Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is apologizing for his interactions with a former staff member who brought a sexual harassment complaint against ex-Rep. Harry Benton to his office.

The FDA says it is tracking five separate ongoing cyclospora outbreaks. The 15-state outbreak is by far the largest. No products have been linked to the other outbreaks, including one that has sickened 115 people.

Dr. Erica Schwartz becomes the 22nd leader of the CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I had a better chance of photographing a unicorn,” Luke Dahlberg said of discovering the rare bird.

Chicago’s top federal prosecutor acknowledged “mistakes were made” in the prosecution of the botched “Broadview Six” case, but he rejected the former defendants’ call for a special prosecutor to investigate any potential wrongdoing.

In an interview with WTTW News, Mayor Brandon Johnson laid out the qualities he’s looking for in Chicago’s next top cop and stressed that there’s no need to delay that selection process until after the upcoming mayoral election in February.

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

Advocates push for two shuttered hospitals to reopen. And a new report says Chicago can’t keep trying to poison its way out of its rat problem.

Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center and Uptown’s Weiss Hospital both closed this year following federal funding cuts and reports of poor infrastructure and working conditions.

Some borrowers will be hit with higher monthly payments. New professional and graduate students will have to contend with stricter loan limits. Parents will also face tighter caps on how much they can borrow to help their kids.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday that will give the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to review and approve rate changes for homeowners and automobile policies.

The state sales tax will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25% from Aug. 7-16, 2026, and local sales taxes will still apply. School supplies, as well as clothing and shoes under $125, are eligible for the lower tax rate.

In Illinois, there have been no deaths related to the cyclospora outbreak, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Tuesday.

Mayor Brandon Johnson expressed confidence that he’ll be able to present a balanced budget in October after his Budget Director Annette Guzman abruptly resigned this week.

Chicago school board members join us to discuss their recently passed budget. And how the Shedd Aquarium’s new residents are doing.