Stories by Blake Thor

“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.

The Chicago City Council will vote Feb. 18 on a proposal that would allow the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to investigate whether CPD officers have violated city law by helping federal immigration agents.

The Chicago Bears’ season officially ended Sunday in an overtime thriller against the Los Angeles Rams, but the saga of the team’s future home is still playing out.

Peoples Gas is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to approve a $202 million rate increase, while Nicor Gas is seeking its own rate hike of $221 million.

The Cinderella season continues as “Da Bears” gear up for a divisional round showdown against the Rams on Sunday. Caleb Williams and company kept their Super Bowl hopes alive against the Green Bay Packers last Saturday, overcoming an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Illinois and Minnesota officials are separately suing the Trump administration over the enforcement tactics used by federal immigration agents. The lawsuits seek broader limits on the conduct of immigration agents in both states.

Will it be “Bear Down” or Bears down and out? That’s what fans are wondering as the Chicago Bears head into the postseason against none other than their archrival Green Bay Packers.

Students at 32 Illinois Full-Service Community Schools returned from winter break to major changes, after 708 school programs were discontinued and 277 staff were laid off beginning in mid-December.

Administration officials say Maduro’s capture was a law enforcement action that merely used military resources and therefore did not require congressional approval, referencing a drug trafficking indictment issued by the Department of Justice in March.

Quilen Blackwell, whose nonprofit Southside Blooms transforms vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into flower farms that employ at-risk young people, is the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year.

For many Latino families and business owners, everyday routines became suddenly complicated with the added fear of masked federal agents patrolling neighborhood streets, often in unmarked vehicles.

Judge Debra Ann Seaton denied a 60-day extension request saying “it would be inhumane for this court not to relocate people as quickly as possible,” citing gas leaks and plumbing issues. Many residents said they had nowhere to go.

A group of alderpeople led by 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn is pushing an ordinance to ban the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products in Chicago.

The proposal has drawn pushback from the nursing community, which argues the reclassification could limit students’ financial access to advanced nursing degrees.

Chicago Budget Director Annette Guzman joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss the budget negotiations.