Some officials are pushing for policies to address root causes of violence and help offenders repair their relationships with their communities.

As the federal workforce is undergoing layoffs, buyouts and changing policies, WTTW News is looking to hear directly from those impacted. If you have a story to share, or you just want to pass along your contact information, we are eager to hear from you.

“He has stuck a middle finger in the face of the American people,” U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (14th District) said, “and it’s unacceptable.”

The firings appeared to focus on employees in the agency’s centers for food, medical devices and tobacco products — which includes oversight of electronic cigarettes. It was not clear whether FDA employees who review drugs were exempted.

The move comes less than three weeks since the midair collision over Washington, DC, that killed 67 people and that highlighted shortages of air traffic controllers and FAA infrastructure issues.

Leaders of Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark and the European Union arrived at the Elysee Palace for talks on Europe’s security quandary. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is also attending.

As Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency team muscle through Washington, D.C., on a mission to cut spending, a Republican state legislator said Illinois could take a cue.

Illinois corruption takes center stage as Michael Madigan is convicted of bribery and Rod Blagojevich gets a pardon. Plus, why a project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes is on hold.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will present his seventh budget proposal Wednesday as the state faces a projected $3.2 billion revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance used his first major speech as vice president to lambast European politicians for suppressing free speech, losing control of immigration and refusing to work with hard-right parties in government.

Critics see the task force initiative as unnecessary and pandering to Trump’s base. But some Christian supporters said it is overdue, claiming the Biden administration had discriminated against them through actions and inactions.

Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, and five high-ranking Justice Department officials resigned Thursday after she refused an order to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams — a stunning escalation in a dayslong standoff over the Trump administration prioritizing political aims over criminal culpability.

Nearly 1,300 probationary employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — roughly one-tenth of the agency’s workforce — are being forced out under the Trump administration’s move to get rid of all probationary employees.

The General Assembly Retirement System of Illinois sent the former Illinois Speaker of the House notice by mail, according to the State Retirement Systems. The suspension comes days after Madigan was convicted on 10 felony counts of bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud in his landmark corruption trial.

Republican lawmakers are championing the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act that would require voters to show proof of citizenship like a REAL ID, a passport, a birth certificate or other eligible documentation.

The Department of Law “selectively acts in opposition to the OIG’s investigative work when OIG’s work may result in embarrassment or political consequences for city leaders,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg wrote.