Stories by Patty Wetli

A man has been arrested in the sexual assault of a 29-year-old woman in LaBagh Woods on May 23.

The budget totals $55.9 billion, supported by a similar amount of revenue. The spending plan included an $830 million supplemental current-year spending plan, meaning the upcoming fiscal year 2027 budget is essentially flat.

Despite a Hail Mary heave from the Illinois Senate in the final hours of the spring legislative session, state lawmakers ultimately failed to reach the end zone on a bill incentivizing the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium in Illinois.

Instead, Officer Michael Bryant should be suspended for 25 days, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling determined, objecting to the recommendation from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that Bryant be fired.

Illinois could soon reform the state’s regulations on delinquent property tax sales after the House approved a bill 80-35 along party lines Saturday evening that lets homeowners keep their equity.

Illinois lawmakers race to finish a state budget and a Bears stadium deal. And Mayor Brandon Johnson journeys to meet Pope Leo XIV.

On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized its designation of critical habitat for the endangered bumblebee. Counties in six states, including Illinois, are listed in the new ruling.

Jose Medina will face new felony charges of contraband possession in a penal institution after jail staff allegedly found a shank in his possession.

Prices for tomatoes have soared more than any other food product over the past year to cement a spot as one of the consumer headaches du jour.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson cast Pope Leo XIV as a powerful global ally on social justice, migration and reparations after meeting the Chicago-born pontiff at the Vatican, saying their shared roots and priorities could help amplify efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

The ethics board in Chicago published a list of 71 employees and officeholders who missed the annual filing deadline. Ald. Stephanie Coleman has filed after the statutory deadline every year since 2021, records show.

Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, issued a statement roughly 24 hours after the first report was published saying that his office “has not opened — and has never opened — a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll.”

State lawmakers pass legislation on AI regulation and insurance rates — a look at what the bills would do. And what the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown could mean for green card applicants.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a new exhibition tracing the visual, political and spiritual origins of popular Caribbean music. Art installations are designed to immerse visitors in sound and movement.

According to a report earlier this year from the Guttmacher Institute, an organization that advocates for and researches abortion access, nearly a quarter of all people seeking an abortion outside the state where they live came to Illinois.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced last week that immigrants applying for a green card must do so from outside the U.S.

Local TV stations owned by ABC across the United States blasted the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday for launching an “unlawful, arbitrary and unconstitutional” early review of their broadcast licenses as a dispute between the network and the Trump-controlled agency intensifies.

Baseball owners hadn’t proposed a firm cap since 1994. Their effort prompted a 7 1/2-month strike that forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years.

Senate Bill 3336 would establish regulations on “micromobility” transportation such as e-bikes and e-scooters that include age requirements, speed limits and rules on where they can be operated.

The federal lawsuit was filed on what would have been Adam Toledo’s 19th birthday, attorneys for his parents said.

There are 51 total candidates who are currently set to appear on the November ballot for the at-large board president position and 20 board seats that are up for grabs, according to Chicago elections officials, after Tuesday marked the end of the candidate filing period.

The lawsuit is the second to be resolved that alleged police officers beat Black Chicagoans attempting to flee the Northwest Side’s Brickyard Mall as looters began to ransack the mall after the police murder of George Floyd in 2020.

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

Efforts to reform grand jury procedures after misconduct allegations. And honoring retiring Sen. Dick Durbin in Springfield.

The redistricting battle that began in Texas last year continues to have ripple effects across the nation.

Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros announced “sweeping” reforms to his office’s grand jury procedures, days after allegations of prosecutorial misconduct tanked the “Broadview Six” case and sparked blowback against his office.