News | WTTW Chicago

National Guard armored vehicles block an avenue leading to Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)

US Plans to ‘Run’ Venezuela and Tap Its Oil Reserves, Trump Says, After Operation to Oust Maduro

The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary nighttime operation that was accompanied by a flurry of strikes.

Thomas Somlo and his daughter Terri survived a 1963 plane crash. (Courtesy of Terri Galkin)

‘Icing Up Terribly’: The Tragic 1963 Flight That Crashed Into a Chicago Home

(WTTW News)

Chicago’s 2026 Budget Takes Effect, Forcing Chicagoans to Pay More for Shopping Bags, Uber Rides, Booze, Online Gaming — But Grocery Tax Eliminated

January 2, 2026 Full Episode

Politics

The Chicago skyline is pictured on Jan, 6, 2020. (Dawid S Swierczek / iStock)

Chicago Ready for High-Profile New Year’s Eve Celebration: Mayor, Top Cop

The festivities will take place along the Chicago Riverwalk at Wacker Drive from Wells Street to Lake Street, with a main stage located at Wacker and Franklin, officials said.

Voters fill out their ballots Nov. 4, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo / Paul Sancya, File)

After Quiet Off-Year Elections, Democrats Renew Worries About Trump Interfering in the Midterms

(WTTW News)

Mayor Johnson Backs ‘Abolish ICE’ to Win Annual Snowplow Naming Contest

(WTTW News)

Politics

The Number of Times CPD Officers Used Force Against People Increased 10% During 1st Half of 2025: Data

Jan 5, 2026 | Heather Cherone

(WTTW News)

Week in Review: From Chicago’s Budget to Immigration Enforcement, Looking Ahead to 2026

Jan 2, 2026 | Nick Blumberg

A doctor listens to a pregnant woman’s abdomen using a stethoscope. (Krakenimages.com / Adobe Stock)

Health

Illinois Maternal Mortality Report Finds Rise in Pregnancy-Related Deaths

Jan 2, 2026 | Maggie Dougherty — Capitol News Illinois

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)

Politics

Donald Trump Says He’s Dropping Push for National Guard in Chicago, Other Cities, For Now

Dec 31, 2025 | Associated Press

(WTTW News)

Dec. 30, 2025 - Full Show

Dec 30, 2025 | WTTW News

A rendering of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park proposed for the Southeast Side. (Credit: Lamar Johnson Collaborative)

Politics

Organizers Push for Ballot Referendum on South Chicago Quantum Computing Campus

Dec 30, 2025 | Joel Ortiz

Colorized transmission electron micrograph of influenza A/H3N2 virus particles, isolated from a patient sample and then propagated in cell culture. (Courtesy of NIAID)

Health

Flu Activity Increases in Chicago, Suburban Cook County During Holiday Season: Health Officials

Dec 30, 2025 | Eunice Alpasan

Immigrant rights advocates demonstrate outside the Illinois Statehouse in Springfield in May 2025, urging passage of legislation to guarantee all children the right to a free public education regardless of their immigration or citizenship status. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

Education

New Illinois Education Laws Focus on Immigrant Rights, AI in the Classroom in 2026

Dec 30, 2025 | Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois

New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, is unveiled on the Kennedy Center, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin)

Arts & Entertainment

Trump’s Renaming of the Kennedy Center Prompts New Round of Cancellations From Artists

Dec 30, 2025 | Associated Press

(WTTW News)

Crime & Law

Chicago Set to End 2025 With Fewest Homicides in Years After 30% Drop

Dec 30, 2025 | Matt Masterson

(WTTW News)

Dec. 29, 2025 - Full Show

Dec 29, 2025 | WTTW News

Artist Pooja Pittie poses in front of her interactive artwork, “What We Build to Belong,” as part of the Intuit Art Museum’s “Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago” exhibit, which is being extended through March 22, 2026. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

Arts & Entertainment

Intuit Art Museum Showcases Self-Taught Artists, Work About Migration in ‘Catalyst: Im/migration’

Dec 29, 2025 | Eunice Alpasan

The federal courthouse for the Southern District of Illinois is pictured in East St. Louis. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

Crime & Law

Trump Administration Sues Illinois Over State Law Limiting Federal Immigration Actions

