“Chicago Tonight” anchor Brandis Friedman will moderate a panel of Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, Hilario Dominguez, Victor P. Henderson and Sendhil Revuluri before a live studio audience of Chicago residents for an hourlong forum on Sept. 15.

Scientists have long warned that the world will experience more intense extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, floods and droughts. But what once seemed like the realm of fiction is now discussed as a possibility, even an inevitability.

Hundreds of thousands of Chicago Public Schools students returned to their classrooms across the city Monday on the first day of school for the 2026-27 academic year as local officials continue pushing for more state funding to help prevent staffing layoffs.

Lawyers for the city of Chicago have appealed that verdict, the largest ever in a lawsuit alleging misconduct by members of the Chicago Police Department.

Taxing agencies — including schools, parks, libraries and cities — sent property tax bills totaling $19.9 billion in 2025, 3.9% more than in 2024, according to a new analysis from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ research team.

Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff’s deputy whose fatal shooting of Sonya Massey inside her home became a flashpoint over police use of force, died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence.

Elected officials try to rally voters at the Illinois State Fair. And the Cubs take two of three from the White Sox for a split Crosstown Classic.

Thousands of those affected by this month’s damaging downpours and ongoing power outages have joined a class action lawsuit targeting Indiana’s largest power utility, claiming it neglected “foreseeable and preventable” issues prior to the storms.

“Refugees and immigrants don’t get that much of a chance to share their stories,” said Ali Tarokh, the director of development and communications at the Syrian Community Network. “It’s all about reminding each other that we are human. We need to take care of each other.”

A federal judge this week sentenced Brian Metcalf, a former CPS network chief and principal at Gage Park High School, to a year and one day in prison after he entered a guilty plea on wire fraud charges.

Chicago DSA declined to endorse Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st Ward) because he would not tell the group he considers himself an anti-Zionist and Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward) because she supported reversing a 2023 City Council vote to phase out the tipped minimum wage and voted against spending on the migrant crisis.

How a toll increase could impact your commute and your wallet. And why Illinois lags behind almost every other state in building new housing.

The median sale price for homes in Chicago hit $425,000 in July, according to data from Illinois Realtors. That’s a 13.3% increase from last year. Across the state, the median price of $338,000 represented a 6% increase in a year.

President Donald Trump has been the dominant political force within the Republican Party for more than a decade, but he was barely mentioned by party leaders at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday.

Party leaders say Republicans need to balance campaigning on ethics problems with addressing voters’ concerns about affordability.