Stories by Heather Cherone

Mayor Brandon Johnson enthusiastically endorsed the plans for a new stadium, calling the renderings of the futuristic oval-shaped stadium with a translucent roof “miraculous.”

Attorneys for the players on Wednesday announced that a judge has granted a motion to consolidate their various cases with that of ex-Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Black and Brown communities in Illinois are up to 200% more likely to live near a distribution warehouse than the overall statewide population, according to a new report by the Environmental Defense Fund on the state’s “warehouse boom.”

The Chicago Pride Fest, a celebration of LGBTQ+ life & community, is set for June 22-23 in the city's landmark LGBTQ+ neighborhood Northalsted.

Earned Wage Access apps extend small short-term loans to workers in between paychecks so they can pay bills and meet everyday needs. On payday, the user repays the money out of their wages. Between 2018 and 2020, transaction volume tripled from $3.2 billion to $9.5 billion.

President Joe Biden signed a bill Wednesday that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban, escalating a massive threat to the company’s U.S. operations. Here’s what we know and how it could affect you.

President Joe Biden signed into law on Wednesday a $95 billion war aid measure that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and that also has a provision that would force social media site TikTok to be sold or be banned in the U.S.

Officials are back to square one in the search for Chicago’s next U.S. attorney as President Joe Biden has nominated April Perry — the presumptive pick to succeed John Lausch — to instead become a federal judge.

Community organizations are on a mission to empower Chicago’s youth through anti-violence programs in neighborhoods across the city.

In the latest in our “A Safer City” series, we meet teens working to change the narrative around gun violence and hear from local organizations empowering youth.

People can spend hours scrolling through social media. An organization called Project Unloaded is helping teens educate their peers on the risks of owning a gun by empowering youth to become social media influencers for change.

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the average age for Chicagoans to witness a shooting is 14. Research also shows that exposure to violence can lead to long-lasting mental health issues.

The center will now offer all its art classes on a contribution-based model in order to ensure more equitable access to artmaking, education and community engagement.

Measles cases in Chicago account for more than half of reported cases in the U.S. so far this year. More than half of the measles cases in the city were in children ages 4 or younger.

The news that the Bears now want to remain the Chicago Bears in more than just name is the latest twist in the team’s high-profile search for their forever home that faces at least two major obstacles: the need for millions of dollars from taxpayers to subsidize the new stadium and an all-but-certain legal challenge.

The student-led volunteer effort started years ago as an offshoot of a DePaul University program offering college credit classes at the jail on the city’s Southwest Side for students and detainees. 

Walter Payton College Prep checked in at No. 5 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of top high schools in the country.

Minnesota is one of several Democratic-leaning states where lawmakers are now pursuing bans on book bans. The Washington and Maryland legislatures have already passed them this year, while Illinois did so last year.

The CPD released multiple surveillance footage clips of a man, who can be seen entering a pair of convenience stores. Investigators believe that man is connected to Huesca’s death.

How much are taxpayers spending to settle lawsuits alleging police misconduct from the 2020 protests? Safety concerns over a swimming event in the Chicago River. And protesters blocking roadways could soon be charged with a felony.

The nonprofit A Long Swim is planning an open water swim event in the Chicago River this fall. Proceeds will support ALS research and Learn to Swim, a program that teaches children in underserved communities how to swim.

The bill comes on the heels of recent pro-Palestinian protests that blocked traffic on I-190 near Chicago O’Hare International Airport, causing many travelers to pull their luggage along the freeway to catch their flights.

Nearly $2 million of that toll went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers from late May until mid-August 2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in Chicago history, according to records obtained by WTTW News.

Voter turnout for the March 19 Illinois primary election was 19.07%, the lowest in at least the last 50 years, according to official vote totals certified Friday by state election officials.

For WTTW News theater critic Hedy Weiss, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s recent Chicago run brought back vivid memories. She first saw the company in New York City in 1972.

For the second year in a row, the Cook County government has celebrated Earth Day by announcing a new south suburban recycling facility aimed at taking some of the nastiest garbage out of the waste stream.