Stories by WTTW News

Changes to state mask guidelines. Gov. Pritzker signs the state budget into law. Alderpeople on the ward remap process and the city’s casino plans. Starbucks workers unionize. And Winnie the Pooh.

WTTW News is partnering with 22 other newsrooms in the Chicago area to find out how our communities are living through the long-term effects of COVID through a survey and community conversations.

Down to the wire on a new city ward map, and some alderpeople are starting to speak out against casino locations. Plus, fallout from the RNC’s decision to avoid presidential debates, and the city’s top cop on ghost guns.

An alderperson comes out against one of the three Chicago Casino finalists; developers plan new apartments for the Magnificent Mile; and a series of ads hopes to showcase Illinois as “the middle of everything.”

Police Superintendent David Brown on ghost guns and police reform. Plus, teaching kids to fight for racial equity in this week’s book club. And remembering Harold Washington on his 100th birthday.

What an end to pandemic border rules could mean for asylum seekers. A new approach to organ donation from Latinos. Previewing the Chicago Latino Film Festival. And mariachi and improv come together.

Some lesser-known bills passed in Springfield. The city’s three casino finalists for this week’s In Your Neighborhood series. Revisiting mandatory masking. And three major religious holidays at once.

How changes in ethanol policy might affect your wallet. City Council’s newest history-making member. STDs are on the increase. And the fight for the Bell Bowl Prairie.

State lawmakers on the newly passed budget featuring direct tax relief. Willie Wilson enters the race for mayor. New inflation numbers are out. And a Lakeview staple prepares to bake its last pastry.

A breakdown of laws recently passed in Springfield. Plus, the outlook for the pandemic with the CEO of Rush Hospital. Chicago has a new top tourism ambassador, and the latest business headlines from Crain’s.

A New York firm adds a former Office Max Headquarters to its buying spree in Chicago; what’s next for the vacant office campus of a former publishing company; and inflation forces a Chicago-based food giant to get meaty.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation to the Supreme Court and what it means for the American legal system. A one-on-one interview with civil rights attorney Ben Crump and his fight for Black lives. And a visual artist and teacher with an exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry gives us the Last Word on Black creativity. 

Efforts in Springfield to combat retail thefts have some community groups concerned. A culinary school teaching entrepreneurship. And an iconic structure in Humboldt Park is up for landmark status.

One-on-one with the newest candidate for mayor of Chicago: Ald. Ray Lopez. Plus, two local doctors return from helping Ukrainian refugees in Europe. And Amanda Vinicky has the latest from Springfield.

WTTW’s latest investigation finds a company getting tax incentives from Aurora hired Mayor Irvin’s ex wife. A local take on Ken Burns’ new Ben Franklin doc. And the latest on three casino finalists.

From filling your trunk with groceries to filling your car with gas, the price is going up. A new report on climate change was released — and it’s not pretty. And what genealogists can learn from just-released U.S. census records from 1950.

A fight for transgender lives. The LGBTQ community speaks out after two Black trans women are found dead. And a preview of “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” now playing at Lyric Opera.

The relationship between law enforcement and Latino communities. Health care benefits for immigrant adults over 55. And local recovery workers on how the pandemic has affected substance abuse.

WTTW News investigates campaign filings of Republican candidate for governor Richard Irvin. Plus, international travel is taking off at O'Hare airport. And details on the president's budget proposal.

A new city watchdog could be named soon, our Spotlight Politics team has that and more on political donations to gubernatorial candidate and Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. Plus, theater with Hedy Weiss.

Politicians make plans for gas price relief. Environmentalists say a casino on the Chicago River is no better than one on the lakefront. The history behind — and underneath — the Binny’s in Lakeview.

A WTTW News investigation shows a company that donated more than $100,000 to funds connected to gubernatorial GOP candidate Richard Irvin received millions in Aurora contracts. The 11th Ward has a new alderperson in Nicole Lee. And as millions of Ukrainians flee Russia’s invasion, some refugees have already found their way to Chicago. 

A mental health initiative led by young men of color. A film about marijuana criminalization produced by a Chicago cannabis company. And A South Side ER is the backdrop for a book on U.S. health care.

A 2021 measure intended to slow gentrification in Pilsen has been extended. A new book examines why many Latinos still lack health insurance. An exhibit explores the life of a Chicago activist.

Millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief have come to Chicago. We hear from a recipient. How contact tracing efforts may change. And babies born to surrogates in Ukraine, we hear a Chicago couple’s story.

How South Side residents are hoping federal agents can help solve murder cases. Plus, Chicago moves to electronic voting in City Council. And Illinois relaxes rules on sports betting but at what cost?