Tracy O'Brien

1 month ago | cbsnews.com | Audrina Sinclair |Tracy O'Brien

Training for a marathon is tough enough, but imagine doing it without food or water during daylight hours. That's exactly what one young Chicago runner is doing during the month of Ramadan. She's making it work all while chasing a spot at the U.S. Olympic Team trials. Sabrina Baftiri has been running since middle school. She became a standout at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, winning an impressive 17 All-American awards. Now she's focused on marathons and training with a coach in Chicago.

1 month ago | cbsnews.com | Adam Harrington |Tracy O'Brien

The Lincoln Park Zoo is stepping up in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking. The zoo has joined the Wildlife Confiscations Network, a program led by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The zoo said the program fights wildlife trafficking while providing urgent care for animals seized at U.S. ports.

2 months ago | cbsnews.com | Tracy O'Brien

A new celebrity is making waves in Chicago — and she's the talk of Chicago's South and Southwest sides. The environmental nonprofit group Urban Rivers spotted the female beaver along the South Branch of the Chicago River. The group is calling her "remarkably rotund" and say she is likely pregnant. The river queen has been seen near the docks on the river's South Branch in the Pilsen, Bridgeport, and McKinley Park neighborhoods — often with her presumed mate and a litter of kits.

2 months ago | cbsnews.com | Adam Harrington |Tracy O'Brien

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and other Democratic leaders shined a light Monday on how reforms at the federal government are affecting people in Illinois. The lawmakers gathered Monday at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Also in attendance were Democratic Illinois U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Danny Davis, Bill Foster, Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Jesús "Chuy" García, Mike Quigley, Sean Casten, and Lauren Underwood, along with representatives of Citizen Action/Illinois.

Dec 4, 2024 | cbsnews.com | Adam Harrington |Tracy O'Brien

BROOKFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- The newest residents of Brookfield Zoo are stealing the show. Three baby meerkats born in October have made their big debut at the Desert's Edge exhibit at the zoo. They are already climbing and exploring their new home. Known for their curious nature, meerkats are expert diggers with sharp claws built for speed. Meerkats live in dry areas such as the Namib and Kalahari deserts in Africa, and prefer sandy or even stony ground.