With a little more than one week left until the election for Chicago mayor, five of the perceived front-runners amped up their rhetoric in WTTW’s second of three candidate forums.

Join us Monday at 7 p.m. for the second of three mayoral candidate forums, moderated by Phil Ponce. Watch on WTTW11 or live on our website, Facebook and YouTube.

A federal judge could decide this week whether or not to toss a lawsuit challenging the construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. 

Mayoral candidates square off on “Chicago Tonight.” Jason Van Dyke is attacked in prison. Is R. Kelly about to be indicted? And the controversial alliance between the Cubs and a conservative media outlet.

Chicago Tonight kicked off its series of forums Thursday with four of the 14 candidates vying to be Chicago’s next mayor: Jerry Joyce, Neal Sales-Griffin, Bob Fioretti and John Kozlar.

Illinois legislators moved quickly Thursday to deliver one of new Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s top campaign promises, a gradual hike in the statewide minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 an hour.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announces a plan for transitioning Chicago buildings to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. But community advocates say the plan ignores existing environmental threats in some parts of the city.

Odds may still favor the eventual construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, but it’s no longer a sure thing in the face of a formidable legal challenge by a parks advocacy group.

In less than two weeks, 14 candidates will appear on the ballot for mayor of Chicago. The first in our series of three mayoral candidate forums kicks off with four of those candidates.

Bill Daley gets a major endorsement for mayor while hauling in big bucks. Carol Marin, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky have details on that story and more in this week’s political roundtable.

The Chicago mayor’s race is getting a lot of attention, but it’s not the only contested citywide race in the Feb. 26 election. Meet the candidates running to replace outgoing Treasurer Kurt Summers.

The South Bend, Indiana, mayor tells us about his new memoir “Shortest Way Home” – and why his eyes are set on the White House.

A series of transition reports unveiled last week provides a look at what new Gov. J.B. Pritzker has in store for Illinois, from potential new taxes to the creation of a statewide infrastructure czar. 

As Illinoisans wait for new Gov. J.B. Pritzker to unveil his budget plan, Pritzker’s administration is delving into the perilous state of Illinois’ finances with a series of reports.  

Illinois is poised to join Washington, D.C., and at least four other states with a $15-an-hour minimum by 2025, an 82-percent spike in current base pay. But it may not be the momentous impact on low-wage workers that some supporters expected.

From tax increases to sports betting to recreational marijuana, Illinois lawmakers weigh changes to address the state’s overwhelming financial problems.