Stories by Andrew Montequin

State Republican leaders criticized the General Assembly session schedule and new taxes in this year’s budget. But they saw progress in their overall inclusion in budget talks, and also advanced several pieces of bipartisan legislation.

It was well past 4 a.m. Monday when the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned for the summer. The budget had been balanced, and a flurry of bills were sent to the governor’s desk. But a busy finish to the spring session left some of the biggest decisions until the very end.

Jose Medina will face new felony charges of contraband possession in a penal institution after jail staff allegedly found a shank in his possession.

The redistricting battle that began in Texas last year continues to have ripple effects across the nation.

Global health organizations are racing to stem an Ebola outbreak in central Africa. While the immediate threat is still far away from Chicago, local specialists are working to ensure the city is prepared for all possibilities.

Gas prices in Chicago are up 70 cents from one month ago, and nearly $1.70 compared to last year, according to data from AAA.

As of May 13, the World Health Organization reported eight confirmed cases related to the MV Hondius cruise ship, along with one inconclusive and two probable cases. Meanwhile, public health officials in Illinois reported a possible hantavirus case in Winnebago County that is unrelated to the cruise ship outbreak.

It’s been just over a year since white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel, announcing the election of a new pope. Now, a new biography looks at Pope Leo XIV’s life, his influences and his first months leading the Roman Catholic Church.

Plans to extend the CTA Red Line to the Far South Side of Chicago are finally on track. The Red Line extension project broke ground last month, after decades of planning and months of federal funding uncertainty.

For the decades we’ve been using social media, there’s been a debate over how youth should be able to access it.

With the spring legislative session coming to a close at the end of May, the clock is ticking to approve a budget. Meanwhile, affordability is front of mind for many, as bills on megaprojects and zoning reform make their way through the General Assembly.

Since March, multiple rounds of severe storms have caused flooding, plus hail damage and even tornadoes. A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, and that moisture can turn into rainfall.

NASA’s 10-day Artemis II mission showed off the rigor and precision that has made the agency a household name.

Anjanette Young has become the leading voice for reform, seven years after a botched police raid at the wrong address left her handcuffed while naked in her Chicago home. Now, a bill bearing her name could reshape how officers execute warrants in Illinois.

Music, art and movies are woven into Chicago’s history. But the city’s cultural landscape is constantly evolving. Many well-known institutions have undergone changes — from sales to renovations to closures — with a number of spaces trying to stay afloat.

Once a niche interest, prediction markets have broken through to a wider audience. Now, lawmakers and the public are trying to adapt to a world where people can bet on almost anything.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection bid kicked off in earnest Wednesday, the day after his uncontested primary wrapped up.

“Volatile” is the word many are using to describe the economy these days. How should you react to the ups and downs of the market?

The Great Lakes provide water to hundreds of cities and tribal nations, from Chicago to Duluth to Toronto. Leaders are joining together to advocate for their shared needs and to protect the shared resources of the lakes.

A new study found that after the University of Chicago Level 1 Trauma Center opened, transportation time following firearm injuries dropped by nearly 10 minutes. Importantly, this translated to an estimated 79 lives saved for every 2,000 firearm injuries.

The unique size and shape of the bones from Spinosaurus mirabilis — the first Spinosaurus species discovered in over a century — gives important clues to the history of spinosaurids on Earth.