Stories by WTTW News

Watch the May 12, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

An effort to protect 3,200 affordable homes in Chicago from the worst of the economic crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic advanced Tuesday, with aldermen endorsing a plan to create a $3 million fund.

In a 24-hour period from Monday to Tuesday, the state conducted nearly 30,000 coronavirus tests and confirmed another 4,014 cases of COVID-19. “The more you test, the more positive cases you find,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

The Cook County sheriff is challenging a federal court order that outlines how his office must combat COVID-19 at the Cook County Jail, and called ongoing efforts by activists to get more detainees out of the jail a “waste of resources.”

A 71-year-old man is being held on $1 million bond after he was charged with the criminal sexual assault of his teenage stepdaughter in a home they shared with the girl’s mother, who was working in a COVID-19 clinic.

In the latest sign that the coronavirus pandemic will reshape summer in Chicago, city officials informed aldermen Tuesday that no permits will be issued for block parties through May 31 — banning the popular parties on Memorial Day weekend.

Illinois is seeking to create an “army” of contact tracers, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said earlier this month. A suburban college is hoping to meet that demand.

The impact of the coronavirus is being felt in nearly every aspect of daily life, but it’s not the only health crisis people are facing. “Addiction can kill you as well,” said Aaron Weiner, a local addiction services director.

The Illinois EPA will hold a virtual hearing Thursday to determine whether it should issue a permit allowing General Iron to operate on the city's Southeast Side. 

In the COVID-19 era, the process of cleaning and disinfecting shared spaces is more crucial than ever. A local cleaning company gives us a demonstration of the tools in its arsenal for killing the virus.

Delivery companies would have to disclose the commission or service fee paid by a restaurant under new rules announced Tuesday by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as the apps have come under fire for hurting already-struggling restaurants.

Jahquez Scott, 21, was found in a home on the city’s West Side on Saturday, days after the FBI announced a $2,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

A select group of Illinois hospitals can now treat patients with the only drug so far authorized by the FDA as a treatment for COVID-19. Now the question is: Exactly who will get remdesivir?

The behind-the-scenes story of Scottie Pippen’s infamous refusal to take the court during a 1994 playoff game as told by Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson on “Chicago Tonight” in 1995.

The Belmont Cragin neighborhood has become a COVID-19 epicenter, reporting 1,993 cases in its major zip code Monday. We speak with Chicago Alds. Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward) and Felix Cardona, Jr. (31st Ward).

One of the new COVID-19 testing sites Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday will be in some of Chicago’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, including this largely Latino neighborhood on the city’s Northwest Side.

A staff member who was in close contact with Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the governor to self-isolate and work from home, even though, as he said Monday: “I feel fine.”

About 90 minutes north of the city, a drive-in movie theater is bringing back the 1950s — and it’s giving families an escape from the coronavirus pandemic, too. We visit the McHenry Outdoor Theater.

The Northwest Side neighborhood has emerged as a COVID-19 hot spot, reporting the second highest number of cases in Illinois. We learn how Christopher House is serving the community during the pandemic.

From stories of Chinese railroad workers to the success of politicians and activists, the new five-part series highlights the stories of people from India and Turkey as well as China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s recently unveiled five-phase plan to gradually reopen the state is already getting pushback. Joining us to share their views are state Reps. Deanne Mazzochi, a Republican, and Mike Zalewski, a Democrat.

Illinois was expected to reach its COVID-19 peak between late April and early May, but new projections show it could come as late as mid-June. Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the news “disheartening” but said it’s the result of a flattened curve.

A new type of coronavirus test offers a cheaper, quicker way to screen for infections, moving the U.S. toward the kind of mass screening that experts say is essential to returning millions of Americans to school and work.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city would partner with a charity founded by Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, fueled by a grant from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, in an effort to conduct 10,000 tests per day in Chicago.

Watch the May 11, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Amid the pandemic, Chicago employers will still be forced to give their workers two weeks’ notice of their schedules starting July 1, but will be spared lawsuits for an additional six months under a measure that advanced Monday.