Stories by Joanna Hernandez

Aid organizations say the next few days are crucial when it comes to rescue operations. One local organization is leading its own emergency response team in Turkey. 

Crews released toxic chemicals into the air from five derailed tanker cars that were in danger of exploding  and began burning it after warning residents near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line to leave immediately or face the possibility of death.

The true magic of the opera “The Factotum” is rooted in its seamless interweaving of countless musical styles that take operatic voices into the realm of funk, rap, hip-hop, gospel, R&B, barbershop quartet and even electronic.

Authorities feared the death toll would climb as rescuers searched through tangles of metal and concrete for survivors in a region beset by more than a decade of Syria’s civil war and a refugee crisis.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 20 people were shot in 18 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

It is nearly unprecedented for City Council committee chairs to urge the defeat of the mayor that hand-picked them for their high-profile positions, which comes with power at City Hall and an annual budget of nearly $200,000.

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) recently hosted a meeting Tuesday with vendors to reassure them he will be fighting to keep the retail hub open. Novak Construction, the mall’s owner, extended vendors’ leases until the end of March.  

The College Board this week released its updated curriculum for an Advanced Placement African American studies course after receiving criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The controversy over an Advanced Placement African American studies course for high school students. Architecture writer Lee Bey gives us a South Side tour in his new documentary. And a woman hits a home run for the Negro Baseball Leagues.

The Goodman Theatre's “Toni Stone” tells the story of the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues.

There’s more to Chicago’s architectural legacy than its gleaming downtown skyline. All throughout the city, there are buildings that inspire — you just have to know where to look.

Proposed changes to the race and ethnicity boxes on government forms. Welcoming refugees in a new sponsorship program. And giving wellness some Latino flavor.

Fitness instructor NK Gutierrez and juice bar owner Anabelle Martinez are helping people meet their wellness goals.

Refugees to America often find themselves starting from scratch, but a new program is offering everyday Americans a way to give refugees a softer landing.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has launched its first major bilingual exhibit. The museum plans to present everything, from its website to wayfinding signs, in both Spanish and English by 2024.

The federal government’s standards haven’t been changed since 1997, two decades after they were created as part of an effort to collect consistent race and ethnicity data across federal agencies when handling censuses, federal surveys and application forms for government benefits.

Did the mayor retaliate against a private citizen for voicing an opinion at City Council? Why CPD solves far fewer crimes involving Black men. Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette Park. And a profile of a Grammy-nominated Chicago producer.

South Side native Terry Hunter is up for a 2023 Grammy Award for his remix of Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.”

For the past several years, the Chicago Police Department has solved an average of 50% of the city’s homicides per year. But that number, known as a clearance rate, is even lower for Black victims.

Sean Estelle told WTTW News they believed they were “politically targeted” because their remarks angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot. 

Gloves come off in the Chicago mayoral debate as Paul Vallas cleans up cash and endorsements. City Council puts the breaks on Mayor Lori Lightfoot's ComEd deal. Migrants arrive in Woodlawn. And the complicated legacy of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull.

The plan also seeks to significantly decrease sodium in the meals served to the nation’s schoolkids by 2029, while making the rules for foods made with whole grains more flexible.

James Jackson, 55, appeared in court Friday on charges of aggravated battery of a transit employee and aggravated battery of a victim over 60 years old after he allegedly struck a CTA worker at the Washington Blue Line station.

New research shows bison are altering the landscape in unexpected ways when reintroduced to Midwest prairie ecosystems. 

“As we continue to work with our advisors to consider multiple paths, we are implementing actions to manage our business as efficiently as possible,” a Bed Bath and Beyond spokesperson said. “This store fleet reduction expands the company’s ongoing closure program.”

For months, the Fed has been warily watching the U.S. economy’s robust job gains out of concern that employers, desperate to hire, will keep boosting pay and, in turn, keep inflation elevated. But January’s blowout job growth coincided with an actual slowdown in wage growth.