Stories by Amanda Vinicky

An open letter details sexual harassment in state political circles as lawmakers return to Springfield for the fall veto session.

After publicly equivocating of late, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Monday officially launched his bid for a second term in a highly produced two-minute video.

Vacant land in the South Loop could host a massive new research institute.

The 1040 tax return forms Gov. Bruce Rauner released Tuesday show his effective tax rate was 26.6 percent, and that he, his wife, and their foundation gave $6.6 million to charity.

Video of a United airlines passenger forcibly dragged off a plane stirred a worldwide uproar. Now, a pair of city aviation officers involved in the incident are out of a job following an investigation by Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson.

A Latino attorney with connections to high-powered politicians, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is expected join the field of Democrats running for Illinois attorney general.

Chicago Ald. Ameya Pawar is ending his bid for Illinois governor, saying he came too short in the race for cash to have a chance at winning the contest for the Democratic nomination. 

Come December, Cook County shoppers and diners will no longer have to pay a much-reviled tax on sugary drinks after the county board voted Wednesday to repeal it.

It’s been just over two months since Cook County began charging a penny-an-ounce tax on sugary drinks. But it may not last much longer.

The Cook County board president used her annual budget address Thursday to warn commissioners and the public that repealing a tax on sugary drinks will take the county down a path of “fiscal uncertainty” that will result in layoffs and cutting “essential services.”

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are suing the city and the Police Department so they can be part of reform talks. The suit alleges that brutality “is magnified for people with disabilities.”

Tommy Shimoda, 24, won gold and bronze medals in speed skating at the Special Olympics World Winter Games this year in Austria. This week, he was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame, becoming the first Special Olympics athlete to receive the honor. 

In the wake of the massacre of concertgoers in Las Vegas, Chicago is preparing to host one of its largest annual events, the Chicago Marathon, on Sunday. Mayor Rahm Emanuel says the city is ready.

An Illinois case will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, and it could have huge ramifications for public unions.

The move puts an end to ambiguity over his stance on the issue, but in raising the ire of his conservative base it may also force him into a new battle: fending of a challenger from the right in next year’s elections.

Who’s on the team assigned to lure Amazon’s new national headquarters to Chicago? It may be easier to ask who isn’t involved.

A new wrinkle in Chicago’s legal battle with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Gov. Bruce Rauner now has the next 60 days – until late November – to act on a bill that would expand taxpayer-funded abortions in Illinois.

A law signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner last month eliminates the statute of limitations for criminal sexual assault against children. Fighting for that change was personal for Scott Cross. He joins us in discussion.

A joint Chicago-Illinois delegation has returned from a scouting trip to Seattle, as the city and state attempt to lure Amazon’s second headquarters to Chicago.

Erika Harold has a clean shot at the GOP nomination. Among Democrats, it’s a scramble. The first to officially announce a run is state state Rep. Scott Drury, who had been running for governor. 

The new U.S. News and World Report college rankings are out. See which Illinois schools made the list.

Of Illinois’ 12.8 million residents, an estimated 5.4 million may have been impacted by the Equifax data breach. We review what you can do to protect yourself from potential identity fraud.

Mere days after parting ways with his original running mate, the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful announced the Rockford lawmaker would join his ticket.

Political intrigue and high finance mark the race for governor.

President Donald Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has Illinois politicians at odds.