James Van Der Beek, a heartthrob who starred in coming-of-age dramas at the dawn of the new millennium, shooting to fame playing the titular character in “Dawson’s Creek” and in later years mocking his own hunky persona, has died. He was 48.

Taxpayers paid an additional $5.2 million to private attorneys to defend former Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara and the other officers named in the four lawsuits.

Legal experts say the newly enacted Clean Slate Act may help reduce gaps in record-clearing, and federal marijuana reclassification could spur broader reforms across the country.

A federal judge has upheld a first-of-its-kind Illinois law that protects consumers and retailers from paying so-called credit card “swipe fees” on taxes and tips.

Dominga Flores Gomez, 55, died in the crash that ended the chase launched by two Chicago Police Department vehicles just before 9 p.m. Sept. 28, 2022, in McKinley Park, records show.

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

Mayor Brandon Johnson vows to fight back after the Trump administration denies a disaster relief request. And why unplugged oil wells could cost Illinois residents more than $1 billion.

The Reader was recently acquired by Noisy Creek, a startup publishing company based in Washington state focused on acquiring and restoring troubled alternative news sources.

Oil production was once a major industry in Illinois, but it has steadily declined since the 1950s. Most active wells in Illinois are “stripper” wells that produce less than 1.5 barrels per day.

Chicagoans “suffered tremendously” during those storms and should be able to rely on the federal government for help, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday.

State Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) has sponsored a new pilot program that would allow companies like Waymo to service Cook, Sangamon and Madison counties with autonomous vehicles over a three-year period. 

President Donald Trump calls for Republicans to take over elections. And would you ride in a driverless car? Illinois lawmakers push for a self-driving vehicle pilot program.

The Trump administration is pushing states to hand over their full voter rolls, or list of actively registered voters. The administration has sued more than 20 states and Washington, D.C., in an attempt to secure the sensitive information.

Chicago is required to pay $2.85 billion this year into its pension funds in order to comply with a state law designed to ensure the pension funds can pay benefits to employees as they retire.

Since January 2025, Chicago taxpayers spent at least $103.1 million to resolve 14 lawsuits brought by people who were injured or on behalf of those killed during police pursuits, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.