Stories by Associated Press

Three major blazes were burning in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade. With thousands of firefighters already attacking the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help.

The outgoing Democratic president also told USA Today in the interview published Wednesday that he tried during his Oval Office meeting with President-elect Donald Trump to discourage the Republican from going after his political opponents, as he has said he would.

A new annual report published Wednesday from the CPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) highlights the office’s major investigations from the previous year.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants the state to come through for him in a major way to boost spending on the city’s schools and transportation networks — but Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Johnson and his team “don’t reach out very often, and it seems like they don’t have good relationships in Springfield.”

In a bombshell move, Michael Madigan takes the stand in his corruption trial. The Bears end a disappointing season on a high. And recreating a beloved lunchroom cookie.

Do you remember those buttery lunchroom cookies? The simple shortbread snack was a staple in hundreds of Chicago public schools; they sold for just a couple of cents for years.

Chicago Bears fans had high hopes for this season. A No. 1 draft pick quarterback and wins early on had some dreaming of the playoffs. But a 10-game losing streak put an end to those dreams and cost head coach Matt Eberflus his job.

The bombshell decision came Tuesday as the monthslong corruption trial at Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Building is drawing to a close.

The six plaintiffs will each get $4,000, with the remaining $133,500 covering their legal fees, according to a copy of the settlement agreement obtained by WTTW News.

If approved by the full City Council, violations of the ordinance could trigger fines of at least $2,000 and no more than $5,000. A final vote on the measure could come at the City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 15.

Speaking to reporters less than two weeks before he takes office on Jan. 20 and as a delegation of aides and advisers that includes Donald Trump Jr. is in Greenland, Trump left open the use of the American military to secure both territories. Trump’s intention marks a rejection of decades of U.S. policy that has prioritized self-determination over territorial expansion.

One in five Americans have at least one medical debt collection account on their credit reports, and over half of collection entries on credit reports are for medical debts.

It’s time to un-deck those “live” balsams, Fraser firs and pines. But instead of sending real Christmas trees off to a landfill, there are plenty of recycling options.

The independent monitoring teams for Chicago's police consent decree include former police brass who have previously been involved in consent decrees and reform efforts across the country. Despite their professional credentials, some members have documented histories of misconduct that might complicate the long-running effort.

More than 3,000 bald eagles make their home in Illinois during the coldest months of the year, the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the continental U.S., according to state wildlife officials.

Admission to Brookfield Zoo is free through Feb. 27 on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

In his first interview since the CPS board voted unanimously to terminate Martinez, Johnson said the current board members were carrying out his vision for the nation’s fourth-largest school district.

One on one with Mayor Brandon Johnson on the future of Chicago Public Schools and more.

Health officials have said the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election in proceedings that unfolded Monday without challenge, in stark contrast to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence as his mob of supporters stormed the Capitol.

If you’ve never been to the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, now is an opportune time to go on a cultural expedition. The museum’s third floor gallery is currently filled with “beLONGING: Lithuanian Artists in Chicago — 1900 to Now.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s the largest prosecution in Justice Department history — with reams of evidence, harrowing videos and hundreds of convictions of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Now Donald Trump’s return to power has thrown into question the future of the more than 1,500 federal cases brought over the last four years.

In the Chicago area, the National Weather Service was predicting lake effect snow leading to hazardous road conditions throughout the day on Monday, including during the morning and evening commute.

According to the Chicago Police Department, seven people were shot in seven separate shooting incidents between Friday and Sunday evenings. Of those victims, two were killed while another person was killed as a result of blunt force trauma.

The statistics, compiled by the Chicago Department of Transportation by comparing 2021 crash data with information from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, are a key justification for members of the Chicago City Council looking to lower the city’s default speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph.

The Chicago Bulls announced Saturday they plan to retire Rose's jersey sometime next season. Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement: “Derrick is both a hometown hero and a symbol of an entire era of Bulls basketball.”