Daily Chicagoan: Chicago Still Has $142M Left in Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds

It’s the last week of February. Spring into March with these stories from WTTW News. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) Chicago has two years to spend $142 million in federal relief funds officials have promised to use to strengthen the city’s tattered social safety net and provide direct aid to Chicagoans struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a WTTW News analysis.

Daily Chicagoan: Violence Prevention Efforts at a Crossroads

WTTW has launched Firsthand: Peacekeepers, a new documentary project that tells the personal stories of five Chicagoans who are peacekeepers in their communities. All this week, we will be featuring new journalism from the WTTW News team that shines a light on violence prevention efforts. 

The Chicago CRED outreach team listens to outreach coordinator Terrance Henderson on Jan. 28, 2025. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Daily Chicagoan: WTTW News Wants to Hear From You: Take This Survey

Help us improve the Daily Chicagoan.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News) As a reader of the Daily Chicagoan newsletter, we know you have opinions. We want to hear them! Please take a few minutes to complete this quick survey.

Daily Chicagoan: City Watchdog Urges Tighter Ethics Rules

Happy Valentine's Day to our beloved Daily Chicagoan readers. We want to hear your thoughts about this newsletter, please take a few minutes and complete this short survey.  (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) By Patty Wetli: Chicago tallied slightly less than 3 inches of snow on Wednesday, but you’d think there’d been a blizzard judging by all the salt on the ground. Walking to work Thursday, as I crossed the Foster Avenue bridge over the Chicago River, I swear the salt underfoot was actually deeper than the snow.

Daily Chicagoan: Explaining Michael Madigan’s Guilty Verdict

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025,. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois) Michael Madigan, once the state of Illinois’ most powerful politician during his decades-long run as House Speaker and leader of the Democratic Party of Illinois, has now joined the long list of local and state powerbrokers convicted on federal corruption charges. But Madigan dodged the top count — racketeering conspiracy — and several other charges.

Daily Chicagoan: Blagojevich Pardon Has Illinois Politicians Reeling

Get ready to shovel, Chicago. The biggest snowstorm of the season is here.  Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his wife, Patti, outside their Chicago home shortly after Blagojevich receiving a full pardon from President Donald Trump on Feb. 10, 2025. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois) When President Donald Trump signed the papers to pardon former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich of 18 felonies, the president explained his reasoning. “He was set up by a lot of bad people,” Trump said.

 

Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors