Stories by WTTW News

Get ready for fun with this guide to neighborhood street fests, art shows, outdoor concerts and cultural celebrations of all sizes across Chicago and the suburbs.

As a Republican wave swept across the country, Illinois Democrats are set to maintain their veto-proof majorities in the state legislature, even with a handful of races still too close to call as of Wednesday morning.

With the GOP looking to retain its slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, all Illinois incumbents won their bids for reelection. 

Each Wednesday, WTTW News presents must-see shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more. 

The results of the hard-fought and expensive races will usher in a new era for the 325,000 students who attend Chicago Public Schools — and serve as a referendum on the leadership of Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former teacher, and the Chicago Teachers Union.

Nature was on the ballot in several suburban counties, with forest preserve and conservations districts in DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry asking for funding increases to support land acquisition, habitat restoration and ongoing maintenance.

Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.

WTTW News reporters are spread out across Chicago covering the 2024 general election. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates on local, state and national races.

Vote-by-mail ballots received over the last few days have not yet been counted; ballots will be processed and tallied on a rolling basis through Nov. 19.

Nearly 85% of voters on Tuesday voted to give businesses the ability to sell booze in that area, according to unofficial results.

The AP declared Eileen O’Neill Burke the winner in the Cook County state’s attorney race just before 9 p.m. in one of the most closely watched races on Election Day in Chicago.

Election Day is officially here. What to know as polls begin to close. And two very different visions for the nation’s future — our Spotlight Politics team unpacks that and more.

The victims, both men, were shot at around 1:15 p.m. in an administrative office in a nonpublic space at the popular tourist site, Chicago police Chief of Patrol John Hein said.

Barbara Taylor Bowman is known not only for her lifelong work in the field and for co-founding the Erikson Institute, but also as the mother of Valerie Jarrett, an advisor to former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Passing certain amendments in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota likely would lead to undoing bans or restrictions that currently block varying levels of abortion access to more than 7 million women of childbearing age who live in those states.

Reporters at Politico, Axios, Puck, Voice of America and Mother Jones were among those denied credentials. Some, like Politico, had been previously granted access to the Tuesday night event only to have the decision reversed.

In November 2014, more than 2.6 million Illinois residents overwhelmingly voted to add a “crime victims’ rights” amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, to the state constitution.

Ahead of the Nov. 5 election, the Chicago Board of Elections released a list of wards and precincts that will receive Limited English Proficiency (LEP) assistance for Election Day.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have visited them the most. Together, these states are likely to deliver the Electoral College votes needed for the winning candidate to get a majority of 270.

“He was a proud individual, very hard working, and he gave his life for this city,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said late Monday.

The latest presidential polls have Kamala Harris and Donald Trump deadlocked across swing states. But what does polling actually tell us? And how to cope with stress caused by the election.

A study by the American Psychology Association reports that 77% of U.S. adults say the nation’s future is a significant source of stress in their lives. This category of mental health is known as socio-political stress and it seems more prevalent to people who are politically active compared to those not engaged in politics. 

Recent polls say presidential candidates Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck. But what do polls actually tell us and what impact do they have?

The Chicago Board of Elections has hired 8,100 election judges to help things go smoothly, spokesman Max Bever said. Many of those judges are students. 

Not only was there a packed house for Thursday evening’s concert at Symphony Hall, but Riccardo Muti, along with the program’s two works by Beethoven, and guest artist, pianist Mitsuko Uchida, were winningly celebrated.

“Chicago in Color,” is a modestly-scaled gem with many facets of lively color. There are views of familiar places seen through fresh eyes, but the book’s strength lies in the smallest of details: minimalist compositions of nature or infrastructure linked by a colorful photographic palette.