Stories by Blake Thor

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.

“The way I see our role is not only to decide these very important issues for society, but also, perhaps more importantly, to ensure there is a high level of public confidence in the courts,” Justice Sanjay Tailor said.

The Chicago demonstration is taking place after the area was targeted in the Trump administration’s “Operation Midway Blitz” immigration enforcement effort and amid ongoing military action in Iran.

Crafted by Mayor Brandon Johnson, the measure forces social media companies to pay a tax of 50 cents per month for every active user after the first 100,000 users, under the city’s amusement tax authority.

Illinois is gearing up for a rematch. Former state legislator Darren Bailey won the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, meaning he will face incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker in the November general election.

The battle for the Bears may be headed to the fourth quarter. As the team looks to move on from its home at Soldier Field, a suitor has emerged across the state line: Hammond, Indiana.

TSA agents have been caught in the crossfire of a federal debate over reforms to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Chicago Fire broke ground on a new stadium development site Tuesday at The 78 in Chicago’s 3rd Ward. The stadium is expected to open before the 2028 Major League Soccer season following a $750 million private investment from the club’s owner, Joe Mansueto.

“Let us continue with the work.” That was the call to action from the family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights activist and religious leader who died last week at the age of 84.

"We have seen no evidence that the Chicago Police Department has changed any policies or training or examined any operational changes they are going to make as a response to these really disturbing findings,” said Alexandra Block of the ACLU of Illinois.

Join WTTW as we launch our Firsthand: Democracy initiative. We explore the state of civic participation and hear how some Chicagoans are working to strengthen democracy.

The Reader was recently acquired by Noisy Creek, a startup publishing company based in Washington state focused on acquiring and restoring troubled alternative news sources.

The blitz is on as Indiana pushes to become the new home of the Chicago Bears. State lawmakers there are considering Senate Bill 27, which would allow a government authority to buy land and finance the construction of a new NFL stadium.