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Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over the Nov. 15. 2023, Chicago City Council meeting as his budget is approved. (WTTW News)

City Council Votes 30-18 to Spend $70M More to Care for Migrants in Chicago

Officials expect it will cost an additional $321 million through the end of 2024 to care for the migrants. The Chicago City Council and the Cook County Board of Commissioners have approved plans to contribute $70 million each. State lawmakers are expected to set aside $182 million as part of the state’s budget for the next fiscal year.

A blanket of bluebells at O’Hara Woods in Will County. (Courtesy Forest Preserve District of Wall County)

The Bluebells Are Here. Catch These Short-Lived Beauties Before They’re Gone

These gorgeous spring ephemerals love woodland habitats near creeks, and they’ll spread like a carpet on the forest floor. But only for a couple of weeks, and then they’re gone.

Artist Katie Chung paints a mural on the 94th floor of 875 North Michigan. (Marc Vitali / WTTW News)

Mural on the 94th Floor: Chicago Artist Spotlights City Neighborhoods and Her Heritage at the Top of a Skyscraper

High above Michigan Avenue, artist Katie Chung pays tribute to the neighborhoods below. She uses many colors while keeping in mind Obangsaek, a color scheme known as the five cardinal colors of Korean culture.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks to the news media at the state Capitol on April 18, 2024. (WTTW News)

Pritzker Says CTA Needs ‘Evolution of Leadership’ as Agency Faces Ridership, Financial Concerns

“Changes are going to have to take place, there’s no doubt, at the CTA, and I think that’s going to take some new leadership and additional leadership,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said. The agency has been under scrutiny amid rider frustration, unkempt train cars and safety concerns.

A rendering of a planned new Ryan Field in Evanston. (Credit: Northwestern University)

Judge Tosses Large Portions of Evanston Residents’ Lawsuit Over Northwestern’s Ryan Field Deal

Judge Pamela McLean Meyerson dismissed three counts brought by a group of 13 residents who live near the stadium who had asked the court to invalidate Evanston City Council’s 5-4 vote to change the city’s zoning law.

Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick, tribal chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, speaks at a news conference at the Illinois Capitol in February 2024. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

Illinois Now Home to Federally Recognized Tribal Land After Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Given Back Portion of Ancestral Land

A U.S. Department of the Interior decision places portions of Shab-eh-nay Reservation land, which is located in DeKalb County, into trust for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, which gives the tribal nation sovereignty over the land.

Cherry blossoms in Jackson Park in 2021. (Courtesy of Chicago Park District)

Sour Cherries: Weird Weather Stunts Blossoms in Jackson Park for Second Year in a Row

The Cherry Blossom trees in Jackson Park won’t reach peak bloom this year, the Chicago Park District said.

(WTTW News)

House Sends Bill Restricting Chicago Selective Enrollment School Changes to Senate Despite Rebukes From CTU, CPS Board

An increased moratorium on closing Chicago Public Schools – including charters –  easily passed the state House heads to the Senate over the objections of the Chicago Teachers Union and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appointees to the city’s school board.

Former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke makes his way through security at the Dirksen Courthouse on Nov. 6, 2023. (WTTW News)

Final Tally: Ex-Ald. Ed Burke Spent $3.8M in Campaign Cash on Legal Fees Before Conviction

Former Ald. Ed Burke paid two law firms, Blegen & Garvey and Breen & Pugh, approximately $769,000 one month after his conviction, according to state records.

Inside the Ford Heights migrant shelter that’s slated to open April 23, 2024. (Courtesy of Chelsea Thomas at Empowerment Anywhere)

Suburbs Slow to Apply for Migrant Aid From $20M Cook County Fund

The deadline for applications is Friday. And while there are more than 100 suburbs in the county that are eligible, only two have applied, including Oak Park and Ford Heights.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 18, 2024 - Full Show

Cook County suburbs have until tomorrow to apply for funds set aside for migrant assistance. Exploring the health impacts of food deserts. And why repairing Chicago sidewalks may not be as straightforward as you think.

(WTTW News)

As Illinois Launches ‘New Stores in Food Deserts’ Grant Program, Local Groups Work to Fill the Gaps

A city report found 29% of Latinos in Chicago are experiencing food insecurity. Not only do families struggle to access enough food, but finding nutritious foods to stay healthy can also be more difficult.

State Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, is pictured on the floor of the Illinois Senate last year. He advanced a measure through the Senate on bipartisan lines that would ban four widely used food additives. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Illinois Senate Advances Bill to Ban Food Additives Linked to Health Problems

The Illinois Food Safety Act passed on a 37-15 bipartisan vote and will head to the state House for consideration. The banned chemicals are used in a wide variety of food products.

