Stories by WTTW News

What the future holds for Urban Prep Academies. Chance the Rapper talks mental health. And paddling through history along the African American Heritage Water Trail.

City Council members debate over funding for migrants. Some welcome funding news for NEIU. And a new horror story set in Chicago.

Live from Edgewater, where residents tussle over a proposed shelter for migrants. Investigating illegal trash pickups. And the latest on the debt ceiling as the default deadline approaches.

A heated debate in City Council over funding for migrants sent from Texas. One on one with Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch. And a ride-along on the NASCAR street course.

The city’s watchdog on Chicago cops who lied while on the job. Toxic lead paint threatening kids’ health in suburban Cook County. And closing loopholes in property tax sales.

Helping veterans address mental health challenges. The professor who literally wrote the book on the country’s trillion-dollar fraud industry. And bringing basketball back to city parks.

Helping U.S. military veterans who’ve been deported. Pushback against a plan to expand I-55. And inside the big tent at Circus Vazquez.

The mayor and police unveil the city’s weekend safety plans. The latest from Springfield as the budget deadline approaches. And how Chicagoans are celebrating AAPI Heritage Month.

Mayor Johnson’s first City Council meeting — how’d it go? Hours ticking away in Springfield with budget talks heating up. Visiting with the former head of CPS. And where you can make your own rug.

Illinois attorney general reveals sex abuse ran deeper in Catholic Church than originally thought. One on one with Sen. Dick Durbin. And live from the latest location that might house migrants.

Assessing the fallout 10 years to the day CPS voted to close 50 schools. The future of artificial intelligence. When might state lawmakers finally have a budget? And a trash man who’s a community treasure.

Community groups outline their hopes for Mayor Brandon Johnson. Why Latinos are leaving the Catholic Church. And meet a local trash man named driver of the year.

Employment efforts for Black youth. The cost of wrongful convictions. Fighting for water justice. And an art exhibit showcasing gay Black men in Chicago during the 1980s. 

More questions about a former gubernatorial candidate who’s also mayor of Aurora. Will state lawmakers meet the budget deadline? And efforts to restore a 100-year-old hotel in Pullman.

Family and friends remember slain Chicago police Officer Aréanah Preston. Spotlight Politics weighs in as the mayor’s allies roll out a $12 billion financial proposal. And an emerging artist committed to community.

The court denied an emergency request from groups challenging the law, which bans so-called assault weapons. The law’s opponents had asked the high court to put the law on hold while a court challenge continues. 

What did Mayor Brandon Johnson do on his first full day in office? Illinois leads the nation in exonerations. The latest on a bevy of issues in Springfield. And the debate over mental health clinics.

Chicago’s 57th mayor takes the oath of office. A look at Brandon Johnson’s priorities in Spotlight Politics. And a live report from Springfield as the legislative session nears an end.

What young Chicagoans hope to see from their new mayor. Resources for people returning from incarceration. And learning sign language at a local library.

South Shore residents rally against plans for a migrant shelter. Controversy over a potential school closure. And a Cook County program clearing medical debt.

What the end of Title 42 means for asylum seekers. Calls for a do-over on Chicago’s elected school board map. And a group of performers celebrate Selena.

Charges are filed in the killing of a Chicago police officer. The latest on the search for the city’s new top cop. And a look back at Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s time in office.

The mayor declares a state of emergency over the migrant crisis. The former interim CPD superintendent on the search for a new top cop. And a beloved hot dog institution celebrates its 75-year anniversary.

Familiar faces join us to remember Newt Minow, a public television pioneer. How a coalition of Asian-Americans are advocating for their community. And Lori Lightfoot kicks off her last week as mayor with a farewell speech.

Chicago’s new process for picking a police superintendent is underway. Providing hope to new moms. And how an artist with thousands of red tulips is addressing systemic racism.

South Shore residents sound off on a city plan to shelter migrants. How the Kennedy construction is impacting unhoused people. And a mariachi Mother’s Day performance.