Birthright citizenship means anyone born in the United States automatically becomes an American citizen. It’s been in place for decades and applies to children born to someone in the country illegally or in the U.S. on a tourist or student visa who plans to return to their home country.

A federal judge in Texas rejected the auction sale of Alex Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet, criticizing the bidding for the conspiracy theory platform as flawed as well as how much money families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting stood to receive.

The four-year driver's license for noncitizens features a standard red banner and replaces “Not Valid For Identification” with “Federal Limits Apply.” Noncitizens who are unable or choose not to drive also have the option to obtain a standardized ID.

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

Pressure is mounting on Mayor Brandon Johnson as the city faces a looming budget deadline. And a new book on the transformative reign of Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Forrest Claypool served twice as Richard M. Daley’s chief of staff and had a unique perspective on his leadership. Claypool is out now with a new book painting a behind-the-scenes portrait of Chicago’s longest serving mayor.

Two key Chicago City Council committees voted Tuesday to send Johnson’s $17.3 billion spending plan for 2025 to the full City Council for a final vote. The two-step process is set to start Wednesday, with a final vote scheduled for Friday.

At issue is concerns over drug exposures tied to physical mail and whether paper should be digitally scanned for incarcerated people. That debate may be over as IDOC signed a contract in October that will give the department the ability to scan physical mail and deliver digital copies, according to the contract obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it was proposing to list the monarch butterfly as an endangered species. A final decision is expected by the end of the year.

The Illinois Flag Commission chose the 10 finalists from nearly 5,000 submissions in a contest that closed in October. The fate of Illinois’ official banner will ultimately be up to lawmakers and the governor.

A judge has rejected a request from defense attorneys in the corruption trial of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan after they claimed federal prosecutors could not prove their case in one of the alleged bribery conspiracy schemes after opting not to call a key witness to testify.

“The level of compliance is unsatisfying to the public,” U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said. “I am determined that we will be seeing good progress ... in 2025. Let’s accelerate the progress.”

For only the third time in its nearly 100-year history, Shedd Aquarium is unveiling a new exhibit in its grand rotunda. “Wonder of Water” is now open to the public.

Ryne Sandberg was the National League MVP in 1984 and a 10-time All-Star during 15 seasons for the Cubs from 1982 to 1997, with 282 home runs and 344 stolen bases. After his playing career, he served as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies from 2013 to 2015.

Suspect Luigi Nicholas Mangione wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of his hand-written notes and social media posts.