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In Illinois, the chamber estimates more than $2 billion worth of goods were stolen from retailers in 2021, but it says the cost to Illinois businesses was more than double that when other factors are taken into account.

The latest in our series WTTW News: A Safer City highlights the sharp rise in vehicle thefts — and how to protect your car. Efforts to get kids to school safely. And the impact retail theft has on local businesses.

There’s been an increase in carjackings nationwide, but Chicago is reporting more incidents than any other city in the U.S.

As students return, so to do the Safe Passage workers who are tasked with making sure students make it and from school safely.

Tracy Marie Fiorenza, 41, was charged earlier this month in the Southern District of Florida with a count of transmitting a threat to kill or injure another person, according to a federal complaint.

Adding to the problem, the Chicago Police Department has linked several recent robbery sprees to stolen vehicles. That comes as carmakers Kia and Hyundai face scrutiny for failing to provide adequate security systems for their cars.

The 6-foot, 130-pound calf was born Aug. 19, Brookfield Zoo announced Monday.

In a 4-1 decision Monday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its order that Planned Parenthood and other health care providers “cannot show a reasonable likelihood of success” with their challenge to the abortion restrictions.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Wednesday and Thursday, when the combination of high temperatures and oppressive humidity are expected to create dangerous conditions.

For the second half of its Ravinia Festival concert this past Thursday the Chicago Symphony Orchestra delivered a bravura performance of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s extraordinary “Symphony No. 5” and it couldn’t have been more timely in subtle way.

Republicans chose Milwaukee for the first debate and for the national convention in just 11 months largely because of Wisconsin’s well-earned status as a swing state. Four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point. 

Having anywhere from one to four hours of screen time per day at age 1 is linked with higher risks of developmental delays in communication, fine motor, problem-solving and personal and social skills by age 2, according to the study.

Mayor Brandon Johnson joined CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates at Beidler Elementary School on the city’s West Side early Monday as kids began the 2023-24 school year.

According to Chicago Police Department data, seven people were killed over the weekend between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. During that time 40 people were shot in total, in 33 separate incidents.

If confirmed as superintendent, Larry Snelling faces a delicate balancing act — addressing the crime and violence that have plagued Chicago while also changing the way CPD trains and disciplines its officers.

Data has shown that Black students in CPS schools are disproportionately subject to discipline, underrepresented in the city’s top-rated high schools and have to travel the farthest of any demographic group to get to school.

Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It’s a grim reality that led advocates to start The Gathering campaign.

Jazmin Flores, the young entrepreneur and owner of Taqueria Las Flores, used her savings to open the restaurant four years ago. She stayed open through the pandemic and navigated financial struggles. Now she’s forced to start over.

A first-ever concert will bring the musical traditions of Chicago’s two largest Latino communities together at Millennium Park.

It’s back to school for CPS students — we talk about the challenges ahead this school year. A new effort to reduce maternal mortality. And The Last Word on mentoring.

What the promotion of CPD’s Chief Larry Snelling means for public safety. A cross-cultural musical collaboration in Millennium Park. And rebuilding a taqueria from scratch.

Larry Snelling gets Mayor Johnson’s nod to lead the Chicago Police Department. Illinois Democrats and Republicans call each other out at the state fair. And the playoff-contending Cubs walk all over the bottom-feeding Sox.

In her sophomore year of college, Jamila Trimuel became a mentor. In 2011, she started her own organization, Ladies of Virtue, which offers mentorship and support to girls ages 9-18.

The Eastland Disaster, often overlooked in history, occurred in 1915 when a passenger ship docked at the Clark Street Bridge tipped over in the Chicago River, leading to the deaths of 844 people.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed a bill that sets up a program to distribute $20 million for grants and technical assistance for grocery stores as well as funding research into food insecurity.

The prosecution was expected to formally rest Friday, the trial’s ninth day at the Dirksen Federal Building downtown, but due to technical delays and ongoing testimony, that will be pushed back to the start of next week.