Stories by Alexandra Silets

“We envision a city where every resident, no matter age, income, identity, ability, has the opportunities and the resources to lead comfortable lives in the communities they call home,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.

Jussie Smollett on trial again for alleged fake hate crime attack. City ward remap deadline comes and goes as Black and Latino alderpeople still at odds. COVID-19 cases skyrocket with Omicron variant now in the U.S., and more.

Live in Kenosha as Kyle Rittenhouse is found not guilty on all charges. A controversial police union leader retires from the Chicago Police Department. And city council tussles over new ward maps.

The mayor’s choice to lead the Civilian Office of Police Accountability has caused some controversy with City Council members.

Chicago school kids get a day off to get COVID vaccines. Kyle Rittenhouse gives emotional testimony in his Kenosha murder trial. Illinois’ richest resident vows to take down Pritzker. And more.

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse gets underway in Kenosha. CPS cancels classes for Nov. 12 as CDC OKs vaccine for kids. More fallout from the Chicago Park District sex abuse scandal. And Rahm Emanuel is one step closer to becoming Ambassador to Japan.

The state’s political landscape is shuffling with the new congressional map and the political fallout of the Chicago Park District sex abuse scandal. Our Spotlight Politics team on that and more. 

Rep. Adam Kinzinger plans to call it quits after the remap. Springfield lawmakers take on abortion. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s big spending budget gets approved. And the Chicago Blackhawks are reeling from a sexual misconduct investigation. 

The police union is in a standoff with the mayor over vaccine mandates. Remap proposals are drawing ire from all sides. Rahm Emanuel, at his confirmation hearing, apologizes for Laquan McDonald. And the city celebrates the Sky.

Despite holding all the power, Democratic state lawmakers are getting pushback from both sides of the aisle for the newly drawn congressional map which shrinks the number Republican House members from five to three.

The president of the police union urges a walk off over the mayor's vaccine mandate. Illinois' Democrats move against Republicans in drawing new congressional maps. The embattled park district CEO steps down. And the Chicago Sky soar in the WNBA finals.

Four City Council members share their thoughts on the mayor’s budget proposal, the embattled park district, and more.

Mayor Lightfoot and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx have been at odds. President Biden completed his previously postponed visit to Chicago tout vaccine mandates. And the White Sox struggle as playoffs get underway.

Are the Chicago Bears bound for Arlington Heights? The Obamas finally break ground in Jackson Park. Chicago R&B singer R. Kelly is convicted for sex trafficking. And two local media giants plan to merge.

Most Chicago Public Schools students have now been back in the classroom for over a week, but some parents, teachers and students say they don’t feel safe from COVID-19 in school buildings — and they’re demanding access to remote learning. 

“We've committed to strategies and measurable outcomes that hold us accountable to the public. It's not enough just to talk about equity. We must act,” Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle said.

The NFL season officially kicks off Thursday, but the Bears have to wait until Sunday for their prime-time matchup with the Rams. James “Big Cat” Williams, former offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears from 1991 to 2002, offers his take on the season.

A one-on-one discussion with Julie Rodgers, the first openly gay chaplain at Wheaton College who is featured in the Netflix documentary, “Pray Away.” She’s also the author of the new book “Outlove: A Queer Christian Survival Story.”

A surge in COVID-19 infections prompts indoor mask mandates. Democrats and Republicans campaign at the Illinois State Fair. Officer Ella French is laid to rest. And a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan has President Joe Biden on the defensive. 

Democrats have their day at the Illinois State Fair. Our politics team weighs in on that story and others — and crunches some City Council committee spending numbers — in this week’s roundtable.

The killing of a Chicago police officer highlights tension between police and the mayor. Chicago’s budget deficit shrinks. Census numbers show population growth. CPS announces a vaccine mandate.

Many guns involved in Chicago crimes are bought by straw purchasers. Just who are they — and can the flow of illegal guns be stopped?

The governor institutes a full pre-K through 12 mask mandate. The city’s casino process gets delayed. The governor’s race could get a new entrant. And fire sale Cubs take on the surging Sox.

Fears spike that Lollapalooza will be a super-spreader event, with thousands of locals and tourists attending amid surging delta variant cases. Meanwhile, masking mandates make a comeback. Illinois Republicans battle each other over the Jan. 6 committee hearings. And the Cubs shed their World Series stars.

The U.S. attorney general targets illegal guns. City Council approves civilian police oversight as shootings soar. Lollapalooza goes on despite rising COVID-19 cases. Gov. Pritzker makes it official.

A possible compromise on civilian police oversight. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg takes a Chicago infrastructure tour. And legislators whiff on ethics.