One-on-one with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. And upcoming deregulation for locksmiths has some consumer advocates worried.
NATO in Chicago -
New Lawsuit Details More Allegations of Sex Abuse in Illinois Youth Centers Over 2 Decades
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![The office building at 100 North Western Avenue in Chicago, on Monday, May 6, 2024, where an office of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is located. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast) The office building at 100 North Western Avenue in Chicago, on Monday, May 6, 2024, where an office of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is located. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Youth_Center_Abuse_Illinois_24127616578082.jpg)
“This is abuse that occurred at the hands of those who were hired to protect and educate the residents of these facilities,” attorney Todd Mathews said Monday. “Instead, they created a horrific environment and performed unspeakable acts on these survivors.”
![The office building at 100 North Western Avenue in Chicago, on Monday, May 6, 2024, where an office of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is located. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast) The office building at 100 North Western Avenue in Chicago, on Monday, May 6, 2024, where an office of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is located. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Youth_Center_Abuse_Illinois_24127616578082.jpg)
Shootings, Homicides in Chicago at Lowest Levels Since 2019: Police
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![(WTTW News) (WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/ChicagoPolice_C2N_1.jpg)
Through the end of May, there have been 204 homicides and 979 shootings, both of which are the lowest totals for any year in Chicago since 2019.
![(WTTW News) (WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/ChicagoPolice_C2N_1.jpg)
Chicago LGBTQ+ Elected Officials Celebrate Start of Pride Month With Flag-Raising Ceremony at Daley Plaza
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![Raising of the progress pride flag at Daley Plaza for Pride Month on June 3, 2024. (WTTW News) Raising of the progress pride flag at Daley Plaza for Pride Month on June 3, 2024. (WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Pride_Flag_Raising_060324_Credit_WTTWNews.jpg)
The Progress Pride flag raised Monday at Daley Plaza features rainbow-colored stripes along with black and brown stripes to symbolize marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color. The blue, pink and white stripes symbolize transgender and non-binary members of the LGBTQ+ community.
![Raising of the progress pride flag at Daley Plaza for Pride Month on June 3, 2024. (WTTW News) Raising of the progress pride flag at Daley Plaza for Pride Month on June 3, 2024. (WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Pride_Flag_Raising_060324_Credit_WTTWNews.jpg)
Chicago Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks Announce New Broadcast Network Will Launch in October
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![Guaranteed Rate Field is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News) Guaranteed Rate Field is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Guaranteed_RateField_FILE_C2N.jpg)
Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) is set to launch in October and will broadcast Chicago Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks games along with other content through traditional cable providers, streaming services and over-the-air broadcasts, according to a Monday announcement.
![Guaranteed Rate Field is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News) Guaranteed Rate Field is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Guaranteed_RateField_FILE_C2N.jpg)
Unusual Mix of Possible Candidates Line Up for Chicago’s First School Board Elections This Fall
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![Chicago School Board candidate, rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith, looks over signature petitions for his candidacy during an interview with The Associated Press at his home in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast) Chicago School Board candidate, rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith, looks over signature petitions for his candidacy during an interview with The Associated Press at his home in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Chicago_School_Board_1st_Election_24150692883153.jpg)
The historic November races are part of a multi-year transition that is hard to explain to voters. Special interest groups are taking notice. And questions loom about how the new 21-member board, triple the current size, will govern.
![Chicago School Board candidate, rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith, looks over signature petitions for his candidacy during an interview with The Associated Press at his home in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast) Chicago School Board candidate, rapper Che “Rhymefest” Smith, looks over signature petitions for his candidacy during an interview with The Associated Press at his home in the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Chicago_School_Board_1st_Election_24150692883153.jpg)
At Least 3 People Killed by Gunfire Over Weekend Across Chicago: Police
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/CPD_HQ_FILE_CREDIT_Michael_Izquierdo-6.jpg)
A man who was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood Sunday was among at least three people killed by gunfire across Chicago over the weekend.
