Stories by Patty Wetli

The EPA began cleaning up the site this week, stating the hazardous substances found in the soil posed an “imminent and substantial endangerment” to “public health, welfare, and the environment.”

Watch the July 9, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The Deerfield, Illinois-based drugstore chain said Thursday that the rapidly spreading coronavirus took a bite of between $700 million and $750 million from sales, with much of the damage coming from outside the United States.

The Police Criminal Misconduct Complaint form, launched Tuesday, will allow residents to submit claims of criminal misconduct against law enforcement officers and upload photo and video evidence of any alleged incident.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a new 104-page report Thursday, which calls for the city to accelerate investments in neighborhoods on the South and West sides in order to create jobs and reduce crime.

A partial release of Illinois companies that received loans from the Paycheck Protection Program has turned up some big names, including some who are politically connected — and some connected to ethics scandals.

On March, a day after the mayor canceled St. Patrick’s Day parades, another parade celebrated the opening of twin exhibitions on Native American people. The shows opened ... and then closed one day later.

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities has made recent headlines, but racial disparities within health care have been studied and reported on for years.

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing at the hands of police, many Americans have been rethinking everyday language — and how it may contribute to systemic racism.

Determined to reopen America’s schools despite coronavirus worries, President Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to hold back federal money if school districts don’t bring their students back in the fall.

Following social media campaigns like #BlackBirdersWeek and #BlackHikerWeek, a group of Black plant scientists from around the world is creating a community around — and celebrating — Black people who love plants.  

A dozen new mobile testing teams will offer drive-thru and walk-up services across the state, free of charge.

“You deserve to be happy.” That’s the message artist Myron Laban believes people really need to hear in the midst of today’s uncertainties. We check out one of his latest murals on Chicago’s West Side.

Eco House is planting the seeds for a homegrown flower industry on vacant lots in Englewood, Woodlawn and West Garfield Park. We learn about the mission behind this slow flowers movement.

A Chicago public high school on the Northwest Side has voted to remove its school resource officers amid a nationwide push to rethink police in schools following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

International students will be forced to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall, under new guidelines issued Monday by federal immigration authorities.

Watch the July 8, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

United Airlines is warning 36,000 employees — nearly half its U.S. staff — they could be furloughed in October, the clearest signal yet of how deeply the virus pandemic is hurting the airline industry.

A national coalition of labor unions, along with racial and social justice organizations, will stage a mass walkout from work this month, as part of an ongoing reckoning on systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S.

The Chicago Park District has turned the water on at some, but not all, of its splash pads.

Testifying before a U.S. House committee on Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker outlined steps the federal government can take to respond to the worsening coronavirus pandemic, including a mandate on wearing face masks.

Five weeks after two explosions rattled General Iron, city officials allowed the North Side metal recycler to partially reopen June 24 — but its shredding facility remains shut down as investigations continue into the May 18 blasts.

A federal program designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms. Which companies benefited in Illinois?

Activity in the U.S. services sector rebounded strongly last month, but those gains are now being threatened by the resurgence of coronavirus cases in many parts of the country. Local economists weigh in.

Advocacy groups are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to move residents from nursing homes and other congregate care settings into community settings, like hotels, to allow for proper social distancing and to stop the spread of COVID-19.

As the city mourns victims of gun violence, we talk with Charles Woodhouse Jr., a survivor calling for healing.