Rowdy airline passengers have now racked up a record $1 million in potential fines this year, a toll of the tumult in the sky as travelers have returned after most were grounded by the pandemic in 2020.

A Chicago police officer who was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop was remembered Thursday for a brief career marked by compassion; for her fellow officers, a one-year-old gunshot victim she sped to a hospital, and the stray dogs she ferried to an animal shelter in her squad car.

Justin Cortes, 25, is facing a first-degree murder charge after he allegedly shot and killed Angel Figueroa, 38, in Humboldt Park earlier this month as the victim rode in a car with his girlfriend and daughter.

Democrats have their day at the Illinois State Fair. Our politics team weighs in on that story and others — and crunches some City Council committee spending numbers — in this week’s roundtable.

The Chicago area has seen a 6.6% unemployment rate decrease, from 15.1% in June 2020 to 8.5% in June of this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. How a new program aims to get even more job seekers employed.

Jupiter and Earth are currently about as close as they get to each other. The outer planet is visible from sunset to sunrise and is among the brightest objects in the sky.

Chicago has once again implemented an indoor mask requirement as the Biden administration announces a COVID-19 booster shot will be available for Americans starting in September. We talk to infectious disease expert Dr. Robert Murphy about the latest guidelines.

U.S. personnel and Afghan allies are being safely evacuated from Afghanistan. The Senate-passed infrastructure bill heads to the House. And Illinois Democrats prepare to redraw the state’s congressional districts. U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis weighs in on those topics — and a possible run for governor.

It’s an annual tradition that is back after a break last year due to the coronavirus: political rallies at the Illinois State Fair. Typically, the fair is roughly six months away from the primary, but this cycle, the calendar is a bit off due to delayed census results.

Democratic maneuverings at the Illinois State Fair. The latest on masks and a vaccine booster. A Republican congressman thinks about running for Illinois governor. A new program to lower unemployment.

R&B star R. Kelly is a predator who lured girls, boys and young women with his fame and dominated them physically, sexually and psychologically, a prosecutor said Wednesday, while a defense lawyer warned jurors they’ll have to sift through lies from accusers with agendas to find the truth.

Thieves claiming to be affiliated with ComEd are contacting Illinois residents and threatening to shut off their electricity unless a purportedly “past-due” bill is paid immediately via Bitcoin, according to a warning from Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding.

The names, Social Security numbers and information from driver’s licenses or other identification of just over 40 million people who applied for T-Mobile credit were exposed in a recent data breach, the company said Wednesday.

U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to dispense COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling.