Stories by Patty Wetli

The full story is now being told of how a tiny clump of moss helped investigators crack the macabre case of grave robbing at Burr Oak Cemetery.

Kristi Noem is out as the head of Homeland Security. And an effort to bring home the remains of missing U.S. service members.

A new study found that after the University of Chicago Level 1 Trauma Center opened, transportation time following firearm injuries dropped by nearly 10 minutes. Importantly, this translated to an estimated 79 lives saved for every 2,000 firearm injuries.

Inside the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, a dedicated team of researchers is working to solve decades-old mysteries by locating and identifying the remains of missing American service members who never made it home from war.

Kristi Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump’s second term. Her departure caps a tumultuous tenure overseeing immigration enforcement tactics that have been met with protests and lawsuits.

JB Pritzker’s budget proposal calls for reducing the amount of revenue from income taxes that goes to local governments, therefore keeping funding for the Local Government Distributive Fund flat in fiscal year 2027.

The war has escalated each day, affecting an additional 14 countries across the Middle East and beyond.

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

The U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran’s leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear program while suggesting that toppling the government is a goal. But the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.

The death toll rises in the Middle East as the conflict in Iran escalates. And who is expected to attend the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s services in Chicago.

Advocates for health care providers that treat low-income and uninsured patients are pressuring state lawmakers to pass legislation they say would prevent drug manufacturers from restricting access to medications that are discounted through a federal pharmacy program.

The war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. It has disrupted the supply of the world’s oil and gas, snarled international shipping and stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.

The war powers resolution gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

Preservation Chicago’s annual “Chicago 7 Most Endangered” list aims to sound the alarm on historic buildings and sites at risk of demolition. By spreading awareness, the organization aims to mobilize the support necessary to save the threatened buildings from demolition.

Olga Bautista, who serves as vice president of Chicago’s Board of Education following her appointment by Mayor Brandon Johnson, is resigning her position, she announced Wednesday.

Data from the Chicago Police Department shows there were 25 homicides and 81 shootings across February, increases of 19% and 8%, respectively, over the same month in 2025.

It was “improper” for the department led by Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry to refuse to provide those records to the Office of the Inspector General, Deborah Witzburg said in a statement.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Michael Williams, then 65, spent nearly a year in jail after being charged with murder, only to have the charges dismissed after prosecutors told a judge they did not have enough evidence to proceed to trial.

The Democrats running in the Cook County Board president primary join “Chicago Tonight.” Toni Preckwinkle and Brendan Reilly talk about the issues facing residents and share their visions for the office.

The cuts, imposed by the Trump administration, will hit the county’s bottom line next year, threatening the ability of more than 400,000 Cook County residents to get necessary health care.

The Chicago Fire broke ground on a new stadium development site Tuesday at The 78 in Chicago’s 3rd Ward. The stadium is expected to open before the 2028 Major League Soccer season following a $750 million private investment from the club’s owner, Joe Mansueto.

Illinois is among 29 states and Washington, D.C., being sued by the Trump administration for access to their complete, unredacted voter registration databases.

Four days into a war that President Donald Trump suggested would last several weeks but perhaps longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified in the Senate on Tuesday in her first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration was executing its mass deportation agenda.

The proposal called for parents to face jail time if their children “violate curfew, engage in drag racing, flipping of cars, intoxication or use of paintball guns.”