Stories by Associated Press

The elections are a crucial moment for President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who are the overwhelming front-runners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, respectively. 

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber on Thursday ruled that the “ComEd Four” will not be sentenced until after the high court issues its ruling in a separate case involving James Snyder, a former Indiana mayor who was found guilty of accepting a bribe.

The new documentary “The Fight for Black Lives” chronicles the stories of Black mothers who faced racial inequities in the health care system. The film comes as Gov. J.B. Pritzker is proposing $4 million dollars in his new budget proposal aimed at addressing the issue. 

Former Chicago Police Sgt. Cassandra Williams, who worked for the Chicago Police Department for 32 years, said she faced severe harassment and retaliation for filing a complaint against her commanding officer, Lt. Jason Brown, who remains on the force. “I crossed the blue line,” Williams said.

A new documentary explores racial disparities in childbirth. How evictions disproportionately impact Black women. And fresh off his third Grammy win, we talk with Chicago poet J. Ivy.

J. Ivy is one of the most high-profile poets on the planet. He has worked with A-list artists including Jay-Z and Beyoncé. He even gave John Legend his “Legend” name. Ivy’s spoken word album “The Light Inside” just earned him a third Grammy.

Illinois is now the third state where former President Donald Trump was booted from the ballot, after Colorado and Maine. But those decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It was a wild day that saw Chicago just miss out on setting a record-high temperature for February before a powerful cold front moved through the region. 

“Black by Popular Demand” showcases common experiences from a Black viewpoint, resulting in some hilarious moments. 

In honor of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, we’re posting daily “dupes” — invasives that can easily be confused with native species. Today brings us to a truly unexpected subject: the rose.

Comedy Central named Richard Lewis one of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time, and he earned a berth in GQ magazine’s list of the “20th Century’s Most Influential Humorists.” He lent his humor for charity causes, including Comic Relief and Comedy Gives Back.

Ex-Chicago police Officer Carlos Yanez Jr., who was critically wounded in the shooting that left his partner Ella French dead, said he has no recollection of the altercation itself, which left him severely injured.

By the contract's final day, Chicago taxpayers will have paid more than $53 million since 2018 for a system that Mayor Brandon Johnson said never provided a return on the city’s investment or the results that it promised.

The ruling was handed down by a panel of justices on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. It marked the latest decision in a legal challenge the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed against the ban.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump easily won their party’s primaries in Michigan, but Tuesday’s results showed that both candidates have cause for concern in their bid to win the swing state in November.

Biden is expected to speak Wednesday afternoon about how his American Rescue plan has helped Detroit pay for bonuses and hire 200 additional officers, Milwaukee fund gun crime investigations and Chicago better focus on community violence intervention efforts.

The embattled CTA president hits back at critics. Pritzker voices his reservations about state funding for new stadiums. And Chicago taxpayers spent at least $74 million on police misconduct last year.

CTA President Dorval Carter said the transit agency plans to restore reduced bus and train service to pre-pandemic levels this year, including a 44% boost to bus service, with the process beginning in the coming weeks.

You’ve probably been hearing about the Chicago Bears and White Sox stadium goals. They’re not the only ones making a pitch for publicly financed stadiums.

These cultural districts include ethnic enclaves in Chicago and historically Black neighborhoods in Champaign and Springfield.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for the Chicago region, much of northern Illinois and parts of northeast Indiana, through 10 p.m. Tuesday.

A sea of Chicago police officers and officials filled Judge Ursula Walowski’s fifth-floor courtroom as opening statements got underway at the Leighton Criminal Court Building Tuesday, more than two and a half years after Officer Ella French was killed.

The company is closing 150 underperforming stores — 50 by the end of 2024 and the other 100 over the next few years. By 2026, it will have just 350 Macy’s stores, the company announced.

On Monday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed an administrative complaint against Kroger’s $24.6 billion deal to acquire Albertsons and a federal lawsuit that asks a judge to block the merger for now.

In honor of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, we’re posting daily “dupes” — invasives that can easily be confused with native species. Today we’re tackling crayfish.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, is facing a $1 billion budget shortfall, and Congress has until March to secure funding. Illinois would need about $24 million in additional funding for the 2024 fiscal year to serve its eligible population.