Earth Hour 2012 is this Saturday, March 31 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time in each city worldwide. more ›

Vice President Joe Biden visited Chicago on Monday to speak at the annual Richard J. Daley Urban Forum. He also took a tour of the soon-to-be-reopened Republic Windows and Doors factory on Goose Island. Republic was abruptly shut down last year, right before Christmas, and the workers, members of UE Local 1110 promptly occupied the plant and demanded the severance pay they were entitled to under law. Serious Materials then bought the plant and equipment earlier this year, promising to rehire the workers and start making windows again. more ›

Yesterday we told you about Earth Hour, the global initiative created by the World Wildlife Fund that encourages individuals and businesses to turn off their lights for one hour to make a statement about conservation and climate change. The event takes place this Saturday from 8:30 p.m. til 9:30 p.m. and the WWF hopes to reach 1 billion participants worldwide. Today we'd like to tell you about some places in Chicago that are holding events to mark the occasion. You can also look at an interactive map on the Earth Hour website to find the closest event to you. more ›