Setbacks and hope as America’s oldest Black town fights for its survival
The federal government has twice promised Brooklyn, Illinois — Americas oldest Black town — money for preservation. And twice it has failed to deliver.
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Outside hotels and a naval base, suburban Chicago protests immigration ‘blitz’
More anti-blitz rallies have been scheduled in the Chicago suburbs in the coming days, as towns that were once Republican strongholds now lean more Democratic.
Learning in a loophole: Gap in Illinois law leaves Oak Park mansion school largely unregulated by state
Parents said they assumed a private school in an Oak Park mansion was recognized by the state. But that's not the case. Illinois law won’t allow it.
Route 66 road trip: The last — or first — 300 miles in Illinois
Route 66 often conjures images of quaint small towns, but its foundation has always been rooted in Chicago.
Route 66 road trip: A deadly twister crosses a long-standing divide in St. Louis, Missouri
A month after a deadly tornado ripped through St. Louis, the extensive damage and slow pace of recovery expose the city's long-standing racial and socioeconomic divide.
Route 66 road trip: Print day at a 145-year-old newspaper in Galena, Kansas
Kansas has by far the shortest segment of Route 66 of all eight states. Along the 13.2-mile stretch, we found one town that hasn’t stopped the presses.
Route 66 road trip: Hamburgers so savory, they can make you cry in El Reno, Oklahoma
Plenty of places put onions on burgers. Few have been doing it as long, or as well, as the hamburger joints in El Reno, Okla.
Route 66 road trip: Feeling less alone at a ‘No Kings’ protest in Elk City, Oklahoma
In Beckham County, Oklahoma, Donald Trump won 84% of the vote in the 2024 election. The No Kings Day movement was still evident there.
Route 66 road trip: Devil’s rope, an infamous gap and a Panhandle-sized challenge in Amarillo, Texas
Route 66 extends nearly 180 miles across the Texas Panhandle. About 20 miles east of the border, the town of Adrian advertises itself as the route’s midpoint, equidistant to Chicago...
Photos: Our Route 66 road trip
As the 100th anniversary of Route 66 approaches in 2026, join us as we spotlight the stops and people who live along America's highway.