During the more than hourlong confirmation hearing, Marlene Hopkins was not asked about what she did as the top official from the city’s Buildings Department charged with overseeing the implosion of the smokestack at the former Crawford Power Plant in Little Village.

Edith Tovar, of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, said her organization helped approximately 130,000 people submit a claim for damages. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson nominated Marlene Hopkins to permanently replace former Buildings Commissioner Matthew Beaudet, whom Johnson fired last month. Hopkins’ nomination must be confirmed by the Chicago City Council.

“The time to act on environmental justice is now,”  Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

Leaders of Chicago's environmental justice movement are confident Mayor Brandon Johnson has their backs – and they won’t have to fight City Hall as well as the businesses that they blame causing high rates of cancer, heart disease, respiratory ailments and asthma by polluting the air they breathe.

The 94-page report obtained by the city's former inspector general details lapses by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Department of Buildings. Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined repeated calls to make it public. 

German-inspired outdoor markets, festive trains and buses, carols and Latino dishes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A summary of the results of the probe conducted by former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson was released in January, as required by city law. However, Lightfoot has rejected calls from Little Village residents and environmental justice organizations to release the full results of the investigation into the implosion at the former Crawford coal power plant, which sent a plume of dust over six blocks of homes in April 2020.

Music festivals, beefy burgers, colorful creatures and tasty tacos usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Fancy footwork, art fairs, cultural celebrations and chocolate usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

A new mural near 30th and Ridgeway in Little Village depicts the figures behind a pivotal moment in Chicago’s labor history: the Haymarket Affair.

COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black and Latino Chicagoans prompted state and local officials to prioritize hardest hit communities. But a new report finds that despite efforts to address racial inequities, vulnerable communities’ needs remained unmet. 

The fatal shooting of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega in Little Village is putting a spotlight on the city’s troubling gun violence. Despite a swift arrest, some community groups say their calls for more resources to address violence have gone unheard.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not respond to a question from WTTW News about whether she thought it was appropriate for her appointees to reject the inspector general’s recommendation to fire an employee of the Chicago Department of Public Health and punish two other employees of the Department of Buildings responsible for approving and overseeing the implosion of the smokestack.

The first report from interim Inspector General William Marback disclosed that Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration declined to fire an employee of the Chicago Department of Public Health or punish two other employees of the Department of Buildings responsible for approving and overseeing the implosion of the smokestack.

Holiday markets, international music, ice carving and a fairy tale play usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.