Stories by WTTW News

One-on-one with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. And upcoming deregulation for locksmiths has some consumer advocates worried. 

“This is abuse that occurred at the hands of those who were hired to protect and educate the residents of these facilities,” attorney Todd Mathews said Monday. “Instead, they created a horrific environment and performed unspeakable acts on these survivors.”

Through the end of May, there have been 204 homicides and 979 shootings, both of which are the lowest totals for any year in Chicago since 2019.

The Progress Pride flag raised Monday at Daley Plaza features rainbow-colored stripes along with black and brown stripes to symbolize marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color. The blue, pink and white stripes symbolize transgender and non-binary members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) is set to launch in October and will broadcast Chicago Bulls, White Sox and Blackhawks games along with other content through traditional cable providers, streaming services and over-the-air broadcasts, according to a Monday announcement.

The historic November races are part of a multi-year transition that is hard to explain to voters. Special interest groups are taking notice. And questions loom about how the new 21-member board, triple the current size, will govern.

A man who was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood Sunday was among at least three people killed by gunfire across Chicago over the weekend.

In all, Chicago spent $202 million on a host of programs including affordable housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth job programs and help for unhoused Chicagoans through March 31, records show.

Robert Smigel may be best known as the breeder behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the crass canine puppet whose jokes make Don Rickles look housebroken. We sit down with him before his Chicago show. 

The Illinois Legislative Staff Association, which formed in the fall of 2022, claims House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining since then is a violation of the Workers’ Rights Amendment.

Pride Month, the worldwide celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and rights, kicks off Saturday with events around the globe. But this year’s festivities in the U.S. will unfold against a backdrop of dozens of new state laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender young people.

A bill banning what unions refer to as employer-sponsored “captive audience” meetings about religion and politics has cleared the General Assembly. It was one of 466 measures to do so during the Illinois legislature’s spring session, including a bill allowing for digital driver’s licenses.

Marian Shields Robinson's death was announced by Michelle Obama and other family members in a statement that said “there was and will be only one Marian Robinson. In our sadness, we are lifted up by the extraordinary gift of her life.”

A New York jury finds Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts. What’s in the state’s biggest-ever budget. And is Chicago ready for this summer’s DNC?

Cynthia Yeh, who has been the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s principal percussionist since 2007, can make wonderfully expressive music by playing on nothing more than a bunch of clay flowerpots, writes WTTW News theater critic Hedy Weiss.

Protestors denounced the second inauguration of El Salvador’s controversial president, Nayib Bukele. He will be entering his second term after an overwhelming victory in February — a move against El Salvador’s constitution, which prohibits presidential reelection.

The egg is the product of a recent pair bond between native-born Imani, who hatched at Montrose Beach in 2021, and Searocket, one of the 5-week-old captive-reared piping plover chicks released at the beach last year.

Javier Galindo and Lidia Galindo Corral have welcomed artists from all over the world to the Apollo’s 2000 Theater in Little Village for nearly 35 years. The building is now being designated a Chicago landmark.

The “Plow the Sidewalks” campaign sought to convince officials that the city has an obligation to ensure people with disabilities and other vulnerable residents can get around safely even in the worst winter weather.

Angel Reese is ensuring some of the glare from the bright spotlight on the WNBA shines squarely on the Chicago Sky. The seventh overall draft pick will remind anyone who will listen that there is a group of rookies helping boost soaring WNBA ratings, attendance and revenue, not just the one who plays in Indiana.

Latinos are starting businesses at over twice the rate of the general U.S. population. But getting there as a first-time business owner comes with its own set of challenges.

For low- and middle-class families feeling the pressures from the rising costs of living, the passing of a state-level child tax credit is a “big win,” said Ameya Pawar, a senior advisor at Economic Security Project and former alderperson of Chicago's 47th Ward.

Donald Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records at his company in connection with an alleged scheme to hide potentially embarrassing stories about him during his 2016 Republican presidential election campaign.

A historic Little Village Theater gets landmark status. A child tax credit passes as part of Illinois’ new budget. And meet a group of Latinos embracing the entrepreneurial spirit.

Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter took the fight to foes of his leadership – including the 29 alderpeople who signed on to a resolution calling for him to be replaced – at a lengthy City Council hearing on Thursday.

Andrew Bird migrated back to Chicago last night, launching his new tour with a pair of shows at the Green Mill Lounge in Uptown. He led a trio of musicians performing jazz standards and a few favorites from his catalog.