Stories by Heather Cherone

With 24 hours to go before polls open on Election Day, Chicago voters have flooded election officials with early ballots and mail-in ballots, deluging records set in 2016 and promising a huge final turnout.

Data from the Chicago Police Department shows there have been 2,768 shootings and 655 murders year-to-date. Those figures are up 51% and 52%, respectively, when compared to the first 10 months of 2019.

President Donald Trump is suggesting that he will fire Dr. Anthony Fauci after Tuesday’s election, as his rift with the nation’s top infectious disease expert widens.

Chicago takes part in a nationwide listening party for a new audio play that uses the words of protesters, activists, immigrants and survivors to explore recent social and protest movements. We go for a listen.

Election Day is just two days away — what you need to know. How some lawmakers in Springfield are doubling down on a Black agenda. And making history in the world of science.  

Chicago gets a lot of attention for its soaring skyscrapers and ornate downtown buildings, but there’s more to Chicago architecture than what’s in the Loop. 

Election Day is around the corner, but if you haven’t yet made it to the polls, don’t fret — there’s still plenty of time to cast your ballot. We check in with Chicago Board of Elections Commissioner Jonathan Swain.

This turbulent year spurred the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus to develop an anti-racism agenda. State Sen. Kimberly Lightford tells us how Black legislators hope to dismantle systemic racism.

Community members, parents and officials are voicing their concerns over a proposal to close three elementary schools with dwindling enrollment and replace them with a new, state-of-the-art facility.

For three days in a row, state health officials reported record highs in the number of new COVID-19 cases in Illinois. That streak ended Sunday but the state’s positivity rate crept up to 8%.

America is poised for a presidential election that renders a verdict on the nation’s role in the world and the direction of its economy, on its willingness to contain an escalating pandemic and its ability to confront systemic racial inequity.

Every year, Indigenous artist Carlos Orozco travels to Chicago from Oaxaca, Mexico, to lead workshops on painting alebrijes. We check out this year’s virtual offering. 

Thirty-two million Latinos will be eligible to vote, but will they? Latinas voters share their hopes for the next four years. Why libraries are so important for democracy. Mexican mythical creatures.

Women could decide who wins the election — we speak with four Latina voters about what they’re hoping to see in the next four years. 

Librarian Miguel Ruiz has the last word on why supporting the work of public libraries is so important.

With just days to go until Election Day and millions of votes already cast, the Latino vote is more consequential than ever. Sylvia Puente of the Latino Policy Forum shares insights about this historic election.

State health officials reported 7,899 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the third consecutive day in which Illinois saw its highest number of new infections within a 24-hour period since the coronavirus pandemic hit the state.

Black Lives Matter has been a lot of things in its brief, fiery life. It has been a slogan, a rallying point. A movement that led protests coast to coast. A heaven-sent resource. Now, BLM’s influence faces a test.

Sean Connery, the charismatic Scottish actor who rose to international superstardom as suave, fearless secret agent James Bond and then carved out an equally successful, Oscar-winning career, has died. He was 90.

We gain an hour this weekend when daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday. 

Illinois reports a record 6,943 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, surpassing the previous record set one day earlier. As cases rise so do tensions between Gov. J.B. Pritzker and business owners amid pandemic-related closures.

In a campaign that has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 227,000 Americans and staggered the economy, the candidates’ clashing overtures stood as a reflection of their leadership styles.

A 17-year-old from Illinois accused of killing two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has been extradited to stand trial on homicide charges.

Aldermen urged city transportation officials on Friday to help them repave more Chicago streets, spotlighting a perennial gripe about potholes and rough rides during a budget season like no other.

“It’s unfortunate,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday. “Look, this disease is unrelenting, it doesn’t care about what the location is and what we’re trying to do here is to limit the cases, the hospitalizations and the deaths.”

Over the past 10 days, the U.S. Supreme Court has answered questions about an extended timeline for receiving and counting ballots in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Here’s how they ruled.