According to data released Thursday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, 1,026 people died last year from opioid overdoses, a nearly 44% drop from 2023. The vast majority of overdose deaths, about 87%, involved fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is about 100 times more potent than morphine.

A strong winter storm is expected track across the country this weekend bringing accumulating snow from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast. A swath of moderate to heavy snow is expected to track through Central Illinois,