It’s April Fools’ Day, so be vigilant when reading the news and scrolling online today. While there are no pranks or goofs in this newsletter, there are several fact-based, reported stories about Chicago from WTTW News.  (WTTW News)  The Chicago Teachers Union announced a tentative contract agreement this morning with Chicago Public Schools officials, capping nearly a year of tense negotiations that pitted union leaders allied with Mayor Brandon Johnson against CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.

This Monday, WTTW News has an interview with Kat Abughazaleh, who is running for Congress, a story on the CPS-CTU contract and an update on the Southwest Side's debate over bike lanes.  Kat Abughazaleh (Provided)  Progressive media star Kat Abughazaleh, 26, told WTTW News she plans to leverage her social media fame into real political power by ousting U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, 80, who has represented Illinois’ 9th Congressional District since 1999.

It’s Friday and another warm day. Enter the weekend with an update on fungi from Patty Wetli, a heartbreaking story about a family caught in immigration limbo and more from WTTW News.  Tree lungwort lichen. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)  Patty Wetli: If I asked a random person to name a species of wildlife, I’m willing to bet the first thing out of their mouth would be an animal. A lion or an elephant, maybe a shark. If I asked that same person to keep going, to get to 20 or 50 species, I might need to hint that they could include plants.

It’s Thursday and opening day for Major League Baseball. The Cubs are away at the Diamondbacks while the Sox are at home versus the Angels. Read on for today’s top stories.  Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the news media on June 12, 2024, alongside Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione Zayas.

Today we bring you your senator's reaction to the biggest political story this week and an update on Stateville Correctional Center's closing. 

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth appears on “Chicago Tonight” via Zoom on March 25, 2025. (WTTW News)

It’s Tuesday. Check out these stories from WTTW News about a tense mayoral election in Aurora, an interview with U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez and more DOE lawsuits hitting Chicago-area schools.  (WTTW News) The U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into Chicago Public Schools, the Illinois State Board of Education and Deerfield Public Schools alleging violations of sex discrimination.

It's Monday and this newsletter producer's bracket is already busted. Take a minute from college hoops to catch up on these stories from WTTW News.  Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory A federal report card gave Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory barely passing grades, continuing recent developments that included the exit of its director and a high-profile whistleblower report documenting a series of potential problems at the national laboratory.

Happy Friday! Read on for the latest on the CPS budget, transportation and a spring break travel forecast.  The National Weather Service operates 160 of these doppler radar stations, which allow forecasters to "see" the formation of tornadoes and issue warnings. (Credit: Goodvibes Photo / iStock) Patty Wetli: When I first started covering the urban nature beat at WTTW News five years ago, I wouldn’t have guessed that reporting on weather would be such a big part of the job.

It’s cold again (and snowy?). When will it end? Hope you filled out your bracket in time, Chicago. Here’s what else is happening today.  (terimakasih0 / Pixabay) Illinois students have yet to recover from pandemic-era learning losses, according to a recent study from the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative that showed less than a quarter of school districts are “back to pre-pandemic levels in English language arts.” The figure is even lower for math scores.  One change Gov. J.B.

It's up and down weather this week. While it was warm and windy yesterday, it's rainy today with a chill on the horizon. Stay grounded with these stories from WTTW News.  Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the news media on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, alongside Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione Zayas and Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski.