Stories by WTTW News

Pushback on plans to close and rebuild two Illinois prisons. And documenting the reality of life along America’s famous Route 66.Pushback on plans to close and rebuild two Illinois prisons. And documenting the reality of life along America’s famous Route 66.

The leader of CPS on the district’s latest accomplishments and challenges. What’s behind an increase in animal euthanasia rates in Chicago. And looking at the city’s lofty place in the history of the skyscraper.

Mexico elected its first-ever woman president — how some Chicagoans helped make that possible. And a new photo exhibit captures a past life in Pilsen.

The mayor reacts to one of Chicago’s largest police misconduct settlements. And one on one with Carol Moseley Braun, the first Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate.

Prosecutors push for prison time for Chicago’s longest-serving alderperson. One on one with the founder of the animal rights group PETA. And cruising the Chicago River on a kayak conservation tour.

A controversial push to make Chicago’s downtown curfew for teens even earlier. How updating identifying documents could become easier for transgender people. And a look at Illinois’ gun laws in our latest installment of WTTW News Explains. 

Officials say more than half of the migrants forced to leave city shelters immediately returned. How Latino communities are celebrating Pride. And meet the first Mexican-born woman to travel to space.

Evanston’s groundbreaking reparations program is facing a legal challenge. And Major League Baseball makes a historic move by adding Negro Leagues stats to its records.

CPD’s plans to handle mass protests ahead of the DNC. How will Chicago spend the millions in remaining COVID-19 relief dollars? And an uncommon path to law school.

One-on-one with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. And upcoming deregulation for locksmiths has some consumer advocates worried. 

A historic Little Village Theater gets landmark status. A child tax credit passes as part of Illinois’ new budget. And meet a group of Latinos embracing the entrepreneurial spirit.

Residents push back on a proposed trucking hub in North Lawndale. A landmark study seeks to know more about cancer risks and outcomes in Black women. And remembering the founder of a pioneering Chicago theater company.

What the state’s $53 billion budget plan could mean for taxpayers. A push to establish a statewide public defender system. And the cicada invasion is here — what to know about our new neighbors.

School funding and a crackdown on THC — the latest from Springfield. And ahead of Memorial Day weekend, we hear stories from Latinos who served in the military.

Chicago City Council backs a plan to keep ShotSpotter. And Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s new plan for gun and drug charges tied to traffic stops.

Reaction to dramatic changes in how Chicago will fund its public schools going forward. And our Spotlight Politics team on the looming deadline to pass a state budget.

Law enforcement is sounding the alarm on guns that are still in the hand of residents who shouldn’t legally have them. A City Council battle around ShotSpotter. And the cicadas are finally here — what you need to know.

What’s behind the city’s joblessness rates among Black and Latino youth. Meet the powerful women of an ancient Mexican civilization. And Sueños Music Festival returns.

Takeaways from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first year in office. Three Chicago journalists win Pulitzer Prizes. And after 25 years in prison, one man says he’s still fighting to prove his innocence.

What’s behind the mass felling of trees at a suburban forest preserve. And eyes are on the Chicago Sky as the WNBA regular season tips off.

A controversial migrant shelter closes on the South Side. The invasion of cicadas is coming soon. And world-renowned opera star Renée Fleming.

How a funding mishap could impact local after-school programs. And more Latinos are pursuing advanced degrees — we meet a few who are celebrating their graduation this month.

One on one with the new leader of the state’s embattled Department of Children and Family Services. And uncovering the little-known history of Black ballerinas.

A big change to the school funding formula — what it could mean for students and teachers. And how Chicago police are responding to pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Chicago is set to host the Democratic National Convention this summer. It will be the city’s 27th time hosting a national political convention. Chicago conventions have been some of the most memorable, raucous and consequential in American history.

A piece of evolutionary history has made its way to the Field Museum. A remarkably preserved Archaeopteryx fossil has been acquired, offering an astonishing window into the transition between dinosaurs and modern birds. This rare and scientifically significant find sheds new light on the origins of flight and the incredible journey of evolution.