Stories by Blake Thor

CPS CEO Macquline King joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss her revised budget and why she thinks board members should pass it. 

The Illinois Tollway board is considering a 15-year, $26.5 billion construction plan to address deteriorating roads and reduce congestion across the state’s tollway system.

CPS CEO Macquline King unveiled a proposed $9.88 billion budget to close the district’s funding gap. The plan calls for $200 million in TIF funding, the layoff of 760 teachers and 801 support staff, and five unpaid furlough days for CPS employees.

City officials said last week Chicago is grappling with an $89 million shortfall — revised down from the $130 million figure the mayor announced earlier this month.

While DOJ opinions don’t change the law, disability rights advocates worry the memo could be the first step toward the department backing away from enforcing the integration mandate.

According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, more than 12 million monthly SNAP payments are made to more than 1.9 million people in Illinois.

A report from the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission calls for a clawback of the separation of church and state, a fundamental American legal principle for more than two centuries. President Donald Trump created the commission via executive order last May.

Northwest Side congressman Mike Quigley is officially running for Chicago mayor. The nine-term U.S. representative from Illinois’ 5th District launched his campaign at the historic Uptown Theatre.

Alexander Iniguez Mercado, 20, is accused of participating in a group chat on the messaging app Signal with others who appeared to discuss plans for the attack.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s annual “June boom” is about to begin, bringing an end to months of speculation. Their rulings could have sweeping implications for birthright citizenship, presidential power, transgender athletes and more.

More than 100 former federal prosecutors published an open letter blasting Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, claiming he “tarnished the reputation” of the office in the wake of the botched “Broadview Six” case.

The Chicago Bears will build their next stadium in Hammond, Indiana — maybe. The team made the announcement Friday after years of negotiations with Illinois state lawmakers over a deal to build a stadium in either Arlington Heights or on the Chicago lakefront.

Commonwealth Edison, Chicago’s primary electricity distributor, announced in May that its customers should expect monthly bills to increase by $2 to $3 beginning June 1.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced last week that immigrants applying for a green card must do so from outside the U.S.

A federal tax-credit scholarship program created last summer under the “Big Beautiful Bill” could send millions to Illinois students, if Gov. JB Pritzker or the Illinois General Assembly decides to opt in.

CPS leaders are citing rising pension payments and operating costs, while arguing the district needs greater support from state and federal leaders. Some policy analysts, meanwhile, say the district is responsible for its own deteriorating finances.

While President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached some agreement on trade deals, questions still loom large over Taiwanese independence and which country will emerge as the dominant world power for decades to come.

The Weber family will mark 80 years since arriving in the U.S. with a May 20 screening of “UnBroken” at the Wayfarer Theater in Highland Park, hosted by the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.

A new investigation by Injustice Watch, a nonprofit newsroom focused on the Cook County court system, revealed that Cook County prosecutors are challenging efforts by wrongfully convicted individuals to clear their names and secure compensation.

Illinois Republicans are pushing for changes to the law that they say would make it easier for judges to detain defendants awaiting trial. Lawmakers have until May 31 to adjust the SAFE-T Act, after which they would need to wait for the fall legislative session.

The Trump administration has put renewal applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, recipients on “processing holds.” Some of the program’s more than 500,000 beneficiaries have waited months for an answer only to see their deadline pass without a decision.

Peabody and Emmy Award-winning producer Rita Coburn is offering a fresh way to look back on the legacy of civil rights pioneer and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office last month announced a new internal transit crime task force made up of 30 specially trained prosecutors focused on crimes committed on the Chicago Transit Authority.

Religion is taking center stage in the Trump administration following a public dispute between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, representatives from the Chicago Teachers Union and some Chicago Board of Education members have been petitioning to exempt CPS students and teachers on May 1, allowing them to participate in local demonstrations.

An ordinance allowing 34 of Chicago’s 50 wards to build additional dwelling units, or ADUs, took effect April 1. The ordinance permits Chicagoans to build small homes in their backyards, basements and attics and rent them out.