Evanston's Central Street was already sluggish on a recent Saturday afternoon when a wailing siren brought traffic on the two-lane road to a halt. An Illinois State Police cruiser sailed up from behind, lights blazing, and led a line of westbound buses around the backup.

A federal judge has denied a proposed class action settlement between the NCAA and former college athletes who claim to have suffered long-term harm from concussions, saying he was concerned about the fairness of the agreement.

The English language is a remarkably adaptive system of communication, capable of turning an ancient noun into a fresh verb that fits the times perfectly.

A convention dedicated to aficionados of furry costumes returned to "almost normal operations" hours after its host hotel had to be evacuated because of a chlorine gas incident, organizers said Monday.

High school football could cease to exist in some towns if a concussion lawsuit filed against the Illinois High School Association succeeds, officials with the organization said Friday.

The Illinois High School Association made its first extended comments Wednesday on a lawsuit that claims the group's concussion protocols are inadequate, saying that coaches and doctors, not lawyers, should be in charge of making sports safer.

Scott Schaben started working as a suburban firefighter in the 1980s, bonding with his co-workers over off-duty beers. But his social drinking turned compulsive after he went through a divorce a few years ago, consuming his life until he knew he needed help.

On the final day of the state's high school football season, a former prep quarterback filed a lawsuit against the Illinois High School Association, claiming the organization has failed to do enough to protect athletes from the potential damage of concussions.