News | WTTW Chicago

(WTTW News)

CPS Schools Facing School Staffing Cuts as District’s Budget Deficit Tops $730M

Chicago Public Schools is planning to cut staff positions at schools across the city this summer as it seeks to close a budget deficit that tops $730 million.

An image of the hantavirus. (CDC)

Possible Illinois Hantavirus Case Not Linked to Outbreak on Cruise Ship

Chicago’s first eaglet in more than 100 years, seen poking out of its nest on the Southeast Side. (Chicago Park District)

Chicago’s Eaglets Draw Too Much Attention, Park District Limits Access to Nesting Site

May 12, 2026 Full Episode

Politics

(DGLimages / iStock)

Deal Reached to Delay End of Tipped Minimum Wage, Even After Johnson Veto

A spokesperson for Mayor Brandon Johnson said he supported the compromise measure even though it would undermine one of his major legislative accomplishments as he prepares to run for a second term as mayor.

The Illinois State Capitol is pictured in Springfield. (Capitol News Illinois file photo)

SAFE-T Act Once Again Under the Microscope Following Killing of CPD Officer. State Lawmakers Weigh In

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks to reporters at an event in Springfield on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Pritzker Urges Feds to Release $1B in Broadband Funds to Illinois

(WTTW News)

May 12, 2026 - Full Show

May 12, 2026 | WTTW News

Author Elise Ann Allen (right) interviews Pope Leo XIV (left) in the Vatican on July 30, 2025. (Courtesy of John L. Allen Jr.)

Arts & Entertainment

From Chicago to the Vatican, New Biography Explores Pope Leo’s Influences and Ministry

May 12, 2026 | Andrew Montequin

Leighton Criminal Court Building. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Crime & Law

Investigation Finds Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Objects to 4 of 5 Petitions for Certificates of Innocence

May 12, 2026 | Blake Thor

A wreath honors Capt. David Meyer of the Chicago Fire Department. Meyer was honored during an annual awards ceremony on May 12, 2026, after his death last year from injuries sustained battling a garage fire. (Jenna Schweikert / Capitol News Illinois)

Crime & Law

Fallen Chicago Firefighter David Meyer Among Those Honored in Annual Ceremony

May 12, 2026 | UIS Public Affairs Reporting

Arts & Entertainment

‘More Than Just a Road’: Illinois Communities Celebrate Route 66’s Centennial

May 12, 2026 | Medill Illinois News Bureau

(WTTW News)

May 11, 2026 - Full Show

May 11, 2026 | WTTW News

Left: “The End of Violence: Eliminating the World’s Most Dangerous Epidemic” book cover. (Provided) Right: Gary Slutkin appears on “Chicago Tonight” on May 11, 2026. (WTTW News)

Crime & Law

In New Book, Doctor Argues Violence Should Be Treated as an Epidemic That Can Be Cured

May 11, 2026 | Joel Ortiz

FILE- Students play ball during recess at the St. Agnes Elementary School in Phoenix, Ariz., on March 3, 2020. (AP Photo / Dario Lopez-MIlls, File)

Education Health

Pediatrics Group Issues New Guidance on Recess for the First Time in 13 Years

May 11, 2026 | Associated Press

Native plants up to 36 inches tall will be allowed in parkway gardens if an amendment to Chicago’s native garden ordinance is passed. (Jeffengeloutdoors.com / iStock)

Politics Science & Nature

Chicago’s Native Garden Registry Is Open for Applications. Here’s How To Qualify

May 11, 2026 | Patty Wetli

A new data center owned by CyrusOne is being built in Aurora. The Texas-based CyrusOne received state backing for the project in 2024. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Politics Science & Nature

How Do Data Centers Benefit the Places Where They’re Built? Local Mayors Give Mixed Reviews

May 11, 2026 | UIS Public Affairs Reporting

Craig Norrenberns, a fourth-generation Illinois grocer, poses in one of the four independent groceries he owns in southern Illinois. Norrenberns testified before a House committee about the potential impacts SNAP cuts will have on independent grocers. (Photo courtesy Norrenberns)

Business Politics

As Illinoisans Lose Federal Food Assistance, Independent Grocers Face Debt and Store Closure

May 11, 2026 | UIS Public Affairs Reporting

Chicago Pride Parade, 2025. (Courtesy of pridechicago.org)

Arts & Entertainment

2026 Chicago Summer Festival Guide

May 11, 2026 | Erica Demarest

Construction on the new White House ballroom is seen from the Washington Monument, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo / Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Politics

Democrats Vow to Fight $1 Billion Senate Security Proposal for White House Ballroom

