Chicago News Weekly

05/31/2026

Spencer Leak Jr., Vice President of Leak & Sons Funeral Homes, has passed away at 56.

We join Chicago in mourning a trusted community figure whose family has served generations with dignity, care and compassion during life’s most difficult moments.

Our prayers are with the Leak family, the Leak & Sons team and all who knew and loved him.

05/31/2026

05/31/2026

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Terran Lamp sits down with former NFL wide receiver and Cincinnati Bengals standout Mike Martin for a real conversation about life on and off the field.

From football to coaching, business and broadcasting, Mike opens up about the mental health side of being an athlete that is not always talked about.

Produced by CaveRoom Entertainment and recorded at CNW Studio.

https://youtu.be/1hJvgfn4Qg8?si=_uMDKg5jhLdkY3O0

Watch and listen on the CNW Network on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Mike Martin is a former NFL wide receiver and punt returner who played seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals after a standout career at the University of...

05/31/2026

Morning Chicago! Spend your Sunday with the CNW Network!

Check out our publisher Cheryl Mainor Norman ‘s sit down with Lawprenuer & Managing Partner of the Solomon Group, Robert Johnson. In this conversation Johnson shares the importance of reclaiming Black Fatherhood, creating a bridge to African business, and more!

Tap in, leave a comment, and share!

Produced by CaveRoom Entertainment in CNW Studios.

On this episode of Chicago State of Mind, Cheryl Mainor sits down w...

05/14/2026

Chicago News Weekly presents a Special Edition of “A System That Has Settled, But Has Not Stopped Changing.”
Vote-by-mail has become routine. But routine does not always mean accessible.

This enhanced edition gives the story the space it deserves, looking at what Chicago’s vote-by-mail data reveals, why postmark timing still matters, and what happens when seniors, disabled voters, homebound residents and others must work harder to make sure their ballots are counted.

Because access to the ballot should not depend on mobility, transportation, timing or knowing how to navigate a system most voters never see.

This Special Edition was produced through the Healing Illinois: Democracy Lives Here Reporting Project with Medill, Northwestern University.

Healing Illinois, an Illinois Department of Public Health initiative managed with The Field Foundation of Illinois, supports storytelling and community collaborations to address racial and systemic inequities across the state.

Read now at cnwmedia.com/e-editions.

05/11/2026

Vote-by-mail has become a regular part of Chicago elections. But for older adults, disabled voters, homebound residents and people without reliable transportation, access still matters.
Does vote-by-mail work equally for everyone?
Read A System That Has Settled, But Has Not Stopped Changing now at https://www.cnwmedia.com/article/a-system-that-has-settled--but-has-not-stopped-changing

Produced through the Healing Illinois: Democracy Lives Here Reporting Project with Medill - Northwestern University.

is an IDPH initiative managed with The Field Foundation of Illinois to support storytelling around racial and systemic inequities.

Written by Kai El' Zabar & Laura Miller

05/08/2026

“No one calls a poet a dirty word. No one calls a novelist a dirty word. I’m a writer and it’s just that my medium is rapping.”
—

Chicago’s hip-hop scene has a safe haven in . He studies the craft. He teaches the art. And he is building the community. We should be all there to witness it.

Check out the latest Chicago News Weekly cover story: Femdot: The Ethos.

Cover Writer:
Art Direction
Editor in Chief

Read now at cnwmedia.com/e-editions

05/06/2026

IYCMI: We often wonder, if we weren't in the careers we're in. Where would be. Treach's answer may surprise you. Head on over to cnwmedia.com/e-editions to change out the full cover story.