Stories by Eunice Alpasan

From how the United Center transforms its basketball court into an ice hockey rink to how holiday packages arrive at your front door, the WTTW special “Chicago Works” brings to the forefront the often unseen work that helps keep the city running.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin described Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s co-sponsoring of the bill as “an extraordinary act of political courage.” Durbin has spent more than two decades pushing for the Dream Act, which he first introduced in 2001.

Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID or another acceptable document, such as a passport, will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, TSA announced earlier this week.

The bill signing comes ahead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee meeting later this week for an expected vote on potential changes to the childhood vaccination schedule and how hepatitis B shots are administered.

O’Hare is likely to see its busiest Thanksgiving travel week in the airport’s 70-year history, according to the city’s aviation department. In Illinois, more than 4.1 million residents are expected to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday period, setting a new record for Thanksgiving travel in the state, according to AAA.

Starting Wednesday, Illinois residents will be able to add their Illinois-issued driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet. The Mobile ID program will also “soon” expand to Google and Samsung wallets, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

The beloved holiday tradition will return starting next week and run through late December, the Chicago Transit Authority announced.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, which previously issued partial November benefits, said that it is “working to restore full SNAP benefits.” But it won’t happen instantly.

As Chicago-area veterans gathered Tuesday to commemorate Veterans Day around the city, some used the opportunity to speak out about the government’s failure to care for veterans, as well as to sound the alarm about what some described as attacks against democracy.

“Leo from Chicago,” chronicles Pope Leo XIV's journey to being pope, from his time growing up in south suburban Dolton, into the priesthood and his missionary work in Peru, while also offering a look into how Chicago has shaped him.

The festivities in Chicago will be led by a new host and feature live performances, on-the-ground updates and reporting throughout the evening, according to a news release. Details have not yet been announced.

Attorneys filed an updated petition Thursday seeking the release of Diana Patricia Santillana Galeano, who, at the time, was being held at the ICE processing center in Broadview. Santillana Galeano has since been moved to an ICE facility in Clark County, Indiana, according to her attorney.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday it would reduce air traffic by 10% across “high-volume” markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers go unpaid and exhibit signs of strain during the shutdown.

The video shows two agents detaining the teacher inside the preschool and day care and then removing her from the facility. The teacher can be heard saying she has papers.

The Grainger Center for Conservation and Science, projected to cost $50 million to build, will be a space for conservators across departments to collaborate, conduct research, teach and preserve the Art Institute’s collection, according to the museum.

Community groups and neighbors are coming together to help children and families feel safe during Halloween celebrations, with some families choosing to opt out of trick-or-treating altogether amid fears of immigration raids.

Nearly 300 public radio stations and more than 100 public television stations in the U.S. are producing local reporting, researchers found. In nine counties, public radio is the sole news source.

Starting Saturday, cards that SNAP beneficiaries use to buy groceries will not be reloaded after the Trump administration said last week it won’t use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep funding the program next month.

Nearly all the mpox cases in Chicago this year have been among males, and most who have provided their sexual orientation identify as gay or bisexual, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Ruben Torres Maldonado has been held at the Broadview ICE Facility since Saturday, according to attorney Kalman Resnick, who is representing Maldonado's family. Maldonado, who has lived in Chicago since 2003, is scheduled to have an immigration court hearing Thursday, according to Resnick.

The gatherings are part of a mass mobilization across the U.S. and globe positioned as a denouncement of President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies. In Chicago, they come amid sustained immigration raids.

The mobile film closet offered thousands of movies released by the film distributor Criterion Collection and whose catalog — with a focus on restorations, special features and physical releases — has gained a cult following among movie lovers.

As part of Filipino American History Month in October, the Filipino American Historical Society of Chicago is unveiling a new exhibit, “Chicago in Quotas and Communities,” at its museum space in Mana Contemporary.

The Beautiful Lives Project works to empower those with disabilities through sports and arts programming across the country.

Chicago and suburban Cook County residents will have opportunities Saturday and through the next several months to receive free flu and COVID-19 shots, as local public health departments roll out their immunization outreach efforts.

The event series, hosted by DCASE and the Chicago Film Office, includes a film screening series with post-screening conversations featuring acclaimed guest speakers, along with a live performance, that aims to honor two of Chicago’s most iconic voices in film criticism.