Black artists and culture have shaped the country genre for generations, pulling from the melodies of Black hymns and incorporating African instruments like the banjo. 

Anti-violence programs could be seeing more federal dollars. Exploring country music’s roots in Black culture. And the ex-chair of the state Prisoner Review Board speaks out after a tragic death.

“It’s one thing to say that I think the judgment was in error,” Donald Shelton said in an exclusive interview with WTTW News. “It’s another thing to say that there was a lack of concern for a victim of domestic violence.”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday announced his department’s plan to spend $78 million to support community violence intervention programs and research in Chicago and across the country.

Members of Theaster Gates’ Rebuild Foundation have been working to restore Frankie Knuckles’ vinyl record collection for the last eight years.

Get to the airport early and do your research ahead of time about what you can pack, TSA officials said.

The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by Black smokers and young people. It comes amid growing concerns from advocates that the federal plan could be derailed by election-year politics.

“Like many cities, we are in the process of recovering from the impact of the pandemic, resulting in vacancies, particularly our storefronts and offices,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We have to respond to these changes. As a city, we have to do it in a creative and collaborative way.”

In an unusual order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had asked prosecutors and defense lawyers to formulate proposed jury instructions for most of the charges even though it remains unclear when the case might reach trial.

Sixteen tornadoes were reported Tuesday and Wednesday morning across Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, along with dozens of damaging wind reports, including gusts topping 100 mph in Kentucky. The Illinois tornado was reported by a trained weather spotter Tuesday near Manteno in Kankakee County, according to the National Weather Service.

The killing of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins is drawing attention to a small state board responsible for deciding when prisoners can be released on parole.

Johnson makes a change to his administration. A meeting of two WWII veterans more than 80 years in the making. And we explore the surge of interest in women’s basketball.

Two local WWII veterans associated with a deadly ship explosion off the coast of Japan met in person for the very first time last week in Evanston. Myron Petrakis is just shy of his 102nd birthday; Marvin Elfman is 97.

Since Mayor Brandon Johnson took office, Cristina Pacione-Zayas has served as his first deputy chief of staff, charged with overseeing the city’s response to the arrival of nearly 38,500 migrants from the southern border.

Millions of people — 12.3 million, the most to ever watch a women’s basketball game, according to ESPN — tuned in across America to watch the opener of an NCAA Tournament doubleheader that captivated fans like never before.