Stories by Associated Press

The success of the 2020 presidential election could hinge on a most unlikely government agency: the U.S. Postal Service. Current signs are not promising.

President Donald Trump’s end run around Congress on coronavirus relief is raising questions about whether it would give Americans the economic lifeline he claims and appears certain to face legal challenges.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced a woman in her 20s was among the eight Illinoisans who died of COVID-19 on Sunday.

Already this year, financial and enrollment problems aggravated by the pandemic have forced the permanent closure of more than 140 Catholic schools nationwide, according to officials who oversee Catholic education in the country.

While advocates have made strides in getting Native American symbols and names changed in sports, they say there’s still work to do mainly at the high school level, where mascots like Braves, Indians, Warriors, Chiefs and Redskins persist.

The United States’ failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe, as the world’s most powerful country edges closer to a global record of 5 million confirmed infections.

The president on Saturday moved to bypass lawmakers as he claimed the authority to defer payroll taxes and extend an expired unemployment benefit after negotiations with Congress on a new coronavirus rescue package collapsed.

The death of George Floyd and widespread protests over racial injustice have prompted several states to move at a lightning pace to pass significant policing reform proposals that in some cases have languished for years.

The White House signaled Saturday that the president was soon expected to sign four executive orders, contending Washington’s gridlock had compelled him to act as the pandemic undermined the country’s economy.

Joe Biden’s controversial remarks about race this week risk alienating young Black voters who despise President Donald Trump but are not inspired by his Democratic rival.

As educators prepare to welcome students back to class, schools’ ability to quickly identify and contain coronavirus outbreaks before they get out of hand will be put to the test in thousands of districts around the country.

The entire three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis at Busch Stadium was postponed Friday night after two more Cardinals players and a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.

Mayor Lightfoot tests negative for COVID-19 after appearing with an alderman who later tested positive. Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes aim at businesses flouting public health guidance with new rules designed to enforce capacity limits and the state’s mask mandate.

The mayor of south suburban Crestwood is facing federal bribery charges, according to an indictment made public Friday. He’s also charged with filing false income tax returns, and lying about it to the IRS.

Superstar Kanye West fell short of qualifying for the Illinois ballot as an independent presidential candidate by 1,300 signatures, according to the official review on Friday of the nominating petitions submitted by the Illinois native.

The CPD has named Deborah Pascua as its ADA compliance officer. In that role she’ll be tasked with ensuring “meaningful access to CPD programs, services and activities” for individuals with disabilities.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced $2 million in state funds for the Green Era Urban Farming Campus, pushing financing for the project over the top and paving the way for Friday’s groundbreaking in Auburn Gresham.  

With the state’s ban on evictions set to expire in two weeks, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced a $20 million rental assistance fund to help residents of suburban Cook County impacted by the pandemic.

Racial disparities in the U.S. coronavirus epidemic extend to children, according to two sobering government reports released Friday. 

The Cardinals have been off since last Friday, when two players returned positive coronavirus tests. Eight players in total have tested positive, including star catcher Yadier Molina. 

Brick of Chicago’s virtual tours of Printers Row, set for Saturday and Sunday, will bring the history of printing to life with a demonstration from Starshaped Press.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has tested negative for the coronavirus after appearing at a Wednesday news conference alongside Ald. Michael Scott Jr., who announced about 24 hours later that he had been diagnosed with the virus.

“This is a make or break moment for the state of Illinois, for making sure people are doing everything they can to mitigate, to reduce the spread,” the governor said. “This is a moment for us to enforce the masking requirement across the state.”

For a time, the ZIP code that comprises much of West Ridge had the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases – but not anymore. The community’s positivity rate is now below the city average.

Thursday marks the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. Where the fight for ballot access goes next.

Ridership across CTA trains and buses, Metra commuter trains and Pace buses are down about 70% compared to this time last year. With that dramatic decline in ridership comes lower revenue and strains on operational funding.