Stories by WTTW News

You might remember her as the devilish Vera on Downton Abbey. But Irish singer, songwriter, and actress Maria Doyle Kennedy also has a heavenly singing voice. She joins us for a conversation and performance.

Ald. Joe Moore responds to ethics violations alleged by Legislative Inspector General Faisal Khan. Watch the web extra video.

Illinois Rep. Deb Mell is officially sworn in to her new City Council job as alderman of the 33rd ward and her father Ald. Dick Mell's replacement. Paris Schutz has the details on that, and response from Ald. Joe Moore about ethics investigations news we broke on Sunday. Watch web extra video.

Chicago Public Schools introduced its 2014 school budget on Wednesday amid protesting parents and teachers. Officials say they will fill the $1 billion budget gap with $68 million in classroom cuts and the use of $700 million from reserve funds. Elizabeth Brackett has the details.

School closings, ethics probes and more; we have the latest City Council news from our aldermanic roundtable.

We take a look at Chicago’s rebounding housing market. How does the city compare with the rest of the county? And will this upward trend continue? Elizabeth Brackett and her guests discuss the issue.

It's official! Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton welcomed a baby boy in London. Author, blogger and local Brit-commentator Toni Hargis joins us with details about the hoopla surrounding the birth of the royal baby.

Chicagoan Allegra Rosenberg, 17, has become a YouTube sensation, writing songs beloved by fans of Doctor Who, BBC Sherlock and other off-beat pop culture hits. We revist Jay Shefsky's profile. Watch music videos.

Chicago cop-turned-actor Dennis Farina died today at age 69. Watch web extra video of Farina from WTTW's archives.

Sen. Dick Durbin urges all law enforcement agencies to use the federal database resources to track guns found at crime scenes. Elizabeth Brackett has the story. Read Durbin's letter.

We share what you had to say about Ald. Joe Moore caught in an ethics investigation and on the Better Government Association's hospital investigation in tonight’s Viewer Feedback.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the latest hit to Cook County taxpayers: they’re on the hook for almost $500,000 due to Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios wrongly firing 11 people. Also, the panel further debates the clout-heavy Metra story. Watch the web extra conversation.

The latest casualty in the state’s battle for pension reform is Chicago’s credit ratings. Moody’s Investors Service has bumped the city’s general obligation and sales tax ratings down three notches. We discuss what this triple downgrade means.

Wrigley Field redevelopment plans pass the Chicago Plan Commission with the support of Ald. Tom Tunney. Paris Schutz has the latest.

The new Art Institute of Chicago exhibition, Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity, is the first of its kind to look exclusively at the ways in which the Impressionists used fashion to communicate the idea of "modern." View a slideshow and read excerpts from the fashion catalogue.

We share what you had to say about  Lisa Madigan's announcement that she will not run for governor, controversy arising over the plan for a lakefront hotel in Evanston, and ousted Metra CEO Alex Clifford’s RTA probe in tonight’s Viewer Feedback.  

New charges of patronage, no-bid contracts and strong-arming by Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan come to light as ousted Metra CEO Alex Clifford speaks out for the first time. Clifford told the RTA Wednesday that Madigan's requests reflected a "moral and ethical character flaw." Paris Schutz has the details.

A new investigation by the Better Government Association reveals doctors and staff at Cook County's Stroger Hospital are allegedly shorting their hours and wasting taxpayer money. We discover the BGA's disturbing findings and what the hospital has already done as a result of the investigation. Read an article.

Hearings begin Tuesday on a lawsuit seeking to block the planned closure of 50 Chicago Public Schools. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of parents, are backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. Elizabeth Brackett has the latest.

GQ editor Michael Hainey travels back in time to uncover the true story of his father’s mysterious death. We revisit a conversation with Hainey about his book, After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story. Read an excerpt and watch a web extra video.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that she will not be running for governor in 2014, but instead seek a fourth term as the state's chief legal officer. Read her statement.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed Monday that the Justice Department is continuing to investigate the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin despite George Zimmerman's acquittal. Elizabeth Brackett has local reaction to the verdict, and what the next steps in the case may be.

We share what you had to say about concealed carry legislation in Illinois in tonight's Viewer Feedback.

Joel Weisman and his panel of journalists discuss the week's top headlines.

It was revealed this week that Chicago Public Schools' central office has decided to strip a majority of the funds raised by individual CPS schools. Joel Weisman and his panel of local journalists take a deeper look into the Sun-Times story. Watch the web extra conversation.