Stories by Associated Press

The nation’s employers stepped up their hiring in May, adding a robust 339,000 jobs, well above expectations and evidence of enduring strength in an economy that the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to cool.

A judge’s ruling could force Chicago officials to issue the final permit sought by the parent company of General Iron to operate a metal shredding and recycling operation on Chicago’s Southeast Side.

Live from Edgewater, where residents tussle over a proposed shelter for migrants. Investigating illegal trash pickups. And the latest on the debt ceiling as the default deadline approaches.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a deal Wednesday night to divert a U.S. default on its debt; the bill now heads to the Senate for approval. However, the deal was not without controversy for lawmakers of both political parties.

Broadway Armory Park is one of Chicago Park District’s largest indoor and active recreational facilities. Residents are worried this would mean youth and senior programs getting canceled or postponed and said it would be a loss for the neighborhood ahead of summer.

WTTW News saw private garbage hauler Groot making four separate pickups before 7 a.m. last week. It’s not just a nuisance — it’s illegal. Under Chicago’s noise ordinance, trash haulers are banned from work between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

By 2019, the life expectancy gap between the U.S. and the highest-performing nation had grown to more than six years. The COVID-19 pandemic widened that gap even more, as the U.S. had more deaths from the virus than any other country and has been slower to recover.

The alert comes several weeks after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank, which all experienced bank runs after fearful customers with uninsured deposits pulled their money en masse.

An art fair, beer tasting and James Beard events usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in Chicago.

New crime statistics from the Chicago Police Department show that 229 people have been killed in the city year-to-date. That total is down about 9% from the same time last year (when there were 253 homicides) and down about 12% compared to 2021.

Federal prosecutors have charged Rosco Blackman with witness tampering following the comment he allegedly made during the ongoing trial of his brother Romeo Blackman, a reputed leader of the Goonie Boss street gang.

State climatologist Trent Ford said conditions aren't alarming, yet, but if June isn't signficantly wetter than May, there's cause for concern.

A heated debate in City Council over funding for migrants sent from Texas. One on one with Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch. And a ride-along on the NASCAR street course.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch joined “Chicago Tonight” for a one-on-one conversation about the spring legislative session, recently passed $50 billion state budget and asylum seekers.

Tempers and emotions flared at Wednesday’s Chicago City Council meeting over the vote to use $51 million for migrants who are struggling to find shelter and food in the city.

Racing legends Dale Jarrett and Dale Earnhardt Jr. took WTTW News correspondent Paris Schutz around the specially designed track that weaves in and out of Grant Park and provides some iconic views for spectators.

In all, city officials expect to spend $112 million through the end of June from a combination of state, federal and local funds to feed and shelter the migrants. More than 4,000 recent arrivals from Texas are living in city shelters, leaving another 500 people to sleep on the floor of police stations across the city.

Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa on June 7, adding another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in direct competition with his former boss.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth criticized 2019 evacuation testing, which used just 60 passengers — far fewer than in most commercial jets — and did not include senior citizens, people with mobility disabilities or carry-on luggage.

Christopher Mike Garbowski, 37, was issued a year-and-a-day sentence after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of violating an order of the Captain of the Port.

With high temperatures in the forecast, city officials issued a reminder to landlords about new air conditioning requirements, put in place in 2022 after three women died in a Rogers Park senior living facility.

The city’s watchdog on Chicago cops who lied while on the job. Toxic lead paint threatening kids’ health in suburban Cook County. And closing loopholes in property tax sales.

An audit by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg reveals the Chicago Police Department has allowed more than 100 officers who filed false reports to stay on the job. Some were even promoted after being found to have lied.

Backers of a new state budget say they've passed a balanced plan crafted in cooperation. Many Republicans, however, say the measure largely ignores their input and sets the state up for obligations it won’t be able to meet.

Toxic lead-based paint was banned in 1978, but the threat of poisoning persists. In suburban Cook County, officials say as many as half a million homes have lead paint hazards that present enormous health threats for young children.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas called the legislation “the most significant property tax reform legislation the General Assembly has approved in decades.”