A real estate boom has homebuyers hustling. A trip to Mars — and a fascinating celestial show to watch from Earth. Our Spotlight Politics team on the mayor’s email hack and infighting in the GOP.

Devontay Anderson has been charged in federal court with fleeing Illinois to avoid prosecution for the killing of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams outside a West Side McDonald's last month, according to an FBI affidavit.

It’s illegal to forage in Cook County forest preserves. Every year, 100 citations are issued for poaching, a significant number of which involve ramps, the wild leek that gave Chicago its name.

Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) is one of three Chicago elected officials running for secretary of state in 2022.

There is no gasoline shortage, according to government officials and energy analysts. But there is a problem getting the fuel from refineries on the Gulf Coast to the states that need it, and officials are scrambling to find alternate routes to deliver that fuel.

Stuart Nitzkin, the former head of a suburban nonprofit supporting physically and psychologically challenged children, pleaded guilty to stealing money from the organization and using it to pay for golf, family vacations and tickets to sporting events.

As schools across Illinois welcome back more students for in-person learning, state officials have announced a new investment to increase access to COVID-19 testing “at low or no cost.”

The Enjoy Illinois campaign targets residents of Illinois’ border states and seeks to capitalize on what officials say is an increasing desire from those weary of the pandemic to travel by car.

A Minnesota judge has ruled that there were aggravating factors in the death of George Floyd, paving the way for the possibility of a longer sentence for Derek Chauvin, according to an order made public Wednesday.

Approximately 12.6 million U.S. households got a new pet last year after the pandemic was declared in March 2020, according to a COVID-19 Pulse Study by the American Pet Products Association.

A new WBEZ series examines how Chicago’s institutions interact with its residents. Sasha-Ann Simons, the station’s new host of “Reset,” joins us.

Although five Democrats are already jockeying to replace Secretary of State Jesse White, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward) told WTTW News he will not run to replace his political godfather. 

U.S. births dropped to their lowest level in more than 40 years in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How the pandemic is impacting family planning. 

For extra help with its massive $2.1 billion modernization project, the CTA hired a joint venture made up of three firms, including a locally owned company that started in a South Side attic. Rashod Johnson tells us about his company and his love of civil engineering.

Vaccine eligibility is expanding. We speak with Dr. Allison Bartlett, a pediatrician and associate professor of the pediatrics section of infectious diseases at University of Chicago Medicine, to learn more about vaccinating young people.