Judge Scott Larson said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton “failed to present a legal basis” for the Illinois court to consider civil arrest warrants filed in a different state.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the dog days of summer actually ended on Aug. 11. So where are we now — the hot dog days? The dog-tired days? This week’s cultural offerings are a doggone delightful six-pack of opportunities both sublime and slightly silly.

Today, the program provides benefits to almost 69 million Americans monthly. It’s a major source of income for people over 65 and is popular across the country and political lines. It also looks more threatened than ever.

As of Thursday, more than 700 wildfires were burning across the country, two-thirds of them out of control, with more than 28,000 square miles burned in 4,400 wildfires so far this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. 

The city’s One Summer Chicago program put 30,000 young people to work this year, providing jobs in transportation, health care, business and more.

A charging decision is made in the shooting death of Dexter Reed. And Chicago Public Schools’ latest effort to close its budget gap.

Springfield attorney and former chair of the Illinois Republican Party Don Tracy announced Wednesday he is running for U.S. Senate — adding to a field of candidates making a bid for outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat.

Democrats across the country are searching for a winning message in the 2026 elections, but Illinois Democrats say they’re already found one.

Texas Democrats gathered with Planned Parenthood affiliate leaders Wednesday in Chicago to highlight Illinois’ role in providing reproductive care for Texas patients and to warn how the dismantling of sexual and reproductive care in Texas threatens access in other states.

Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced Wednesday that her office will not charge any of the five officers who shot and killed Dexter Reed during a March 2024 traffic stop after he shot and  wounded an officer.

“The choices we have are difficult ones,” CPS chief budget officer Mike Sitkowski told the Board of Education, “and it’s very difficult for us to be able to make cuts of this magnitude and keep the impact off of our schools.”

The lawsuit details sixteen arrests that preceded the hire of Romel Campoverde by the district. The complaint highlights cases in which police said he admitted to being a member of the Satan Disciple street gang before he was hired at Farragut Career Academy High School.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Chicago’s money problems are getting more complicated thanks to a new pension bill. And how the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans are impacting home care workers.

The bill is designed to make sure that Chicago police officers and firefighters earn pension benefits at the same level as downstate first responders.