Stories by Heather Cherone

Two people, identified as “handlers” in the police log, fled the private plane transporting migrants Tuesday evening and “jumped into an Uber” before they could be questioned by officers, according to police.

The jury asked two questions on Tuesday and none on Wednesday. In all, they have deliberated for approximately 18 hours across three days and are set to resume Thursday morning.

The Colorado decision marked the first time in history the provision has been used to prohibit someone from running for the presidency, and the U..S. Supreme Court is likely to have the final say over whether the ruling will stand.

The holiday celebration hosted by New Life Centers involved a gift and free jacket giveaway, food, music and children’s character mascots.

Although the common cold doesn’t get as many names – at least not the ones that make headlines – the specificity with which scientists talk about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, matters because it is still such a problem.

In fact, Dec. 25 isn’t going to feel particularly wintry at all.

The case pertained to a section of the Tort Immunity Act, which states local public entities have a duty to maintain property in a safe condition for “people whom the entity intended and permitted to use the property.” 

Remote working. A four-day workweek. Quiet quitting. A resurgent labor movement. These are just a few of the changes workers and employers have been grappling with over the last few years.

Fireworks will launch from six bridges, with a countdown to midnight projected on the Merchandise Mart. 

A data analysis by WTTW News and the Hyde Park Herald/South Side Weekly found the disparity between access to quality nursing home care for Black and White Chicagoans is stark, with highly rated homes concentrated on the city’s North Side and housing majority White residents.

Day 2 of jury deliberations in the Ed Burke corruption trial. What trends in a changing labor landscape could mean for workers. And a local man creates the Cinnamon Bear’s miniature world of Maybeland.

The first communication from the jury came approximately an hour into deliberations on Tuesday and focused on one of the charges facing one of Ed Burke’s codefendants, businessman Charles Cui.

In suburban St. Charles, a whimsical Christmas fantasy of lollipop forests, root-beer oceans and glittering ice castles lies hidden away. The fanciful landscapes of “Maybeland” were handcrafted in intricate miniature by a Chicago father who made it all to display every Christmas season.

Chicago has touted the tens of thousands of trees it’s planted in recent years. But the city’s volunteer TreeKeepers say too many saplings die for lack of a maintenance plan.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 were up 22% statewide last week compared to the week before.

The decision from a court whose justices were all appointed by Democratic governors marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate.

According to Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Public Health, the cause of death for Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, 5, remains under investigation, but it’s not connected to three other children who were hospitalized from the shelter Monday.

The defense teams for Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain are seeking to strike their upcoming trial date and delay all proceedings until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in a case that could rewrite the federal bribery statute.

It’s a big blow to the well-oiled cybercriminal syndicate that, according to the Justice Department, has targeted over 1,000 victims around the world and extorted them for hundreds of millions of dollars.

Mustafaa Saleh, 37, was sentenced last week to a year and one day in prison after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of wire fraud.

“Our work is part of the sweep of human history. It’s very humbling,” said Quilen Blackwell, co-founder of Southside Blooms.

Originally budgeted at $8.5 billion, the expansion is now reaching $12 billion. The most extensive part of the project is the 2.2 million-square-foot O’Hare Global Terminal, replacing what is now Terminal 2.

Jury deliberations begin in the landmark corruption trial of former Ald. Ed Burke. A project upgrading Chicago’s aging gas pipelines is on hold. And remembering Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt. 

Renowned sculptor Richard Hunt, whose work can be seen across his hometown of Chicago, died at age 88.

There is a battle over a multi-billion dollar, decades-long project to upgrade Chicago’s aging natural gas pipelines.

A Chicago police spokesperson said an investigation is underway, but it does not appear as though the boy’s death was criminal in nature.