Stories by Heather Cherone

Mayor Lori Lightfoot delivered a full-throated defense of American democracy Wednesday before urging Chicagoans to safeguard the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights by responding to the 2020 census.

Having endured what was surely a record-shattering slump last quarter, the U.S. economy faces a dim outlook as a resurgent coronavirus intensifies doubts about any sustained recovery the rest of the year.

The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will reject new applications and shorten renewal periods for an Obama-era program that shields young people from deportation.

Commonwealth Edison must pay a $200 million fine to the federal government as part of its deal with the U.S. attorney’s office. That fine will go to federal coffers — not ComEd customers. But a lawsuit is seeking to change that.

It’s home to a massive art collection that includes a Monet and a passel of Paschkes. The latest in our series of virtual tours: a private club with a public focus — and an eye for artwork.

How should local newspapers and the media industry at large differentiate between news and opinion? What the Chicago Tribune is doing to clarify its content.

The Secret Service agent who took a bullet to protect President Ronald Reagan has spent the last 26 years as chief of police in Orland Park. We speak with Tim McCarthy ahead of his Aug. 1 retirement.

Attorney General William Barr defended the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America as he testified for the first time before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

Watch the July 28, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Whether piled up in change jars, cup holders or couch crevices, coins are not circulating, and that makes it difficult for businesses to deal in cash, the U.S. Coin Task Force says. Here’s how to help.

Northwestern Medicine is seeking 5,000 people who are at risk of exposure to the coronavirus and are interested in participating in vaccine studies to join its newly launched COVID Prevention Trials Registry.

Illinois and Chicago officials disagree on how to calculate the single most important benchmark for tracking the spread of the coronavirus, even as the number of confirmed cases of the virus continues to rise statewide.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and five other major U.S. cities appealed Monday to Congress to make it illegal for the federal government to deploy militarized agents to cities that don’t want their presence.

Visitors to Chicago from Wisconsin, Missouri, North Dakota and Nebraska will be required to quarantine for two weeks starting Friday in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, city officials announced Tuesday.

Health experts think people who had COVID-19 will have some immunity against a repeat infection. But they don’t know how much protection or how long it would last.

The biggest test yet of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine got underway Monday with the first of some 30,000 Americans rolling up their sleeves to receive shots created by the U.S. government as part of the all-out global race to stop the pandemic.

After a mass shooting outside a funeral home in Auburn Gresham last week, Chicago’s top cop said the city’s problem with gang violence is huge in scope. But do numbers tell the full story?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s new report on air quality shows that while air pollution is a problem across the city, it’s worse in some neighborhoods than others. What her administration is planning to do about it.

As temperatures soar, you might be tempted to jump into Lake Michigan. But with Chicago beaches closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, water safety advocates say there’s an increased risk of drowning. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered the temporary removal of two Christopher Columbus statues in Chicago last week following protests that turned violent. Now, activists are hoping to make their removal permanent — but the debate isn’t over.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned Commonwealth Edison officials Monday that the utility would have to make significant changes if it wants to keep its lucrative city contract following a yearslong bribery scheme.

With Illinois reporting more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the sixth consecutive day, the state’s top public health official says the question of a reopening rollback will be answered by residents.

She broke many barriers as an attorney in a male-dominated arena, but perhaps her greatest battle was as a tough-questioning prosecutor in the Watergate case. We speak with Chicago native Jill Wine-Banks.

For nearly a week, more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Illinois each day. The spike has prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to repeatedly urge residents to wear masks and practice social distancing.

The short film written and produced by Lookingglass Theatre’s J. Nicole Brooks premieres Monday to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the start of 1919 Chicago race riots.

Visitors from Wisconsin to Chicago will soon be required to quarantine for two weeks in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.