Stories by Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois

In a decision released Friday, Judge Iain D. Johnston said under current U.S. Supreme Court standards, the law violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 

Temperatures and precipitation weren’t too far above or below normal, but those tornadoes that hit the Chicago area in mid-July rewrote the record book.

The shooting took place before 5:30 a.m. Monday aboard a Blue Line train that was moving near where the line ends in Forest Park. A suspect was later arrested on another CTA line, according to police.

It’s always hot this time of year in central Arizona, but 2024 is proving to be an endless summer with especially high temperatures in Phoenix. On Tuesday, the city hit its 100th straight day with at least 100 degree temperatures. That’s long since shattered the record of 76 days in a row set back in 1993, according to data from the National Weather Service.

Illinois offers a tax credit worth up to $750 for “qualified education expenses” at both public and private schools, including book rental, lab fees and tuition.

Though consumer sentiment is slowly rising, a majority of Americans in some surveys still complain about elevated prices, given that the costs of such necessities as food, gas and housing remain far above where they were before the pandemic erupted in 2020.

The hearing date means a final decision could well come in the next administration. While it’s possible it could precede the end of President Joe Biden’s term, issuing it before Inauguration Day “would be pretty expedited,” said cannabis lawyer Brian Vicente.

The Democratic vice president and the Republican former president will devote almost all of their remaining time and resources to just seven states. They will spend hundreds of millions of dollars targeting voters who, in many cases, have just begun to pay attention to the election.

According to preliminary Chicago Police Department data, 29 people were shot in 27 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday.

The founder of a run club on going your own pace. How our highway system gets its exit numbers. And a chat with Peter Sagal of "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!"

Thousands of people thronged a Jerusalem cemetery to pay their respects to Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose face became one of the most recognizable symbols of the nearly year-old hostage crisis.

Three people were pronounced dead at the Forest Park station, an above-ground stop on the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line. The fourth victim died at a hospital.

Illinois saw 86 successful union petitions in 2023, up from 67 the year before. Those are the two highest totals in a 10-year period dating back to 2014. The prior eight years ranged from 25 to 62 successful petitions.

DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Lawrence and Hollywood avenues will be shut down overnight this week for resurfacing. Start planning your alternate route.

The school year starts, and already CPS leaders are buried in homework. Work begins on Chicago’s permanent casino. And the city stares down a nearly billion-dollar deficit.

The federal judge who ruled Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) violated the First Amendment by blocking six critics from his official Facebook page admonished him Friday for approaching her in June at a funeral even as the case remains pending.

Drivers began a work stoppage on Aug. 16 over low wages and unfair labor practices by employer SCR Medical Transportation. Roughly half of the 600 drivers on strike serve CPS students, including students with special needs.

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer and the official end of the Chicago Park District’s outdoor swim season.

It wasn’t just politicians and celebrities who took the stage at last week’s Democratic National Convention. Advocates shared their stories about how gun violence has impacted their lives and inspired them to take action. Edgar Vilchez, 19, was one of those speakers.

The program allows undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for a green card and eventually citizenship without leaving the country, a process known as “parole in place.” The White House estimated about 500,000 people were eligible for the program. 

“We make sure that all our bilingual books are written by Latino authors and that they speak to our experiences,” Laura Romaní said.

“I fell hard for Monty and Rose, the first piping plovers I ever met, and I can now bring my love and passion to their offspring and kind,” Tamima Itani told WTTW News.

Chicago is facing a nearly billion-dollar budget shortfall. A local anti-violence advocate fresh off the DNC stage. And how a Chicago business owner is helping kids access bilingual books.

Workers are continuing their protest over the state’s plan to close and rebuild Stateville Correctional Center, citing concerns over safety and job stability.

The NASCAR Chicago Street Race will return to the city next summer for the third year in a row. The Chicago Street Race Weekend will take place July 5-6, 2025.