezuelan gang.

Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez sits on a second-floor balcony of an apartment on Maple Lane on Dec. 6, 2025, in Elgin. Gutierrez barricaded himself on the balcony for several hours after fleeing from federal agents. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

DHS claims man detained in prolonged immigration arrest in Elgin on Saturday is member of Tren de Aragua

December 9, 2025 at 6:32 p.m.

Federal authorities identified the man as Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, of Venezuela, who DHS said had entered the country in April 2023.

Grant Inglis, 12, gets covered in snow while shaking off Christmas trees with Trent Modglin on Dec. 7, 2025, at Centennial Park in Park Ridge. The Wilderness Scouts and Princesses run the lot annually to sell trees for charity. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Five inches of snow blankets Chicago area on Sunday with quickest start to winter since 1978, weather officials say

December 7, 2025 at 12:55 p.m.

The region was blanketed with 5 inches of snow in what a meteorologist at the National Weather Service called the “quickest start to winter” since 1978.

Federal agents tackle a protester after a faceoff outside an apartment building along Maple Lane on Dec. 6, 2025, in Elgin. Community members and federal agents faced off for several hours after the agents chased a man and he barricaded himself on a second-floor balcony. (Stacey Wescott/baiduhai)

Federal immigration agents use tear gas on Elgin crowd on day of Kristi Noem’s visit to Chicago

December 7, 2025 at 1:46 p.m.

Federal immigration agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray Saturday on a crowd that gathered to protest a prolonged arrest in a northwest Chicago suburb, angering neighbors who said it’s...

Sisters Kimberly and Rebecca George co-own Volumes Bookcafe in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The pair, who have owned the store for 10 years, plan to close it in January. (Dominic Di Palermo/baiduhai)

A year after Barnes & Noble opens in Wicker Park, nearby indie bookstore forced to close

December 1, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Volumes Bookcafe, which has been open for a decade, immediately saw a “significant” drop in sales after Barnes & Noble moved into the century-old Noel State Bank building in October...

A woman catches snowflakes with her tongue while walking in the 1600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue on Nov. 29, 2025, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

More than 1,000 flights canceled at Chicago’s airports as up to 10 inches of snow blankets the region

November 29, 2025 at 7:16 p.m.

The National Weather Services said up to 10 inches of snow was possible this weekend under a winter storm warning issued after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Shoppers crowd North Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Black Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

In search of Black Friday deals, shoppers hit Chicago streets despite chilly temperatures, inflation worries

November 28, 2025 at 5:22 p.m.

Despite concerns about inflation, shoppers turned out en masse for a day of shopping that, for some, is just as much about finding good deals as it is holiday traditions...

Jodie Yanek checks her receipt after shopping for Thanksgiving dinner at a grocery store, Nov. 24, 2025. She recently received her full SNAP payment for the month and was buying food to celebrate Thanksgiving with her boyfriend. (E. Jason Wambsgans/baiduhai)

Chicago-area families on SNAP celebrate Thanksgiving amid uncertainty: ‘I can barely give them what they need’

November 27, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Illinoisans say they’ve dealt with confusion and uncertainty heading into the holiday because of the federal back and forth on funding for food stamps.

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