Stories by Nick Blumberg

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday expressed skepticism about some of the revenue streams House Democrats pitched in a transit rescue bill filed late Tuesday night.

The state starts tracking immigration agents accused of abusing their power. And Chicago City Council members start kicking the tires on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed budget.

The mayor’s budget proposal takes aim at wealthy Chicagoans and big businesses. And a federal judge slams immigration agents for apparently defying court orders.

Federal courts block the deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago. And a judge bans ICE from using tear gas against protesters and reporters.

The funding freeze, which came despite a full funding agreement executed earlier this year, comes amid a broader anti-DEI push from the administration. In announcing the pause, federal officials said they’d be examining whether the Red Line Extension involves “race-based contracting” that Trump officials claim are discriminatory.

Another week of aggressive immigration raids — including patrols on peaceful downtown streets. And the Trump administration wants to pause $2.1 billion in infrastructure funding for Chicago.

The announcement comes just a week and a half before lawmakers are set to return to Springfield for the fall veto session, during which numerous legislators say transit will be a main priority.

Chicago’s landmark Uptown Theatre opened its doors in August 1925 with much fanfare. Like a lot of 100-year-olds, the building’s got some aches and pains — but it’s also got a dedicated community hoping to see the long-vacant movie palace restored and brought back to life.

Nonprofit organizations around the country are under stress. They’ve seen cuts to their funding from the federal government — but the community needs they try to meet are more pressing than ever.

We’ve got a lot of rules on the books governing when and where we can enjoy an adult beverage. WTTW News explains.

Chicago Transit Authority Acting President Nora Leerhsen said the agency has entered a “new phase” after the Illinois General Assembly failed last month to pass a measure tackling a $770 million budget gap for Chicago-area transit.

Trash and recycling companies aren’t allowed to make pickups in Chicago between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. For nearly two years, WTTW News has been tracking numerous companies flouting the law and documenting a tsunami of complaints from residents.

An Aurora resident who staunchly maintained his innocence on a charge of alleged battery against a member of former Mayor Richard Irvin’s campaign team had his case dismissed by a Kane County judge on Wednesday.

The measure, filed late Wednesday night, features a new menu of revenue sources to help keep Chicago-area buses and trains running. Lawmakers believe the measure will be enough to address the anticipated $770 million fiscal cliff next year.

The bill would replace the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra, and Pace, with a new entity called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. It would be charged with creating a universal fare system and ensuring coordination of service and capital projects.

The Illinois General Assembly returned from the long weekend break for its final week of the spring session. Lawmakers have until May 31 to pass a revenue and spending plan with a simple majority of votes.

The Chicago Transit Authority board of directors saw a highly unusual heated exchange at its monthly meeting, with Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) warning directors not to be a “backbiting snake” and oppose Mayor Brandon Johnson’s reported pick for the transit agency president.

The Chicago Transit Board took no action on the potential appointment of a new agency president at a hastily scheduled special board meeting Thursday afternoon, despite widespread concern the meeting would see directors consider Mayor Brandon Johnson’s reported pick for the role.

Data obtained by WTTW News shows the overall number of bus and train operators who worked for the CTA last year neared its pre-pandemic peak of employees. As a result, the amount of overtime worked dropped.

Speaking at an Economic Club of Chicago luncheon Wednesday, Powell said that despite the instability, the nation’s economy is still in a “solid position,” in particular its labor market. But he acknowledged that while the rate of inflation is slowing, the sharp price increases consumers have faced over the last several years are still hitting Americans in their pocketbooks.

Irvin, who was first elected as mayor in 2017, garnered 47.5% of the vote to Laesch’s 52.5%, according to the unofficial results available late Tuesday night.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Ronan Farrow has uncovered stories of sexual harassment and assault, chronicled the decline of America’s soft power and explored how powerful people try to track and manipulate journalists.

As the Aurora mayoral election draws near, some say campaign tactics are getting extreme in the west suburb.

People with severe asthma insured by BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois may soon face a new hurdle in accessing a treatment that providers say is critically important to keeping certain patients alive and well.

The transit agencies came up with the doomsday models at the RTA’s behest, responding to calls from Springfield legislators who’ve demanded specifics about how bad it could get if transit goes over the fiscal cliff — as well as what public transportation could look like if lawmakers go beyond plugging the budget gap and drastically increase state funding.

The order comes after a 2023 ruling in federal court that Chicago’s long-running failure to protect blind pedestrians violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, following on the heels of a similar ruling in New York City.