Stories by WTTW News

One-on-one with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. And upcoming deregulation for locksmiths has some consumer advocates worried. 

A historic Little Village Theater gets landmark status. A child tax credit passes as part of Illinois’ new budget. And meet a group of Latinos embracing the entrepreneurial spirit.

Residents push back on a proposed trucking hub in North Lawndale. A landmark study seeks to know more about cancer risks and outcomes in Black women. And remembering the founder of a pioneering Chicago theater company.

What the state’s $53 billion budget plan could mean for taxpayers. A push to establish a statewide public defender system. And the cicada invasion is here — what to know about our new neighbors.

School funding and a crackdown on THC — the latest from Springfield. And ahead of Memorial Day weekend, we hear stories from Latinos who served in the military.

Chicago City Council backs a plan to keep ShotSpotter. And Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s new plan for gun and drug charges tied to traffic stops.

Reaction to dramatic changes in how Chicago will fund its public schools going forward. And our Spotlight Politics team on the looming deadline to pass a state budget.

Law enforcement is sounding the alarm on guns that are still in the hand of residents who shouldn’t legally have them. A City Council battle around ShotSpotter. And the cicadas are finally here — what you need to know.

What’s behind the city’s joblessness rates among Black and Latino youth. Meet the powerful women of an ancient Mexican civilization. And Sueños Music Festival returns.

Takeaways from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first year in office. Three Chicago journalists win Pulitzer Prizes. And after 25 years in prison, one man says he’s still fighting to prove his innocence.

What’s behind the mass felling of trees at a suburban forest preserve. And eyes are on the Chicago Sky as the WNBA regular season tips off.

A controversial migrant shelter closes on the South Side. The invasion of cicadas is coming soon. And world-renowned opera star Renée Fleming.

How a funding mishap could impact local after-school programs. And more Latinos are pursuing advanced degrees — we meet a few who are celebrating their graduation this month.

One on one with the new leader of the state’s embattled Department of Children and Family Services. And uncovering the little-known history of Black ballerinas.

A big change to the school funding formula — what it could mean for students and teachers. And how Chicago police are responding to pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Chicago is set to host the Democratic National Convention this summer. It will be the city’s 27th time hosting a national political convention. Chicago conventions have been some of the most memorable, raucous and consequential in American history.

A piece of evolutionary history has made its way to the Field Museum. A remarkably preserved Archaeopteryx fossil has been acquired, offering an astonishing window into the transition between dinosaurs and modern birds. This rare and scientifically significant find sheds new light on the origins of flight and the incredible journey of evolution.

Meet Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer. Birds are modern-day dinosaurs — the Field Museum says it now has a rare fossil to prove it.

In the latest in our “A Safer City” series, we explore the many challenges facing survivors of gun violence and what resources are available on their journeys toward healing.

Addressing homelessness in the Black community. And Chaz Ebert says it’s time to give a FECK — her new book tells us how.

Hundreds rally at local universities to support Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. And our Spotlight Politics team unpacks a plan that would merge the Chicago area’s public transit agencies.

Lawmakers pitch a bold plan to merge CTA, Metra and Pace. Pushback to the Bears’ new stadium plans. And Asian American organizers plan a political action day. 

Advocates say huge warehouses and constant truck traffic are hurting Black and Brown communities. And the “physician magician” is here with a new trick up his sleeve.

Plans for a new Bears stadium on the lakefront. What’s behind changes at Rainbow PUSH. And we look back at the very first “Chicago Tonight” — which aired 40 years ago tonight!

Forty years ago, John Callaway went on the air with the very first edition of “Chicago Tonight.” Watch him interview then Mayor Harold Washington on April 24, 1984.

In the latest in our “A Safer City” series, we meet teens working to change the narrative around gun violence and hear from local organizations empowering youth.