A new, permanent exhibition at Chicago’s Field Museum will give museumgoers an opportunity that can’t be found anywhere else in the country—a chance to watch DNA researchers as they conduct their own real-life work.

On April 29 the city of Chicago received a federally funded grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for more than $153 million. It is intended to help implement solutions to solve traffic congestion issues in busy areas and roads and to improve the effectiveness of public transportation by offering speedier bus routes, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced.

Domestic violence-related homicides in the city of Chicago have doubled in the last two years, said Leslie Landis, director of the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence. However, Mayor Richard M. Daley is proposing funding cuts to the city’s domestic violence prevention programs.

Taking cabs in Chicago will be more expensive now—while the price of gas remains high. On April 28 a fuel surcharge went into effect adding $1 to each cab fare. The surcharge is supposed to fluctuate as gas prices do. The charge will be 50 cents for each ride when the price of gas per gallon is $2.70 or more for seven consecutive days and $1 when a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.20 or more for seven consecutive days, said Department of Consumer Services Commissioner Norma Reyes. The surcharge will stay in effect until gas prices go down below $2.70.

Most people may not know this about me, but I’m an immigrant to the United States. I was born in Colombia, I speak Spanish fluently and I check the “Latino” box on forms and applications. I spent most of my life living in Puerto Rico and Miami. As May Day comes and goes and the immigration rally floods the city, I have to remind myself of my background, which is challenged frequently.