Stories by WTTW News

New details on the Cook County State’s Attorney’s handling of the Jussie Smollett case. Inside the sale of the Thompson Center. Mayor Lightfoot addresses violence. A $10 billion telescope that could unlock secrets of the universe.

Agricultural labor trafficking is on the rise. Last-minute holiday gift ideas? We’ve got you covered. And a Mexican Catholic tradition takes to the streets of Buena Park.

Chicago’s would-be casino developers show us their cards. Utility giants selling sensitive information to immigration officials. We’re in Grand Boulevard. And a preview of the Bears game.

A dramatic day at City Council. The latest from City Hall. Our Spotlight politics team breaks it all down. We’re learning more about the omicron variant. And a new effort to reduce opioid overdoses.

Illinois Congress members on Chicago violence. How more midwives across the state can reduce health care inequities. A suburban fight over a Carvana vending machine. And a Santa shortage. 

Neighbors in Illinois and other states clean up from deadly tornadoes. How contact tracers are doing their jobs nearly two years into the pandemic. Addressing violence in Chicago. And a COVID-19 outbreak for the Bulls.

Sterling Bay is set to unveil its plans for the North Side megaproject. Danny Ecker has the details on that story and more.

Combatting depression around the holidays. Celebrating Minnie Miñoso. Helping Latino college grads find their dream jobs. And a bakery fires up its oven after almost 30 years.

How Black developers are getting in on the city’s investment in affordable housing. A football coach is the first woman to drive a CPS team. And hockey’s toxic culture in our Black Voices Book Club.

Live from South Shore. In-stadium sports betting debate. A top Biden administration official on the latest with COVID. Justin Fields returns to take on the Packers. And WFMT celebrates a milestone.

Which suburbs are betting on casinos, plus the odds on sports betting at stadiums in Spotlight Politics. A mental health crisis for young people. And the holiday season is here for small businesses.

A call for those who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine to pay for the cost of their medical treatment. A billion dollar investment in affordable housing. And a second pandemic holiday season.

The rise in air travel is coming back down, thanks to the omicron variant’s rapid spread. Ann Dwyer has details on that story and more.

The impact of travel bans from certain countries as omicron spreads. Homicides in Cook County reach a historic level. How the U.S. is responding to Russian-Ukraine tensions. And the Hall of Fame for Minnie Minoso.

A special Black Voices/Latino Voices crossover on the city's ward map battle. Plus, marketing to Latinos. A unique experience at a Pilsen shop. And La Ultima Palabra.

A special Black Voices/Latino Voices crossover on the city’s ward remap battle. Plus, new attention for 51 cold cases of killed Black women — a beloved Chicago cosmetics brand gets a makeover.

The latest on the City Council’s ward remap process and what it means for voters. One-on-one with Chicago’s top doctor as COVID-19 cases increase. And live in Andersonville for “In Your Neighborhood.”

City remap deadline comes and goes. Plus, the Supreme Court hears a major abortion case, how Chicagoans are marking World AIDS day, and Geoffrey Baer’s new special goes above and beyond Chicago.

City Council members sound off one day ahead of the ward remap deadline and still no agreement. One-on-one with retiring lawmaker Greg Harris. The life and legacy of Stephen Sondheim.

What we know so far about the newest COVID-19 variant: omicron. The economy as the holiday shopping season arrives. The city preps for winter. And more attention for cases of missing Black women.

Author Dawn Turner on growing up in Chicago. Discussion and debate over Black hairstyles. Plus, an artist captures the beauty and the stories of the South Side.

Helping households afford internet access. Meet a woman fighting fire with fire. And conserving monarch butterflies. 

Calls for land-based reparations to Indigenous Americans. The impact of rising costs on food insecurity. The art of birchbark canoe building. A local cartoonist keeps alive a “Mad” magazine tradition.

Local reaction to the verdict in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. COVID cases surge ahead of Thanksgiving. A tuition-free art school. And the Bears prepare for the Lions amid turmoil in the organization.

One-on-one with Cook County’s assessor as Chicago commercial properties face potentially higher taxes. The fate of Build Back Better. Naperville’s mayor calls for an end to mask mandates. A local pizza chain under fire. 

The latest on the holiday parade tragedy in Waukesha. Analysis of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. A substitute teacher shortage causes canceled classes. And book censorship controversy at a suburban school.