Dec 29, 2025 | Brenden Moore — Capitol News Illinois

People carry sacks and boxes of food and humanitarian aid that was unloaded from a World Food Program convoy that had been heading to Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo / Jehad Alshrafi, File)

Politics

US Pledges $2 Billion for UN Humanitarian Aid as Trump Slashes Funding and Warns Agencies to ‘Adapt or Die’

Dec 29, 2025 | Associated Press

(WTTW News)

Crime & Law Politics

Steep Drop in Homicides Continued for Full Year After ShotSpotter Was Removed: Analysis

Dec 29, 2025 | Heather Cherone

(WTTW News)

Week in Review: Looking Back on the Biggest Stories of 2025

Dec 26, 2025 | Nick Blumberg

FILE - Philadelphians and visitors gather during the the lighting of the city's first kinara on the first day of Kwanzaa celebrations at the Philadelphia City Hall grounds, Dec. 26, 2023. (Jose F. Moreno / The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)

Arts & Entertainment

A Beginner’s Guide to Kwanzaa

Dec 26, 2025 | Associated Press

Christmas trees can be recycled at more than two dozen Chicago parks, Jan. 3-17. All decorations must be removed, and that includes string. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Science & Nature

Chicago Christmas Tree Recycling Locations Open Jan. 3

Dec 26, 2025 | Patty Wetli

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Springfield grocery store in 2022 in favor of temporarily eliminating the state’s grocery tax. Four years later, the tax will end permanently, at least statewide. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Politics

New Illinois Laws for 2026: Statewide Grocery Tax to End, Aquifer Protections Begin

Dec 26, 2025 | Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois

(WTTW News)

Dec. 23, 2025 - Full Show

Dec 23, 2025 | WTTW News

Quilen and Hannah Blackwell founded Southside Blooms. Quilen was named a CNN Hero of the Year. (Provided)

Arts & Entertainment

The Partnership Behind Southside Blooms and a CNN Hero of the Year Award

Dec 23, 2025 | Blake Thor

Klaus Mäkelä directs the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 18, 2025. (Todd Rosenberg)

Arts & Entertainment

Review: Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Grand Form as 2025 Draws to a Close

Dec 23, 2025 | Hedy Weiss

Pope Leo XIV talks to journalists as he leaves the Castel Gandolfo residence to head to the Vatican, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo / Gregorio Borgia)

Politics

Pope Leo XIV Disappointed Over Approval of Medically Assisted Suicide Legislation in Home State of Illinois

Dec 23, 2025 | Associated Press

(WTTW News)

Politics

After City Council Rejects Effort to Crack Down on CPD Overtime, Johnson Imposes New Limits

Dec 23, 2025 | Heather Cherone

The Illinois Supreme Court Building is pictured in Springfield in a file photo. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Crime & Law

Battle Over Chicago Police Discipline Heads to State Supreme Court, Sparking Debate on Serious Misconduct Hearings

Dec 23, 2025 | Bridgette Adu-Wadier

(Wirestock / iStock)

Arts & Entertainment

CTA, Metra and Pace Are Offering Free Rides on New Year’s Eve. Here’s What You Need to Know

Dec 23, 2025 | Eunice Alpasan

With the Supreme Court Building under renovations, the justices hear oral arguments on President Donald Trump's push to expand control over independent federal agencies, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)

Politics

Supreme Court Upholds Block of Trump’s National Guard Deployment in the Chicago Area, For Now

Dec 23, 2025 | Matt Masterson

(Roman Budnyi / iStock)

Health

Chicago Dog Tests Positive for Rabies, First in Cook County in More Than 60 Years

Dec 23, 2025 | Eunice Alpasan

Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. (Courtesy of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry)

Arts & Entertainment

2025 Chicago Holiday Events Guide

Dec 23, 2025 | Erica Demarest

(WTTW News)

Politics

Mayor Brandon Johnson Will Not Veto $16.6B Budget Plan Passed Over His Objections

Dec 23, 2025 | Heather Cherone

(WTTW News)

Crime & Law

1 Killed, 1 Wounded in Shooting on CTA Train in Downtown Chicago

Dec 23, 2025 | Matt Masterson

Nick Blumberg hosts the Dec. 22, 2025, episode of "Chicago Tonight." (WTTW News)

Dec. 22, 2025 - Full Show

Dec 22, 2025 | WTTW News