Stories by Heather Cherone

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday replaced the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs after a COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Illinois Veterans Home was linked to the deaths of 36 veterans.

Developing news out of Indonesia as officials try to understand what caused the Saturday crash of a 737-500 jet from Chicago-based Boeing. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter A.D. Quig has details on that story and more.

Drew Brees completed 28 of 39 passes for 265 yards, connecting with Michael Thomas and Latavius Murray for touchdowns, and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Chicago Bears 21-9 in an NFC wild-card game Sunday.

Some Chicago Public Schools students returned Monday to their classrooms for the first time in 10 months as the school district resumed in-person learning despite fervent pushback from many educators.

Watch the Jan. 11, 2021 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

After a nearly interrupted 36-year reign as speaker of the Illinois House, state Rep. Michael Madigan is suspending his campaign for another term — but that doesn’t mean he’s giving up.

The U.S. is entering the second month of the biggest vaccination effort in history with a major expansion of the campaign, opening football stadiums, major league ballparks, fairgrounds and convention centers to inoculate a larger and more diverse pool of people.

A resolution signed by 35 aldermen comes days after police union head John Catanzara praised the rioters who stormed and invaded the U.S. Capitol building.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump, calling him a threat to democracy after the deadly assault on the Capitol.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Sunday extended the advisory that urges Chicagoans to stay home in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 — meaning it will be in effect for 12 days after the first Chicago Public Schools students go back to in-person class.

For the first time in 10 months, some Chicago Public Schools students are set to return to their school buildings Monday. What parents can expect — and what critics of the plan have to say.

What state governments are doing — and what some think they should be doing — to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in the Black community.

Getting COVID-19 vaccines to Black and Brown communities. Some CPS students prepare to head back to the classroom. How different protesters are treated by law enforcement. Plus: The Last Word returns.

Married musicians and educators Jean-Paul Coffy and Yakini Ajanaku-Coffy share their thoughts on giving back to the community.

A man who police say killed three people and wounded four others during a series of shootings in and around Chicago posted nonsensical and expletive-laced videos in the days and hours leading up to the attacks.

President Donald Trump has been kicked off of most mainstream social media platforms following his supporters’ siege on the U.S. Capitol. But it remains to be seen how fast or where — if anywhere — on the internet he will be able to reach his followers. 

A gunman killed at least three people and wounded several others in a series of shootings in the Chicago area Saturday before being shot and killed by police, authorities said.

Police arrested more Capitol rioters on Saturday, including a man who carried off the House speaker’s lectern, as more graphic details of the insurrection emerged, revealing the violence and brutality of the mob that stormed a seat of American political power. 

Language barriers creating tech problems for students. The first Chicagoan to be vaccinated against COVID-19. How interest in houseplants has blossomed. A virtual bodega showcases local artists.

Since Chicago Public Schools were closed to in-person learning in March, the move to remote learning has been difficult for many families. But for the CPS families who speak Spanish at home, there is an additional barrier. 

@realDonaldTrump, the Twitter feed that grew from the random musings of a reality TV star into the cudgel of an American president, has died. It was not quite 12 years old.

Where humans see a messy pile of dried needles, goats see a tasty meal. The herd at Urban Growers Collective’s South Chicago farm can dine for weeks on recycled Christmas trees.

President-elect Joe Biden says that President Donald Trump isn’t “fit for the job,” but he repeatedly refused to endorse growing Democratic calls to impeach him a second time. 

More than 90 people have been arrested since Wednesday when loyalists to outgoing President Donald Trump disrupted lawmakers as they met to confirm the Electoral College results and President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. 

The social platform has been under growing pressure to take further action against President Trump following Wednesday’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Calls are rising for President Trump’s removal after he incited his own supporters who stormed and looted the Capitol. Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union battle over plans to resume in-person learning Monday. And state lawmakers return to Springfield.