![(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/CPD_HQ_FILE_CREDIT_Michael_Izquierdo-6.jpg)
Johnson’s Plan to Speed Up Efforts to Spend Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Before It’s Too Late Set to Take Center Stage at City Hall
Jun 3, 2024 0 Comments![(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/YearEndQuiz_Chicago_Skyline_FILE_CREDIT_Michael_Izquierdo-8.jpg)
In all, Chicago spent $202 million on a host of programs including affordable housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth job programs and help for unhoused Chicagoans through March 31, records show.
![(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/YearEndQuiz_Chicago_Skyline_FILE_CREDIT_Michael_Izquierdo-8.jpg)
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (and Comedian Robert Smigel) on the Cubs, Chicago Pizza and Rod Blagojevich
Jun 2, 2024 0 Comments![Robert Smigel as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. (Credit: Exploring the Right Brain)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Triumph%20and%20Rob%2C%20Oct.%202011%2C%20from%20Wiki.jpg)
Robert Smigel may be best known as the breeder behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the crass canine puppet whose jokes make Don Rickles look housebroken. We sit down with him before his Chicago show.
![Robert Smigel as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. (Credit: Exploring the Right Brain)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Triumph%20and%20Rob%2C%20Oct.%202011%2C%20from%20Wiki.jpg)
Members of Illinois House Speaker’s Staff Sue Over Ongoing Unionization Conflict
Jun 1, 2024 0 CommentsThe Illinois Legislative Staff Association, which formed in the fall of 2022, claims House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining since then is a violation of the Workers’ Rights Amendment.
Pride Month is Starting to Show Its Colors Around the World. Here’s What to Know
Jun 1, 2024 0 Comments![FILE - Revelers participate in the NYC Pride March, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in New York. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP Photo, File) FILE - Revelers participate in the NYC Pride March, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in New York. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP Photo, File)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/US_Pride_Things_to_Know_24150478623415.jpg)
Pride Month, the worldwide celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and rights, kicks off Saturday with events around the globe. But this year’s festivities in the U.S. will unfold against a backdrop of dozens of new state laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender young people.
![FILE - Revelers participate in the NYC Pride March, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in New York. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP Photo, File) FILE - Revelers participate in the NYC Pride March, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in New York. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP Photo, File)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/US_Pride_Things_to_Know_24150478623415.jpg)
AI Regulations, Ban on ‘Captive Audience’ Meetings Among 466 Bills Passed by Illinois Lawmakers This Session
May 31, 2024 0 Comments![The Illinois Capitol dome is pictured through the trees in Springfield. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois) The Illinois Capitol dome is pictured through the trees in Springfield. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/20240523%20DOME%20THROUGH%20TREE%20AA_CREDIT_Andrew%20Adams%20_CNI.jpg)
A bill banning what unions refer to as employer-sponsored “captive audience” meetings about religion and politics has cleared the General Assembly. It was one of 466 measures to do so during the Illinois legislature’s spring session, including a bill allowing for digital driver’s licenses.
![The Illinois Capitol dome is pictured through the trees in Springfield. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois) The Illinois Capitol dome is pictured through the trees in Springfield. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/20240523%20DOME%20THROUGH%20TREE%20AA_CREDIT_Andrew%20Adams%20_CNI.jpg)
Marian Robinson, Mother of Michelle Obama, Dies at 86
May 31, 2024 0 Comments![FILE - Former first lady Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, center, arrives for a ceremony as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for the unveiling of their official White House portraits in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sept. 7, 2022. (Andrew Harnik / AP Photo, File) FILE - Former first lady Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, center, arrives for a ceremony as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for the unveiling of their official White House portraits in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sept. 7, 2022. (Andrew Harnik / AP Photo, File)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Obit_Obama_Mother_in_Law_24152827961565.jpg)
Marian Shields Robinson's death was announced by Michelle Obama and other family members in a statement that said “there was and will be only one Marian Robinson. In our sadness, we are lifted up by the extraordinary gift of her life.”
![FILE - Former first lady Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, center, arrives for a ceremony as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for the unveiling of their official White House portraits in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sept. 7, 2022. (Andrew Harnik / AP Photo, File) FILE - Former first lady Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson, center, arrives for a ceremony as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden host former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for the unveiling of their official White House portraits in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sept. 7, 2022. (Andrew Harnik / AP Photo, File)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Obit_Obama_Mother_in_Law_24152827961565.jpg)
Week in Review: Donald Trump Convicted; Illinois Passes Record $53.1B Budget
May 31, 2024 0 Comments![](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/cwir053124_C2N.jpg)
A New York jury finds Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts. What’s in the state’s biggest-ever budget. And is Chicago ready for this summer’s DNC?
