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Don’t be alarmed, but Chicago is sinking. In this Monday edition of the Daily Chicagoan newsletter, WTTW News explains why this is happening, along with more stories about your city. |
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Ragweed (l) is a powerful allergen; goldenrod (r) is highly beneficial for insects. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) |
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The cause of the fall allergy season is a prolific pollen-producing member of the Asteraceae (aka daisy) plant family. But not the one you might think.
“People start sneezing in the fall, and the thing you see is goldenrod, right? They’re everywhere, you see them everywhere. And so people just assume that the reason they’re sneezing is this flower,” said Jeremie Fant, director of conservation at Chicago Botanic Garden.
While goldenrod — bright, brilliantly yellow goldenrod — takes the rap, the real culprit flies under the radar. It’s ragweed.
Wait, what?
According to the National Institutes of Health, ragweed pollen contributes “significantly to hay fever, and is associated with allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and asthma.”
So why do so many people confuse ragweed (Ambrosia species) and goldenrod (Solidago species)?
One reason for the mix-up is that the two plants bloom at the same time in late summer/early fall. Another is that goldenrod, just like ragweed, has a tendency to pop up in places it wasn’t planted, including roadsides and fence lines. But that’s where the similarities end.
Though common ragweed is native to North America, it’s considered a noxious weed and landowners in Illinois are mandated to either control its spread or eradicate it from their property. (That’s no small ask: Ragweed was one of the first weeds to develop herbicide resistance, according to Cornell University.)
Goldenrod, on the other hand, is highly valuable as a host plant to more than 100 species of butterflies and moths. And it’s a key source of nectar for bees and other pollinators at a time of year when other flowers are spent. |
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WTTW News explains why Chicago is sinking. (WTTW News) |
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Chicago is sinking. Yes, you heard right! The more scientific name for this is land subsidence. But whatever you call it, the city is descending by more than 2 millimeters each year. That’s about 1/16 of an inch.
Why?
20,000 years ago, a glacier covered the entire city. The weight of that ice caused downward motion, and when it was gone, a rebound deformed the Earth’s crust and helped create our clay-based soil.
Today, thanks to climate change, Northwestern University researchers say underground temperatures in parts of Chicago have risen 27 degrees since the 1950s due to buildings, transportation systems and other infrastructure creating heat that stays underground.
Open space allows the ground to “breathe” a bit, so the hottest temps are under streets, sidewalks and buildings. A study of 28 cities revealed at least 20% of the land in every one of them is sinking, and most have 65% or more subsiding.
Those researchers cite groundwater extraction and expanded urban development as additional contributing factors and warn that “even slight downward shifts in land can significantly compromise the structural integrity of buildings, roads, bridges, and railways over time.”
So what’s to be done? Scientists recommend increasing energy efficiency and reusing so-called “heat waste” on the surface before it travels underground. |
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The premiere of “One Golden Summer,” directed by Kevin Shaw, opens up this year’s Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 15, 2025. The documentary tells the story of Chicago’s Jackie Robinson West Little League, their fall from grace and subsequent road to redemption, as told by the players themselves. (Courtesy of Chicago Tribune / TCA) |
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The world premiere of filmmaker Kevin Shaw’s “One Golden Summer,” a documentary that revisits the trials and tribulations of the Jackie Robinson West Little League, opens up this year’s Chicago International Film Festival, with the festival’s full lineup announced last week.
The 61st edition of the festival runs Oct. 15-26 at various venues.
Screenings will be held at the festival’s hub theater at AMC NEWCITY 14, along with the Music Box Theatre, Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago History Museum, Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago and more.
This year’s festival includes 111 feature films and 70 shorts, and showcases cinema from more than 60 countries. The popular Criterion Mobile Closet is also expected to make a stop during the festival’s opening weekend at NEWCITY Plaza. View the full festival lineup and programming here. |
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Learn about sponsorship opportunities. |
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Back in the Day: September 22, 1910 - Chicago Garment Workers' Strike Begins |
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On this day, 115 years ago, Hannah Shapiro, a 17-year-old Jewish Ukrainian immigrant, and more than a dozen other women walked off the job at a sweatshop run by Hart Schaffner & Marx (HSM), Chicago's largest clothing manufacturer at the time. According to the National Park Service, "Tensions over low wages, inconsistent shifts, high production quotas, and unsafe working conditions had been brewing for a long time." Their labor action triggered a massive uprising involving “over 40,000 mostly immigrant laborers throughout the city.” The walkout lasted until February 1911 and was partially successful: The action led to a deal with HSM and improved working conditions, but the strike claimed five lives, each a casualty of anti-labor violence. |
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This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings |
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
Chicago Park District
This week, the Chicago Park District will host an in-person and a virtual budget meeting to discuss its 2026 spending plan. The in-person event will happen Monday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Chicago Park District headquarters, while the virtual one will be Thursday, Sept. 25, at 6 p.m. Attendees can log in at 5:30 p.m. using this meeting link. If you can't swing either, you can submit your ideas and concerns using this online form.
“Save Chicago Transit: The Comedy Show”
Written and created by Chicago writer Ellen Steinke, "Save Chicago Transit: The Comedy Show" is an event that melds sketch comedy, improv, interviews with public officials and civic responsibility. As part of a month-long run, it'll take place on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. at Donny's Skybox Theater at Second City, 1608 N. Wells St. in Old Town. This week's guests include Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen and state Rep. Mary Beth Canty. Buy tickets here.
City Club of Chicago
Join City Club of Chicago for a one-on-one interview with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Tickets and details for the Tuesday event at noon can be found here.
Chicago City Council
A regular meeting of the City Council is happening Thursday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. on the second floor of City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St. Check the City Council's website for more details.
WTTW Presents: An Evening With Ken Burns
You’re invited to join Ken Burns and WTTW for an unforgettable evening at The Auditorium in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. Buy tickets here. |
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What's your favorite neighborhood bar in the Chicago area?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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