Stories by Heather Cherone

It would likely cost the city nearly $9 billion if Chicago wanted to cut ties with Commonwealth Edison and form its own electric utility, according to a city study released Friday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot took the first step Thursday toward making the long-planned Chicago casino a reality, asking firms interested in building and operating “a unique entertainment and gaming experience” to make their pitch to city officials.

Chicago health officials will continue to recommend that anyone exposed to someone diagnosed with the coronavirus be tested for COVID-19, despite new guidance from the CDC that ignited a firestorm of controversy.

Thousands of Chicagoans who lost their jobs or found their paychecks scaled back because of the coronavirus pandemic asked the city for help paying their rent or mortgages, officials said.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 2,157 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and another 37 virus-related deaths — including a teenage girl from Cook County.

Even though the Obama Presidential Center has yet to receive final approval from the federal government to break ground, Woodlawn’s real estate market is already bubbling, with the median sale price rising 106% from 2016 to 2020.

Two Chicago men will face federal charges that they looted three Northwest Side pharmacies on May 31 during the protests triggered by the death of George Floyd.

The measure includes a ban on short-term rentals that last only one night in an effort to block huge parties that have become a regular nuisance in some neighborhoods.

The measure approved Tuesday by a City Council committee would revise the law that requires women to cover their nipples with “pasties” or latex while performing topless at a bar or club that has a liquor license. 

City officials on Tuesday announced changes to Chicago’s quarantine order. Starting Friday, 18 states and Puerto Rico will be on the list.

A measure that would have required Chicago Police officers to allow those arrested access to a phone within an hour of being detained failed to advance Monday, after a deputy chief told aldermen it could put the city at risk of lawsuits.

In June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the pandemic had blown a $700 million hole in the city’s budget, the last time she gave a detailed update on the city’s finances.

More than 16 months ago, a report found the databases used by the Chicago Police Department to track gang members was riddled with errors. Despite those findings, the City Council has ignored calls to hold hearings on the issue.

Stalled by the coronavirus pandemic for three months, the criminal case against Ald. Ed Burke (14th Ward) intensified this week with a spate of court filings, signaling a new phase in the legal fight that reshaped Chicago politics. 

Businesses that saw their revenue drop by at least 25% during the pandemic can apply for grants of up to $4,000 to cover operating costs, city officials said.

A bid by several aldermen to demand that Gov. J.B. Pritzker deploy the Illinois National Guard to Chicago in an effort to reduce escalating violence and sustained protests amid the coronavirus pandemic failed on Friday.

To qualify for the ballot, the Illinois native had to submit at least 2,500 signatures. However, an official review of Kanye West’s petitions determined he only had 1,200 valid signatures.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will extend Illinois’ ban on evictions for another month, as warnings of a tsunami of looming evictions grow louder. The ban is now set to expire Sept. 22, according to Pritzker spokesperson.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday defended the Chicago Police Department’s ban on protests on her Logan Square block, citing a significant number of threats against her, her wife and 12-year-old daughter.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday it was too soon to evaluate whether President Donald Trump’s decision to send more than 100 federal agents to Chicago had begun to pay dividends in the ongoing effort to crack down on surging violent crime and gun violence.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker hailed on Wednesday the decision by the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency approval to a coronavirus test developed by University of Illinois researchers that uses saliva rather than a deep nasal swab.

Four aldermen have called for a special Chicago City Council meeting in an effort to pressure Mayor Lori Lightfoot to ask Gov. J.B. Pritzker to call out the Illinois National Guard to reduce escalating violence and sustained protests amid the coronavirus pandemic.

City officials are putting the final touches on a plan to replace the lead service lines responsible for contaminating the tap water in thousands of Chicago homes, according to Department of Water Management Commissioner Randy Conner.

Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Department of Public Health, said the spread of the virus remains high among city residents between the ages of 18 and 29 as well as among Latino Chicagoans.

Visitors to Chicago from Wisconsin will no longer be required to quarantine for two weeks starting Friday, city officials announced Tuesday.

Among the businesses shut down by officials for violating rules designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus was Barba Yianni Greek Tavern in Lincoln Square and Juanita’s Restaurant #2 in Clearing.