Sima Quraishi, executive director of Muslim Women’s Resource Center, third from left, speaks about her experience assisting Afghan evacuees during a discussion held at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice on April 17, 2024. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

Afghan Evacuees’ Resettlement in Chicago Offers Lessons for Caring for Future Humanitarian Arrivals: Report

After the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, an initial 80,000 Afghans were evacuated to the U.S. in 2021 following America’s botched withdrawal from the country. More than 2,300 Afghan evacuees have since resettled in Illinois, according the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Howard Brown Health sign. (WTTW News)

Howard Brown Health, Union Workers Reach Tentative Contract Agreement After 1.5 Years of Negotiations

It comes after about 1.5 years of negotiations, two strikes, a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board that found merit in charges of unfair labor practices, and the layoffs of 61 unionized workers — some of whom were subsequently brought back on due to an NLRB recommendation.

Wayfair is set to open its first physical store next month. (Tiffany Hagler-Geard / Bloomberg / Getty Images / File via CNN Newsource)

Wayfair to Open First Physical Furniture Store in Wilmette

The large-format store, clocking in at 150,000 square feet and located in Edens Plaza in Wilmette, Illinois, will open to shoppers on May 23. It will also feature an onsite restaurant called “The Porch,” the company said, taking a page out of Ikea’s store setup.

Bridget Peach, executive director of the advocacy group ED-RED, a consortium of school districts in northern Cook and Lake counties, testifies before a state House committee on April 16, 2024, in favor of funding to help schools with the cost of educating migrant students. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

Education Leaders Seek Added State Funding to Help Accommodate Influx of Migrant Students in Illinois

The recent surge of migrants arriving in Illinois has brought with it a host of new challenges for state and local officials. Advocates say the state has not done enough to address educating the children of those coming across the border.

(WTTW News)

Highland Park to Resume Fourth of July Parade This Summer, 2 Years After Mass Shooting

The city of Highland Park is planning to resume its annual Fourth of July parade — two years after a gunman opened fire on attendees, killing seven and wounding dozens more.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pictured in a file photo. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Need a Notary? Now You Can Get One Online as Illinois Launches New E-Notary Service

Important documents — the volumes of paperwork that go along with buying or selling a home, for example, or granting the power of attorney — require notarization. Under a new initiative announced Wednesday by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the entire process can now be done remotely.

The J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building is seen June 9, 2023, in Washington. The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce violent crime in the U.S., launching a specialized gun intelligence center in Chicago and expanding task forces to curb carjackings. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Justice Department Ramps up Efforts to Reduce Violent Crime With Gun Intel Center, Carjacking Forces

The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce violent crime in the U.S., launching a specialized gun intelligence center in Chicago and expanding task forces to curb carjackings.

Stephen Colbert is bringing "Late Show" to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. (Screenshot)

Look Who's Coming to the DNC: Stephen Colbert Bringing Live 'Late Show' Broadcasts to Chicago

Stephen Colbert, host of CBS's "Late Show," announced Wednesday night he'll be broadcasting live from Chicago during the convention, Aug. 19-22.

Adam Ballard is pictured on a cracked sidewalk in front of a beauty salon near his Pilsen home. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Who Decides Which Chicago Sidewalks Get Repaired? Patchwork of Programs Creates Geographical Disparities, Rewards Most Complaints

Bad sidewalks can be found all across Chicago, but the slow pace in getting them repaired is tied to a lack of funding and the city’s complaint-based approach to maintenance, experts say. While a shared cost program has improved some areas, it has also caused disparities.

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, April 17, 2024 - Full Show

The history of housing segregation. The latest from today’s Chicago City Council meeting. And a new book on the unraveling of America’s suburbs.

“Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs” by author Benjamin Herold.

New Book ‘Disillusioned’ Explores Racial Inequity, Tension in American Suburbs

Author Benjamin Herold shares the story of five families, including the Adesina family in Evanston, in “Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs.”

A still from the new docuseries “Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation.” (Provided)

‘Shame of Chicago, Shame of the Nation’ Delves Into Chicago’s History of Segregated Housing

The new docuseries uses firsthand accounts, archival footage and animation to better explain complex practices like redlining and blockbusting, and how Black families were systemically barred from homeownership.

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Votes Delayed on Plan to Spend $70M More to Care for Migrants, Proposal to Borrow $1.25B

Both proposals could get a vote at the next Chicago City Council meeting, set for Friday.