Stories by Kristen Thometz

As the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,208 new cases of the coronavirus across the state Friday, it said 20 counties, including two in the Chicago area, have reached a warning level for the virus.

Jeanne Gang’s Studio Gang firm is one of three finalists competing to design the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. The firms just unveiled images of their proposals.

As many as 215,000 more people than usual died in the U.S. during the first seven months of 2020. And half the dead were people of color — Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and, to a marked degree unrecognized until now, Asian Americans.

To qualify for the ballot, the Illinois native had to submit at least 2,500 signatures. However, an official review of Kanye West’s petitions determined he only had 1,200 valid signatures.

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley talks about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden from our coverage of the 2008 Democratic Convention.

Joe Biden formally accepts the Democratic nomination for president, capping off a convention that has seen blistering criticism of President Trump and an emphasis on the emergence of women as leaders. We discuss that and more with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

Thursday marks the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention – and nominee Joe Biden is in Delaware instead of Milwaukee, which had been chosen as the party’s host city.

Former President Barack Obama launched a blistering attack on his successor at Wednesday night’s Democratic National Convention. Obama’s speechwriter talks about that speech and the challenge of writing for a virtual convention.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will extend Illinois’ ban on evictions for another month, as warnings of a tsunami of looming evictions grow louder. The ban is now set to expire Sept. 22, according to Pritzker spokesperson.

One in five U.S. nursing homes faced severe shortages of protective gear like N95 masks this summer even as the Trump administration pledged to help, according to a study released Thursday.

Dozens of people say police escalated violence at recent protests in Chicago, beat demonstrators and mocked their cause with no fear of reprisal. “It felt like a battle zone,” one speaker said.

Joe Biden is hoping to start unifying a divided America as well as the nation’s diverse Democrats Thursday night as he accepts his party’s presidential nomination in the climax of recent history’s most unorthodox national convention.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday defended the Chicago Police Department’s ban on protests on her Logan Square block, citing a significant number of threats against her, her wife and 12-year-old daughter.

Chef and restaurant winners were to have been announced in September, but the industry’s “dire situation” prompted the James Beard Foundation to cancel its annual presentation.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday it was too soon to evaluate whether President Donald Trump’s decision to send more than 100 federal agents to Chicago had begun to pay dividends in the ongoing effort to crack down on surging violent crime and gun violence.

The Chicago Police Department is expanding a community policing initiative it says has already helped reduce 911 calls in one police district by assigning officers to specific geographic areas to build trust with its residents.

Watch the Aug. 20, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon was arrested Thursday on charges that he and three others ripped off donors to an online fundraising effort to build a southern border wall.

City crews are still clearing debris from last week’s powerful derecho. Thousands of trees were lost, which has renewed the call by some for an Urban Forestry Advisory Board to manage Chicago’s green infrastructure. 

Now that he’s no longer fighting a gun charge, state Rep. Curtis Tarver is considering suing the Chicago Police Department for violating his rights.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas talks about the disparities in delinquent houses and how she’s working to reduce the problem. 

For the last 15 years, Chicagoans have explored the art of one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods thanks to a trolley. But this year, the Bronzeville Art District Trolley tour is going virtual. 

Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, and Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated for president by a major party, are speaking on Biden’s behalf Tuesday night. And Kamala Harris, the first Black woman on a major party ticket, will deliver highly anticipated remarks.

U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Sean Casten discuss recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service and funding for the agency as well the Democratic National Convention as part of our special coverage of the virtual gathering.

A new survey shows how consumer attitudes about using ride-hailing and delivery services have changed. It also highlights a wealth divide, where Americans with higher incomes are able to utilize the services to help reduce their risk of infection.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker hailed on Wednesday the decision by the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency approval to a coronavirus test developed by University of Illinois researchers that uses saliva rather than a deep nasal swab.