Stories by Heather Cherone

“A grave tragedy occurred seven years ago. And that tragedy sits with me, as it has, every day and every week for the last seven years,” Rahm Emanuel said during a hearing before the Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that took place on the seventh anniversary of Laquan McDonald’s murder.

The final report from former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson did not detail why he concluded that the three employees should be disciplined, or whether city leaders would follow his recommendations.

The advisory now covers 45 states as well as Guam and the Virgin Islands, officials said.

Jay Doherty has pleaded not guilty to bribery conspiracy charges that accused him of being part of a scheme to reward those loyal to former House Speaker Michael Madigan with money and jobs. 

Sky owner Michael Alter asked for Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s help convincing state lawmakers to grant the Sky a gambling license.

The city’s response to the botched police raid in February 2019 that left Anjanette Young handcuffed while naked and pleading for help left the social worker “revictimized,” the city’s former watchdog told WTTW News’ Chicago Tonight. 

More than 35.6% of the Chicago Police department — 4,543 employees — are in jeopardy of being disciplined and eventually fired for failing to disclose their vaccination status to the city. 

Despite the watchdog's findings, Chicago officials insisted that ComEd was responsible for the outages.

Ald. Jim Gardiner's actions disgraced all Cook County Democrats, according to a statement from party leaders after a probe.

A Cook County judge ordered Police Union President John Catanzara on Friday to stop making public statements on social media or in the media that encourage police officers not to comply with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate until a hearing Oct. 25.

A 21-year veteran of the office of the inspector general, William Marback’s selection surprised several members of the Chicago City Council, who had expected Deborah Witzburg, the deputy inspector general for public safety, the No. 2 official in the inspector general’s office, to serve as the city’s watchdog at least on an interim basis.

Police and other first responders — who come in close physical contact with Chicagoans — must be vaccinated to protect the health and safety of Chicagoans, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. 

Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara's actions and rhetoric "threatens the health and safety of Chicago’s residents and first responders," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

City officials are hopeful that the two-wheeled vehicles will reduce congestion and encourage the use of public transportation throughout Chicago.

A search for a new leader of the Chicago Park District to usher into “a new era of accountability in our parks system” is underway, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

A measure that grants the Chicago Police Board the power to overrule the Chicago Police Department and remove a Chicagoan from an under-development gang database advanced Wednesday — even though it is not clear when that system will be up and running.

The Chicago City Council is poised to allow shared electronic scooters to return to Chicago streets this spring — including downtown and the 606 Trail, where they were banned in last year's pilot program.

The chairs of the City Council committees examined by Inspector General Joseph Ferguson rejected nearly all of his recommendations, and disputed that state law had been violated.

The lack of data collected by officials makes it impossible to determine whether the Chicago Fire Department meets national standards for getting to medical emergencies and fires, according to Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, who will leave office Friday at the end of his third term in office.

The landmark designation would preserve the legacy of African Americans in Chicago and ensure that future generations recognize Muddy Waters as the father of the blues, supporters said.

But with a week to go until her declared deadline, Mayor Lori Lightfoot stepped back and said she would not discipline unvaccinated employees. 

After 12 years, Inspector General Joseph Ferguson will leave office Oct. 15 — but not before completing a probe of the botched raid.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s $8 billion plan calls for Cook County’s workforce to grow by approximately 1,600 employees to a total workforce of more than 23,000 workers in 2022.

City officials said they were encouraged by the response to the program, which was designed to combat the city’s affordable housing crisis. 

The final map crafted by the Chicago Ward Advisory Redistricting Commission would increase the number of wards where Latinos make up a majority of residents by one to 14, while reducing the number of wards with a majority of Black voters by three to 15 wards. 

The policy change, which applies to unvaccinated students and takes effect Saturday, comes after more than 15,500 students were forced to quarantine during the first four weeks of the school year, but only 1.6% tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed to the virus, according to officials.