Stories by Associated Press
Trump Administration Says It’s Withholding Social Safety Net Money From Illinois, 4 Other States
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump’s administration said Tuesday that it is withholding funding for programs that support needy families with children in five Democratic-led states over concerns about fraud.
Hockey Hall of Fame Player and Longtime Blackhawks Executive Bob Pulford Dies at 89
| Associated Press
Bob Pulford, a Hockey Hall of Fame player who went on to a lengthy career in the NHL as a coach and general manager, has died. He was 89.
Nicolás Maduro Says ‘I Was Captured’ as He Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Trafficking Charges
| Associated Press
A defiant Nicolás Maduro declared himself the “president of my country” as he protested his capture and pleaded not guilty on Monday to the federal drug trafficking charges that the Trump administration used to justify removing him from power.
A Divided Congress Returns for High-Stakes Battles Over Health Care, Federal Spending and Venezuela
| Associated Press
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune will be forced to answer from some in their own party over whether to reassert the legislative branch’s role in war-making alongside critical votes on health care and government spending.
This Jan. 6 Plaque Was Made to Honor Law Enforcement. It’s Nowhere to be Found at the Capitol
| Associated Press
Approaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found.
Tim Walz Drops Bid for Third Term as Minnesota Governor; Amy Klobuchar Considers
| Associated Press
Less than four months after announcing his reelection campaign, Walz said Monday that he could no longer devote the energy necessary to win another term, even as he expressed confidence that he could win.
US Plans to ‘Run’ Venezuela and Tap Its Oil Reserves, Trump Says, After Operation to Oust Maduro
| Associated Press
The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary nighttime operation that was accompanied by a flurry of strikes.
Donald Trump Says He’s Dropping Push for National Guard in Chicago, Other Cities, For Now
| Associated Press
Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that he’s removing the Guard troops for now. “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!” he wrote.
After Quiet Off-Year Elections, Democrats Renew Worries About Trump Interfering in the Midterms
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through his first term led to two impeachments, is trying to keep history from repeating — and doing so in ways his opponents say are intended to manipulate next year’s election landscape.
Trump’s Renaming of the Kennedy Center Prompts New Round of Cancellations From Artists
| Associated Press
More artists have canceled scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the facility.
US Pledges $2 Billion for UN Humanitarian Aid as Trump Slashes Funding and Warns Agencies to ‘Adapt or Die’
| Associated Press
The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.
A Beginner’s Guide to Kwanzaa
| Associated Press
Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966 and also is celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations.
Pope Leo XIV Disappointed Over Approval of Medically Assisted Suicide Legislation in Home State of Illinois
| Associated Press
Leo said he had spoken “explicitly” with Gov. JB Pritzker and urged him to not sign the bill into law. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich did the same, Leo told reporters as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
Kansas City Chiefs Announce They Will Build New Domed Stadium Across the Kansas-Missouri Border
| Associated Press
The announcement came shortly after a council of Kansas lawmakers voted unanimously inside a packed room at the state Capitol to allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of the stadium and accompanying mixed-use district.
US Justice Department Sues 3 States, District of Columbia for Voter Data
| Associated Press
The latest lawsuits were filed against Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia and the District of Columbia. The Justice Department has now filed 22 lawsuits seeking voter information as part of its effort to collect detailed voting data and other election information across the country.
Pope Leo XIV Names Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks, Who Was Raised in South Holland, as New Archbishop of New York
| Associated Press
Bishop Ronald Hicks, the current bishop of Joliet, Illinois, replaces the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a prominent conservative figure in the U.S. Catholic hierarchy. Hicks grew up in South Holland, a short distance from the suburban Chicago childhood home of Leo, the former Robert Prevost.
4 Republicans Defy Speaker Johnson to Force House Vote on Extending ACA Subsidies
| Associated Press
Four centrist Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans.
The US Gained 64,000 Jobs in November but Lost 105,000 in October; Unemployment Rate at 4.6%
| Associated Press
The November job gains were higher than the 40,000 economists had forecast. The October job losses were caused by a 162,000 drop in federal workers, many of whom resigned at the end of fiscal year 2025 on Sept. 30 under pressure from billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of U.S. government payrolls.
Rob Reiner’s Son Nick Arrested After Director and His Wife Found Dead at Their Los Angeles Home
| Associated Press
Rob and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead Sunday at their home in Los Angeles, and investigators believe they suffered stab wounds, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
Michele Singer Reiner, Photographer Who Influenced 1980s Rom-com’s Happy End, Dies
| Associated Press
Michele Singer Reiner, a photographer and producer who inspired the happy conclusion in the 1980s romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally…” has died.
Rob Reiner, Son of a Comedy Giant Who Became One in Turn, Dies at 78
| Associated Press
Rob Reiner, the son of a comedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation with movies such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” has died. He was 78.
As Gerrymandering Battles Sweep the Country, Supporters Argue Partisan Dominance Is ‘Fair’
| Associated Press
As states undertake mid-decade redistricting instigated by President Donald Trump, Republicans and Democrats are using a tit-for-tat definition of fairness to justify districts that split communities in an attempt to send politically lopsided delegations to Congress.
Blackhawks Place Connor Bedard on Injured Reserve With an Upper-Body Injury
| Associated Press
The Chicago Blackhawks placed Connor Bedard on injured reserve on Monday with an upper-body injury.
Lawmakers Urge Education Department to Add Nursing to ‘Professional’ Programs List Amid Uproar
| Associated Press
The “professional” label would allow students to borrow larger amounts of federal loans to pursue graduate degrees.
Evanston Church Nativity Scene Adds Zip Ties, Gas Masks and ICE to Protest Immigration Raids
| Associated Press
A baby Jesus lays in a manger in the snow, wrapped in a silver emergency blanket with his wrists zip-tied. Mary stands nearby outside the Lake Street Church in Evanston, wearing a plastic gas mask and flanked by Roman soldiers in tactical vests labeled “ICE.”
Court Blocks Release of Hundreds of Immigrants Arrested in Chicago-Area Operations
| Associated Press
Last month, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, who found the government violated the agreement, ordered the release of more than 600 immigrants on bond, which the appeals court paused. Roughly 450 remain in custody, attorneys say.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Trending
2026 Chicago Summer Festival Guide
Duckworth, Durbin Call on Andrew Boutros to Step Down as Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Amid ‘Chaos,’ ‘Dysfunction’
CPD Officer Who Punched Teen in 2019 Incident Won’t Be Fired: Records
Brandon Johnson Takes Victory Lap After State Budget Green Lights Digital Ad Tax
2026 Chicago Garden Walk Guide: A Showcase for Urban Oases
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter