Stories by Blair Paddock

“I think that faith should always be something that helps people to see the connections between themselves more than the divisions,” said Alia Bilal of the Inner-City Muslim Advocacy Network.

Spending on the race topped $42 million, nearly triple the national record for a court race. Almost 40% of the state’s eligible voters cast a ballot, the highest turnout for a spring election that didn’t feature a presidential primary in 20 years.

There’s an effort to implement ranked choice voting in Illinois as early as the 2024 presidential primary. Proponents say ranked choice voting helps ensure representative outcomes; opponents say it’s confusing to voters.

The move is the latest development in a fight over historic preservation and courthouse security. The government has also been pushing to demolish the Century and Consumers buildings, two early 20th century skyscrapers located to the east of the Dirksen Federal Building.

An art exhibit, improv brunch and classical Chinese dance usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in Chicago.

The mayor-elect has just 41 days to set up his administration and prepare to tackle the myriad problems facing Chicago.

The report of the connection between Thomas and conservative businessman Harlan Crow is already adding to calls that Congress investigate potential ethical lapses. Key Senate Democrats were previously mulling using this year’s funding legislation for the Supreme Court to pressure the justices to adopt some sort of ethics code.

Dr. Aleksandra Gmurczyk helped take two people off the waitlist when she donated her own kidney to a woman she had never met and launched a kidney-paired donation.

The Chicago State University chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois (CSU UPI) authorized a potential strike last month, and after the latest bargaining session Saturday didn’t lead to a new contract, members decided to begin a work stoppage Monday.

Checking in with some of the big winners from last night and assessing where the city goes from here under Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson. And the latest on a second firefighter killed in the line of duty this week.

Chicago voters rejected efforts by moderate Democrats and Republicans to turn Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s support for criminal justice reform into a fatal liability.

Nearly a quarter of the city will get new political leadership in 2023, a result of an unprecedented exodus of veteran alderpeople that led to a generational shift in Chicago politics, with six Black, Latina and Asian American women replacing veteran City Council members, all of them men.

The Chicago Fire Department responded after flames broke out in a high-rise building at 1212 North Lake Shore Drive Wednesday morning. While there, the CFD called for a mayday and an emergency medical response after one firefighter suffered critical injuries and later died.

Activists, community members and local elected officials have for months expressed their concerns to Save A Lot operator Yellow Banana about the poor reputation Save A Lot has among many Chicagoans, particularly Black residents.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was still the world’s busiest airport for passenger volume in 2022, holding the top spot it reclaimed in 2021 after being knocked off stride by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police were called to Highland Park High School following a report of a student with a gun. The school was locked down Tuesday; no shots were fired.

What if there were a different way? What if you could rank your choices in order of your preference? Well, there is a system like that and it’s already being used in some jurisdictions. It’s called ranked choice voting. It has its backers as well as detractors.

Tonight's the night — the latest results in the race between Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas for Chicago mayor. We’re live with both campaigns and full analysis. Plus, Trump’s historic criminal indictment.

In his victory speech, Brandon Johnson emphasized the importance of coalition in his campain and pointed toward the need to continue building coalitions across the city moving forward. He appealed to those who did not vote for him and promised to work together. 

Nearly a quarter of the city will get new political leadership in 2023, a result of an unprecedented exodus of veteran alderpeople that will herald — along with the election of a new mayor — the start of a new era at City Hall.

Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed — a remarkable reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings and an extraordinary moment in U.S. history.

Voter turnout sat at 33.2% when polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with 530,382 ballots cast, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. That's compared to 32.1% turnout for the Feb. 28 election.

The survey released Tuesday was the first time the agency asked about lead pipes and gave the best count yet of how many are underground. Illinois ranked second in with 1.04 million lead pipes.

One Chicago firefighter died and two others were injured after battling a multi-home fire in West Pullman early Tuesday morning. 

U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García Tuesday morning announced that his 28-year-old daughter has died. 

Everything you need to know on the eve of the mayoral election. What to expect from President Trump’s arraignment in New York. A major change in Evanston’s reparations program. And a century of civic pride.