![](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/cwir053124_C2N.jpg)
Cynthia Yeh Bangs the Drums (and More) Brilliantly in CSO World Premiere: Review
May 31, 2024 0 Comments![CSO principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh in the CSO-commissioned, world-premiere performance of Jessie Montgomery’s “Procession” with conductor Manfred Honeck and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (Todd Rosenberg) CSO principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh in the CSO-commissioned, world-premiere performance of Jessie Montgomery’s “Procession” with conductor Manfred Honeck and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (Todd Rosenberg)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/CSO20240530_140.jpg)
Cynthia Yeh, who has been the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s principal percussionist since 2007, can make wonderfully expressive music by playing on nothing more than a bunch of clay flowerpots, writes WTTW News theater critic Hedy Weiss.
![CSO principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh in the CSO-commissioned, world-premiere performance of Jessie Montgomery’s “Procession” with conductor Manfred Honeck and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (Todd Rosenberg) CSO principal percussionist Cynthia Yeh in the CSO-commissioned, world-premiere performance of Jessie Montgomery’s “Procession” with conductor Manfred Honeck and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. (Todd Rosenberg)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/CSO20240530_140.jpg)
Chicago Protesters Denounce 2nd Inauguration of El Salvador’s President, Claiming Government ‘Altered the Electoral Process’
May 31, 2024 0 Comments![Demonstrators gather outside the Consulate General of El Salvador in Chicago on May 31, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News) Demonstrators gather outside the Consulate General of El Salvador in Chicago on May 31, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/ElSalvadorConsultateProtest_02_053124_Blair_Paddock_WTTWNews.jpg)
Protestors denounced the second inauguration of El Salvador’s controversial president, Nayib Bukele. He will be entering his second term after an overwhelming victory in February — a move against El Salvador’s constitution, which prohibits presidential reelection.
![Demonstrators gather outside the Consulate General of El Salvador in Chicago on May 31, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News) Demonstrators gather outside the Consulate General of El Salvador in Chicago on May 31, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/ElSalvadorConsultateProtest_02_053124_Blair_Paddock_WTTWNews.jpg)
Piping Plover Egg Spotted at Montrose Beach, A Win for Groups Working to Restore Population of the Endangered Bird Species
May 31, 2024 0 Comments![Left: Native-born Imani at Montrose Beach, April 2023. (Courtesy of Matthew Dolkart) Right: A piping plover egg – a product of piping plover pair Imani and Searocket – recently spotted at Montrose Beach. (Courtesy of Chicago Park District) Left: Native-born Imani at Montrose Beach, April 2023. (Courtesy of Matthew Dolkart) Right: A piping plover egg – a product of piping plover pair Imani and Searocket – recently spotted at Montrose Beach. (Courtesy of Chicago Park District)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/post-thumb/public/field/image/Plover_Egg_2023_2024_Credit_ChicagoParkDistrict_DolkartMatthew.jpg)
The egg is the product of a recent pair bond between native-born Imani, who hatched at Montrose Beach in 2021, and Searocket, one of the 5-week-old captive-reared piping plover chicks released at the beach last year.
![Left: Native-born Imani at Montrose Beach, April 2023. (Courtesy of Matthew Dolkart) Right: A piping plover egg – a product of piping plover pair Imani and Searocket – recently spotted at Montrose Beach. (Courtesy of Chicago Park District) Left: Native-born Imani at Montrose Beach, April 2023. (Courtesy of Matthew Dolkart) Right: A piping plover egg – a product of piping plover pair Imani and Searocket – recently spotted at Montrose Beach. (Courtesy of Chicago Park District)](https://news.wttw.com/sites/default/files/styles/taxonomy-page-hero/public/field/image/Plover_Egg_2023_2024_Credit_ChicagoParkDistrict_DolkartMatthew.jpg)