Stories by Maggie Dougherty — Capitol News Illinois

After Illinois lifted its moratorium on construction of new nuclear power plants, Gov. JB Pritzker instructed state agencies to find out which communities would be interested in hosting new nuclear sites.

South Carolina was selected Friday to once again lead off the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nominating schedule, most likely cementing a dramatic break from decades of tradition by keeping Iowa off the top of the calendar.

Former President Barack Obama surprised the WNBA All-Stars at their practice at his new Presidential Center on Friday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged 2,318 cases of measles as of Thursday, according to an agency update on Friday.

A new documentary explores the American Dream and what’s happened to it. And a major pickleball tournament comes to the Chicago area.

The paddle sport has exploded in popularity in recent years. The Chicago Slice is among several teams competing this week in a four-day Major League Pickleball tournament in suburban Northbrook.

As the country faces unprecedented affordability crises, rising mental and physical health issues, and a polarizing political climate, a new documentary seeks to discover whether the American Dream can be realized.

In addition to Saturday’s All-Star game at the United Center and Friday’s three-point contest at Wintrust Arena, events will be taking place around the city throughout the weekend.

The CPD on Thursday announced that its Forensic Services Division is now an accredited laboratory by the American National Standards Institute’s National Accreditation Board, the result of what the department said has been a multi-year effort.

Emmett Till was a Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and killed in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a White woman in Mississippi. Till was 14 years old. Following Till’s murder, his mother insisted on an open casket funeral to show his mutilated body.

Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meant as a strong signal to the Republican president that his support on Capitol Hill is chipping away as the war drags on and lawmakers in both parties have questioned his administration’s endgame.

Patrick Kane has rejoined the Chicago Blackhawks, agreeing to a $16 million, two-year contract with his first NHL team.

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

The ACLU of Illinois sued the city three years ago on behalf of five Chicagoans, calling the Chicago Police Department's use of traffic stops the latest chapter in CPD's “long and sordid history” of racist discrimination.

Chicago Public Schools is facing a massive budget gap — two board members on the path ahead. And two independent congressional candidates are removed from the ballot.

The competition to take over U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s seat was thinned out this week after Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) and Mayra Macías were removed from the ballot for failing to secure enough valid petition signatures.

CPS CEO Macquline King unveiled a proposed $9.88 billion budget to close the district’s funding gap. The plan calls for $200 million in TIF funding, the layoff of 760 teachers and 801 support staff, and five unpaid furlough days for CPS employees.

A Chicago man is facing nearly a dozen felony charges following a shooting during an alleged standoff in the Albany Park neighborhood Monday that left a woman and a SWAT officer injured.

The question — posed by Mayor Brandon Johnson — will fill the final spot on the November ballot, ending a proxy fight between the mayor and his increasingly emboldened opponents on the Chicago City Council, even though the results will only carry symbolic weight.

The civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Wells family, announced the preliminary findings Wednesday in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago.

Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and former Chicago Bulls NBA MVP Derrick Rose were revealed Wednesday as the cover athletes for NBA 2K27.

A complicated, high-stakes rescue of 30 beluga whales from a defunct Canadian water park is underway, with four of them arriving Tuesday at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.

More Chicagoans believe violent crime has increased in the city, according to a new poll, even as the numbers of shootings and homicides throughout 2026 are essentially the same as last year, which ended with the fewest recorded killings in 60 years.

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

The Cook County Forest Preserves Fisheries Division is piloting a nature-based solution to treat a water quality issue.

How two proposed ordinances could affect renters in Chicago. And four beluga whales went on quite an adventure — how they were relocated to the Shedd.