Stories by Jessica Watts

Incidents of sexual assault on college campuses are making national headlines after a former student at Cornell University filed a lawsuit last month alleging she was gang raped in a fraternity house in 2024.

The women are part of the Northwestern Prison Education Program, which offers coursework taught by university faculty — including classes in political science, psychology and history.

The final group of candidates seeking to deny Mayor Brandon Johnson a second term each filed tens of thousands of signatures Monday to officially get on the Feb. 23 ballot, solidifying the race for Chicago mayor.

Plans to convert a Bridgeport railyard into an Amtrak maintenance facility will receive an environmental review as part of the permitting process, a reversal after the project originally qualified for a categorical exclusion.

Members of the Chicago City Council’s Budget and Government Operations Committee kicked off weeks of budget hearings by giving Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed $17.6 billion spending plan a stony reception.

A former Evanston alderwoman has spent years trying to answer a question that has vexed the United States since the abolition of slavery: What would it actually look like to repair the damage?

Early testing is a key component to preventing lead poisoning in children, according to health officials. Testing events will be held at daycares, schools, libraries, places of worship and community organizations on the South Side over the next two years.

While former Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling agreed the officer violated CPD policy, Snelling said the decision to use force against the woman was “reasonable and necessary” even if it was not proportional, records show.

Mayoral hopefuls line up to get their name on the ballot — how is the race shaping up so far? And the incumbent lays out his vision for the city budget.

The department is also performing an “audit of prior searches conducted by members” using systems not controlled by CPD to determine if “there are additional instances of potential misuse,” according to a statement from police brass.

To win a second term, Mayor Brandon Johnson will have to overcome a serious challenge from perhaps a dozen candidates, including Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.

Investigators have determined that the tactical team that stopped Dexter Reed improperly stopped and searched Chicagoans during four separate traffic stops between September 2023 and March 2024, records show.

Whitfield Harrington Jr. on his bid for U.S. Senate. And actor John C. Reilly brings his vaudeville-style show to Chicago.

Actor John C. Reilly has had a storied career — from pulling at people’s heart strings in the film adaptation of the musical “Chicago” to making comedy classics like “Step Brothers.” Now, he’s touring with his own vaudeville show aptly named “Mister Romantic.”

Third-party candidate Whitfield Harrington Jr. is running as the nominee for the American Center Party, which he calls a middle ground for Illinoisans who are unsatisfied with polarizing politics.

Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor who embodied a solid, wry authority figure, whether as a flight instructor in “Top Gun,” a tough-but-fair sheriff on TV’s “Picket Fences” or the doomed captain of “Alien,” has died. He was 93.

Chicago steppin’ originated in the 1940s as a style of dancing called bopping, but evolved into steppin’ after Chatman noticed a friend breaking away from his partner and walking back toward her. Chatman then took to the mic and encouraged his friend to “step on.”

State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke is defending Cook County’s ban on assault weapons, saying it “passes constitutional muster” as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to take up a challenge to that law later this year.

Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has denounced a controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Dr. Amy Acton, taking sides with the Democratic candidate for governor.

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

Mayor Brandon Johnson unveils his budget plan — taking another crack at a corporate head tax. We explain what else is in it.

Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled his proposed $17.6 billion 2027 spending plan Wednesday.

Este 3 de noviembre, los votantes de Illinois tendrán una decisión importante: elegir quién va a reemplazar al senador Dick Durbin, quien se retira después de 30 años en el cargo.

Track work is set to begin at 4 a.m. Saturday. Regular service is scheduled to resume at 4 a.m. Monday following completion of the work and required testing. Shuttle buses will operate around the affected area.

Pope Leo XIV got good news from his doctors: The pontiff will need no further treatment for lung cancer after follow-up tests confirmed the disease was localized, the Vatican said in a statement Wednesday.

Chicago Public Schools officials on Wednesday announced that the most recent class of seniors achieved an 83.4% graduation rate. That’s double the district’s graduation rate from 2001, CPS CEO Macquline King said.