Stories by Patty Wetli

A “surge of destructive action” across Illinois prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue a disaster proclamation Monday for nine counties and deploy additional state police and National Guard members. 

A 28-year-old man who took part in weekend protests in Chicago and Minneapolis is facing federal criminal charges after he allegedly handed out explosives and encouraged others to “light that b***h and throw it” at police officers.

Officials are worried Chicago may see a spike in COVID-19 cases after a weekend of not just protests but a general abandoning of public health guidelines. 

A weekend of protests, looting and violence rocked many of Chicago’s commercial districts, which were already suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic that temporarily closed many businesses and kept residents at home.

Referencing Chicago’s own “dark days” with police violence, the mayor said additional training and improved relationships between officers and the community are needed following protests and looting across the city.

Watch the June 1, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Superintendent David Brown disputed claims that resources were used to protect downtown at the expense of Chicago’s neighborhoods during weekend protests and rioting. The opposite occurred, they said.

Students who count on Chicago Public Schools for meals will not be able to get food from the district on Monday, due to “the evolving nature of activity across the city.”

Looters pillaged businesses throughout Chicago over the weekend, setting fire to stores, breaking windows and taking off with shoes, clothing, cellphones and liquor.

Protests over the death of George Floyd resumed Sunday afternoon following a night of riots and looting downtown that prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to impose a citywide curfew and call on the Illinois National Guard for help.

U.S. officials sought to determine Sunday whether extremist groups had infiltrated police brutality protests across the country and deliberately tipped largely peaceful demonstrations toward violence.

At Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s request, Gov. J.B. Pritzker activated 375 guard soldiers – one of several “new precautionary measures” to ensure “health and safety” after peaceful protests boiled over to looting and violence.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said plans to lift some restrictions in Chicago on Wednesday designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 may be delayed after violent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd swept the city.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is considering taking legal action to rein a nightly curfew Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has imposed on the city for an indefinite period.

Just days after the state began slowly reopening, public health officials said 120,260 people have so far tested positive for the virus in Illinois, including an additional 1,343 between Saturday and Sunday.

Target and CVS are temporarily closing certain locations after some were damaged during weekend protests over the death of George Floyd.

Nations around the world have watched in horror at the five days of civil unrest in the United States following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck until he stopped breathing. 

Americans awoke Sunday to charred and glass-strewn streets in dozens of cities after another night of unrest fueled by rage over the mistreatment of African Americans at the hands of police, who responded to the violence with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Following an increasingly chaotic scene in the Loop on Saturday evening sparked by outrage over the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot imposed a curfew on Chicago residents from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Hundreds of protesters shut down streets Saturday afternoon in downtown Chicago, marking the second day of local demonstrations following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The massive protests sweeping across U.S. cities following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota have  elevated fears that the huge crowds will lead to a new surge in cases of the coronavirus.

A rocket ship built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company thundered away from Earth with two Americans on Saturday, ushering in a new era in commercial space travel.

Another 1,462 Illinoisans tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials reported Saturday, as many communities across the state begin to emerge from the governor’s stay-at-home order.

Chicago police arrested more than 100 people Friday night who took to downtown streets to protest the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.

A divided Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal by a California church; an appeal from two churches in the Chicago area was also rejected.

Demonstrators marched, stopped traffic and in some cases lashed out violently at police as protests erupted Friday in dozens of U.S. cities following the killing of George Floyd after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck while taking him into custody in Minnesota.