Stories by Alexandra Silets

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection Tuesday. Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas are now headed to an April 4 runoff election. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.

Chicago mayoral candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson are off to the races with little more than a month before the April 4 runoff election. Johnson joined “Chicago Tonight” Wednesday for a one-on-one conversation. 

None of the City Council members appointed by Lightfoot, who lost her bid for a second term as mayor on Tuesday, won their seats outright.

Starting in May, each of Chicago’s 22 police districts will be overseen by a three-person council as part of an effort to rebuild trust in the Police Department, which is governed by a court order requiring city leaders to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers.

John Lausch, who has served as U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois since 2017, is planning to leave the office in “early 2023,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced during an unrelated press conference Thursday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot — who nominated Brown for the position in 2020 and will be leaving office herself after failing to make April’s mayoral runoff election — announced Brown will be leaving the department effective March 16.

According to Chicago Police Department data published Wednesday, the city has recorded 79 homicides through the end of February — a total that is down 14% compared to the same point last year but 13% over 2021.

The 191-foot cargo vessel collided with a grain hauler on a blustery night in September 1894, sinking both. The Ironton’s captain and six sailors clambered into a lifeboat but it was dragged to the bottom before they could detach it from the ship. Only two crewmen survived.

The big story was the amount of rain that fell in the Chicago region: There have only been seven wetter Februarys since 1871.

Ald. Carrie Austin, 73, who did not seek a seventh term on the Chicago City Council, stepped down the day after Chicago voters went to the polls to pick a new mayor and City Council. 

Election Day is here. We break down the key races as results flow in. And we’re live with reaction to the results from candidates for mayor. 

Twelve members of the Chicago City Council are not seeking reelection, which will mean nearly a quarter of the city will get new local political leadership in 2023.

Lori Lightfoot’s bid for a second term as Chicago mayor has come to an end, as former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson lead in the race for Chicago mayor, according to early returns.

There were 507,852 total ballots cast by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and the total citywide turnout for voters stood at 32.1%, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. 

The veterinary drug was connected to a rising death toll in Cook County and across the state. The new restrictions aim to prevent the drug from entering the U.S. market for illicit purposes.

An armored car guard is in good condition after being shot in his bulletproof vest during an attempted robbery in Chatham Tuesday afternoon, according to Chicago police.

In what’s being dubbed a celestial “kiss,” Jupiter and Venus will appear to nearly touch Wednesday.

The factory, which employs about 1,350 workers, officially was placed on “idle” Tuesday; that term means the company intends to shut down the plant. Belvidere’s future is likely to be an issue in national contract talks coming up with the United Auto Workers union, one that could bring a strike.

If confirmed, Julie Su would be the first Asian American in the Biden administration to serve in the Cabinet at the secretary level. The civil rights attorney and former head of California's labor department was central to negotiations between labor and freight rail companies late last year.

At least two brief tornadoes touched down in the Chicago suburbs Monday — one in Joliet and another on the far north side of Naperville. 

Facing eight challengers, it is unlikely Mayor Lori Lightfoot — or anyone else, for that matter — will win more than 50% of the vote. That means the top two finishers Tuesday night are likely headed to an April 4 runoff.

Each of Chicago’s 22 police districts will now have a three-person civilian oversight council made up of people from that community. 

Election Day eve — previewing the mayor’s race and other big contests tomorrow. An explainer on what happens to your ballot after you vote. And a recap of today’s wild weather in the suburbs.

The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden’s student debt relief plan, which impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 14 people were shot in 12 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

For the fifth year running, the Chicago Bulls rolled out their BMO Artist Hat Series: six limited-edition hats featuring local artists’ spins on the team’s iconic logo. Among this year’s hats was a Mexican-tinged design created by artist and Chicago native Abel Arciniega.