May 11, 2026 | Associated Press

Motorbikes drive past a billboard with graphic showing the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S. and Israel strikes on Feb. 28, with his framed fist amongst his supporters framed fists in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo / Vahid Salemi)

Politics

Trump Says Ceasefire Is on ‘Life Support’ as Iran Standoff Deepens and Strait Remains Closed

May 11, 2026 | Associated Press

Chicago police officers respond to Ariel Roman, who is seated on the ground moments after he was shot inside the Grand Red Line station on Feb. 28, 2020. (Civilian Office of Police Accountability)

Crime & Law

City Lawyers Fought — And Won — Lawsuit Filed by Man Shot Twice by Police. Taxpayers Still Paid $1.37M

May 11, 2026 | Heather Cherone

(WTTW News)

Week in Review: Johnson Lobbies Lawmakers; DACA Recipients Face Delays

May 8, 2026 | Nick Blumberg

State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, listens to debate in the Illinois Senate on May 30, 2025. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Politics

Illinois Senate Advances Bill to Expel Students Who Commit Sexual Violence at School

May 8, 2026 | Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois

(WTTW News)

Crime & Law

Jury Rejects Lawsuit Filed by Uber Driver, Passenger Injured in Chicago Police Pursuit

May 8, 2026 | Heather Cherone

Mourners gathered inside St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood for the funeral of Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew on May 8, 2026. (WTTW News)

Crime & Law

‘It Was His Calling’: Mourners Gather to Say Goodbye at Funeral for Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew

May 8, 2026 | Matt Masterson

(WTTW News)

May 7, 2026 - Full Show

May 7, 2026 | WTTW News

A rendering of the CTA Red Line extension project. (Courtesy of the CTA)

Business Politics

A Community Celebrates the CTA Red Line Extension Decades in the Making

May 7, 2026 | Andrew Montequin

Community organizers hold signs during a press conference outside the Cook County Domestic Violence Courthouse on May 7, 2026 (WTTW News)

Crime & Law

Federal Immigration Agents Reportedly Spotted at 4 Cook County Courthouses Thursday

May 7, 2026 | Matt Masterson

Chicago’s first eaglet in more than 100 years, seen poking out of its nest on the Southeast Side. (Chicago Park District)

Science & Nature

It’s an Eaglet, Or 2! Chicago Celebrates First Bald Eagles Born in City in More Than 100 Years

May 7, 2026 | Patty Wetli

Members of the honor guard stand during an annual ceremony honoring fallen Illinois law enforcement officers. The ceremony on May 7, 2026, honored a Chicago police officer and Park Forest detective who died while on duty in 2025. (Jenna Schweikert / Capitol News Illinois)

Crime & Law

Fallen Police Officers From Chicago, Park Forest Honored in State Capitol

May 7, 2026 | UIS Public Affairs Reporting

The Chicago Sinfonietta performs the world premiere of “Moonrise” at Chicago Symphony Center on Nov 7, 2011. (José Francisco Salgado)

Arts & Entertainment

Chicago Sinfonietta to Pause Concerts, Lay Off Staff in Effort to ‘Stabilize and Grow’ Finances

May 7, 2026 | Eunice Alpasan

Rafiah Maxie-Cole, a licensed social worker, greets residents across different neighborhoods as she hands out gunlocks and mental health resources. (Medill)

Health

Chicago Organizations Work to Address Suicide Rates Among Black Young People

May 7, 2026 | Medill School of Journalism

(WTTW News)

Crime & Law

Chicago Lawyers Reach Settlement With 2nd Man Wrongfully Convicted of 1998 Double Murder

May 7, 2026 | Heather Cherone

Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, left, is seen along with a crowd around a vehicle on Sept. 26, 2025, outside the Broadview ICE facility. (Credit: Kat Abughazaleh)

Crime & Law

Judge Agrees to Toss Top Conspiracy Count in ‘Broadview Six’ Case

May 7, 2026 | Matt Masterson

Left: José Lozano, “La sonámbula (The Sleepwalker),” 1998, (NMMA Permanent Collection). Right: Nick Wesley, “View from the Wild Mile,” 2021 (Urban Rivers)

Arts & Entertainment

A Documentary on a Fearless Journalist and a Classic Musical: 4 Arts Picks for Your Weekend

May 7, 2026 | Josh Terry

(WTTW News)

May 6, 2026 - Full Show

May 6, 2026 | WTTW News

Anupy Singla hosts “Indian as Apple Pie.” (WTTW)

Arts & Entertainment

In New Cooking Show, Anupy Singla Makes Indian Cuisine Accessible to Home Cooks

May 6, 2026 | Shelby Hawkins

(WTTW News)

Politics

DACA Recipients in Legal Limbo as Renewal Application Delays Mount

May 6, 2026 | Blake Thor