Stories by

Mayor Lori Lightfoot defended her decision to transform a shuttered school in Woodlawn into a shelter for immigrants bused to Chicago as part of an “all hands on deck” response to what she called a crisis manufactured by the Republican governor of Texas during an interview on Tuesday with “Chicago Tonight.”

Investors will be closely watching moves by central banks in coming months to fight inflation with higher interest rates, all the while bracing for the recession and higher unemployment that could result from those policies.

 Frank Galati won twin Tonys in 1990 — best play and best director — for his adaptation and staging of Steppenwolf’s production of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath,” starring Gary Sinise as Tom Joad. He was also nominated for directing the 1998 celebrated musical “Ragtime.”

From the obvious to the obscure, we’ve pulled together a rundown of promising arts and culture events to stir the senses in the new year. 

“Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter” is a two-part look at the legal fallout Kelly has faced. 

Rescuing a bald eagle floating on ice in open water raises the stakes exponentially, but volunteers with Chicago Bird Collision Monitors proved up to the task with a New Year's Day recovery effort.

The jackpot is the largest since someone in California won a record $2.04 billion Powerball prize on Nov. 8. There still has not been an announced winner of that jackpot.

Lawmakers said they wanted to make their work public to underscore the seriousness of the attack and Trump’s multi-pronged effort to try to overturn the election.

As constant and controversial as conversations around immigration in Washington have become, many lawmakers weighing in don’t have direct personal connections to the issues they’re debating. Delia Ramirez, 39, has lived them her entire life.

The 2022 figure topped the prior record of 936,000 vehicles delivered in 2021, but it was shy of the 1.4 million needed to reach the company's 50% growth target. Sales grew 40% year over year, while production climbed 47% to 1.37 million.

With less than two months until Election Day, Mayor Lori Lightfoot touts the $16.4 billion spending plan she crafted as a “stability budget” for a city enjoying a faster than expected recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what it does.

Outgoing Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Sunday he fears for the future of the country if former President Donald Trump isn’t charged with a crime related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, though he believes the Justice Department will “do the right thing.”

Across the world, at least for a day, thoughts focused on possibilities, even elusive ones like world peace, and mustering — finally — a resolve to keep the next array of resolutions.

The Illinois Supreme Court on Saturday posted an online notice that it is staying the Pretrial Fairness Act, the law within a broader criminal justice overhaul called the SAFE-T Act, which contains the cashless-bail change. The stay will remain in place until the justices issue a new order.

From a wide-open mayoral contest to major issues on the agenda statewide like guns and abortion, to the economic picture, and the outlook in local sports — we recap the year that was and look into our crystal ball to 2023.

The benchmark index finished with a loss of 19.4% for 2022 — its worst loss since the financial crisis 14 years ago and a painful reversal for investors after the S&P 500 notched a gain of nearly 27% in 2021.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said the additional officers will be sent into neighborhoods and high-traffic areas like Navy Pier, where a fireworks show will ring in the new year Saturday night.

An Afghan interpreter who served alongside U.S. Marines fled the country with his family over safety concerns. Now, his Special Immigrant Visa was denied for the last time. 

Democrats in Congress released six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday, the culmination of a yearslong effort to learn about the finances of a onetime business mogul who broke decades of political precedent when he refused to voluntarily release the information as he sought the White House.

Southwest Airlines returned to a relatively normal flight schedule Friday, as the focus shifts to making things right with what could be well more than a million passengers who missed family connections or flights home during the holidays, and many of whom are still missing luggage.

The latest on a judge’s ruling striking down the law to end cash bail. More new laws to know for 2023. The latest on the Southwest Airlines fiasco. And a new ranking of the greatest movies of all time.

The latest edition of the revered “Greatest Films of All Time” list by Sight and Sound magazine was unveiled this month, sparking discussion about representation in film and which movies are often either included or left out in prestigious lists.

In 2022, WTTW News visited 33 Chicago community areas, some more than once, plus 10 Chicago suburbs. We even ventured up north to take the pulse of Milwaukee. Take a look back through our In Your Neighborhood series. 

The Illinois legislature was busy in 2022, enacting hundreds of new laws, many of which will take effect on Sunday.

Two of the five Grammy nominees this year for Best Children’s Album are from the Chicago area. For Justin Roberts, it’s his fifth nomination. And for the duo Wendy and DB, it’s their first.

Kankakee County Judge Thomas Cunnington issued his ruling after dozens of state’s attorneys sued to prevent Illinois from eliminating cash bail beginning Jan. 1.