Stories by Emily Soto

The Illinois Democratic Party is gearing up for a busy week in Chicago. During the Democratic National Convention, members will be meeting with other party leaders, discussing policies and rallying behind presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Latin Restaurant Weeks are back with specials across the Chicago area. It’s an opportunity to sample flavors from across Latin America without leaving Illinois.

In the meeting, Qatar, Egypt and the United States were expected to present a plan to implement a deal that could bring about a ceasefire in the 10-month-long war in Gaza and free the remaining hostages. The deal was proposed by US President Joe Biden in May – but unresolved differences have left the path forward unclear.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago is one of only a few zoos in the U.S. to have successfully bred and birthed pangolins. The newest pup arrived July 25, according to zoo officials.

A former Cook County prosecutor and two Chicago police officers are facing felony charges alleging they fraudulently collected more than $100,000 in overtime pay.

The ceremony comes just 5 1/2 weeks after the shooting death of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, by a white sheriff’s deputy in her Springfield home after she called 911 for help.

Democrats gathered in Springfield Wednesday for their annual rally at the Illinois State Fair amid a surge of enthusiasm and a renewed sense of optimism about their chances of retaining the White House in November.

Local efforts to engage the city’s Black voters. And meet Chicago entrepreneurs hoping to make an impression at next week’s Democratic National Convention.

A Chicago church is launching a strategic voting initiative, bringing in local and national star power like the Rev. Al Sharpton to engage more Black voters and encourage them to coalesce around one candidate.

Next week’s Democratic National Convention is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to Chicago. Looking to get a slice of the economic action, as well as network with folks from across the country, are many Black business owners.

The system should document red flags of prospective officers for law enforcement employers, civil rights attorney BenjaminCrump said, to ensure the safety of citizens. He said he intends to lobby for the passage of federal legislation, such as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

Chicago is under pressure to secure a bus depot in short order to avoid Greyhound’s travelers this winter having nowhere warm and sheltered to wait for their bus, store their luggage or go to the bathroom.

Donald Trump opened his speech with off-script attacks on the media and aired his grievances over the Democrats swapping Vice President Kamala Harris for President Joe Biden, questioning her intelligence and saying she has “the laugh of a crazy person.”

New York is just one of more than a half-dozen states where challenges have been made to Kennedy’s petitions from Democrats and their allies. Some of the challenges allege he falsely listed the same New York address that was the subject of litigation in that state, or that there were problems with petition signatures.

Kellanova was created last year when the Kellogg Co. split into two companies. Chicago-based Kellanova sells many of the former company’s most profitable brands, including Pringles, Eggo, Town House, MorningStar Farms and Rice Krispies Treats. It had net sales of more than $13 billion last year and has about 23,000 employees.

After a dramatic announcement two months ago that Riot Fest would be relocating to suburban Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium, the music festival has pulled an about-face and will be returning to Douglass Park Sept. 20-22, pending Park District approval, the Chicago Park District announced Wednesday.

Applause broke out Wednesday at the Chicago Transit Authority’s board meeting after directors approved a $2.93 billion contract for the design and construction of the Red Line Extension to 130th Street.

With the Democratic National Convention just days away, Cook County judges are clearing their schedules. It comes as part of an administrative order from Chief Judge Tim Evans to prepare for the possibility of mass arrests.

The streaming service has still offered no explanation for the more than one-hour delay in dropping Tuesday night’s episode of “Hard Knocks.” 

The Chicago 2024 Host Committee and the Illinois Journalism Education Association worked to identify student journalists across the state to join the Illinois Youth Press Corps, providing them with opportunities to cover the convention.

Prosecutors late Tuesday filed their response to Madigan’s co-defendant, Michael McClain, whose attorneys last month filed a motion seeking to sever his case from Madigan’s before the men are set to go to trial on racketeering charges later this year.

The DNC is just days away — how Cook County courts are preparing. A judge rules on a request for a longer protest route closer to the United Center. And WTTW News explains the infamous Chicago parking meter deal.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are among eight teams across the U.S. receiving grant funding. Cancer is the second-highest killer of people in the U.S. after heart disease.

Prepare to get all nostalgic for the extremely recent past.

U.S. District Court Judge Andrea Wood ruled that the 1.4-mile march route proposed by Chicago officials was sufficient to ensure that the Coalition to March on the DNC can protest while Democratic delegates gather to celebrate their nominee for president.

The Democratic National Convention doesn’t get underway until Aug. 19, but the traffic headaches have already started with first of many street closures and parking restrictions.