Stories by Heather Cherone

The total cost to Chicago taxpayers to defend and settle 16 lawsuits naming former Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara is set to reach at least $206 million on Wednesday, records show.

Since the start of 2026, Chicago taxpayers have paid $46 million to resolve eight lawsuits filed by the families of those killed or seriously injured during a police pursuit that violated Chicago Police Department policy, records show.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was taken to the hospital for tests after being struck in the face by a foul ball while standing in front of the on-deck circle.

Despite gray skies and rain at today’s game, the message among fans — at least before the game’s brutal end — was clear: this is a team on the upswing.

Mayor Brandon Johnson puts an end to speculation and announces he’s seeking another term. And could new concessions clear the way for the resale of Chicago’s parking meters?

It was all part of an event called the Big Jump, a new addition to this year’s open water Chicago River Swim. The jump is a way to take part in the river swim celebration without having to go the one- or two-mile distance of the main event.

The county program provides funding for numerous services including crisis intervention, emergency financial assistance and behavioral health.

An $18 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund will help researchers measure how resilient these plants are to drought and other climate stressors, how much carbon they can store and for how long, and how to get the plants onto farms at scale.

Attorney General Todd Blanche is blurring traditional boundaries between politics and federal law enforcement with recent speeches at political events that mark a sharp departure from norms meant to protect the Justice Department from the appearance of partisan bias.

The medical and animal care staff at Shedd Aquarium have been on an emotional rollercoaster the past few months as the institution participated in an unprecedented rescue of 10 beluga whales.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ground beef prices hit $7.16 per pound in August 2026, a 7.9% jump from 2025. That’s more than double the overall annual inflation rate of 3.4%, and nearly triple the rate for food overall.

Calls for increased safety regulations on artificial intelligence have reached a boiling point following a post on X from former OpenAI and Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon that warned of a potential doomsday scenario.

Calls for more regulations on AI grow — we look at some proposals. And what’s behind record-high beef prices?

More than a dozen Illinoisans are taking legal action against the Trump administration claiming they were victimized by the violence and abuse federal agents allegedly carried out across Chicago and beyond during the expanded immigration enforcement operation known as “Midway Blitz.”

The 62nd Chicago International Film Festival takes place Oct. 14-25 across various venues. Highlights include the 30th anniversary of the festival’s “Black Perspectives” program, an inaugural physical media fair, local filmmakers and films from more than 60 countries.

Advocates said it’s time to recognize the value of second chances, and for parole, or “earned reentry,” to be reinstated. That would allow people to be released before the completion of their sentence.

The Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards voted 12-6 Thursday to advance a revised measure that was crafted by critics of Mayor Brandon Johnson on the City Council and is supported by landlord groups and the city’s business community.

As Pete Crow-Armstrong came up with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, the Wrigley Field crowd chanted “M-V-Pete! M-V-Pete!“ — and not for the first time Wednesday night.

Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.

Nationally, the share of Latinos who speak Spanish at home declined from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2024, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The decline has been particularly pronounced among U.S.-born Latinos, as English becomes increasingly dominant across generations.

Residents are pushing back on plans to build a 24/7 Amtrak maintenance facility in Bridgeport. The transportation company said a new site is necessary, citing the current South Loop location as “undersized and fragmented.”

Pushback on a plan for a new Amtrak facility. And how a new generation of Latino parents is keeping a part of their culture alive.

La actual integrante de la junta Jessica Biggs, el exdirector político del Sindicato de Maestros de Chicago (CTU) Hilario Dominguez, el exvicepresidente de la junta Sendhil Revuluri y el abogado litigante Victor Henderson son los cuatro candidatos que buscan convertirse en el próximo presidente de la junta.

The Committee on Housing and Real Estate voted 12-9 to advance a revised measure designed by Mayor Brandon Johnson to shift the balance of power toward renters from landlords.

The Trump administration denied Illinois’ two most recent requests for disaster help last year.

“The self-evident truth is that the government is still contorting itself to avoid the very transparency that it claims to embrace while opposing any further judicial inquiry into what transpired here,” defense attorneys wrote in a new filing.