Stories by Patty Wetli

Time to head to the polls once again, Chicagoans. Online voting is now open through Tuesday in the annual Bungalow Garden Contest.

Mourners on Friday remembered 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim as a woman who worked tirelessly at her synagogue, and 88-year-old Stephen Straus as a gentle man who loved art in the first formal services to be held for the seven people killed by the gunman who opened fire on a July Fourth parade.

The Museum Campus working group released its report Thursday and among the big wins for nature is a vision that includes establishing a Great Lakes Climate Lab on the city’s shoreline, positioning Chicago as a global leader in developing resilient solutions for urban areas. 

A combination of admiration, disillusionment, guilt and pain drives “Life After,” the musical with a book, music and lyrics by the young Canadian-bred Britta Johnson. The 90-minute show is now running at the Goodman Theatre.

Sports-loving Cooper Roberts and his 8-year-old twin brother, Luke, loved the Fourth of July parade. But now the family is envisioning a “new normal” for Cooper who was struck in the chest in a hail of gunfire that left dozens of others wounded and seven dead when a gunman opened fire on the parade in Highland Park.

As vigils to remember the victims of the Highland Park mass shooting take place, organizers call for changes in gun laws. Former Attorney General Eric Holder on the Jan. 6 hearings. And how to avoid monkeypox.

Just under a month ago, the Highland Park chapter of March for our Lives organized an anti-gun violence rally at Sunset Woods Park – the same location of a Thursday candlelight vigil – following mass shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, and Tulsa among others. Attendees then marched through Highland Park, including right through the site of this past weekend’s shooting.

A University of Chicago initiative aims to modernize and strengthen the nation’s 911 system – and they’ve just published a blueprint for how to do it.

The administration said it was expanding the pool of people who are advised to get vaccinated to include those who may realize on their own that they could have been infected. That includes men who who have recently had sex with men at parties or in other gatherings in cities where monkeypox cases have been identified.

In an interview with WTTW News, former Attorney General Eric Holder, who served as President Barack Obama’s Attorney General from 2009 to 2015, said that Donald Trump “clearly had the intent to try to steal the election to foment a coup.”

Monday’s shooting in Highland Park has sparked discussions about what Illinois can and should be doing in terms of gun control, especially given the state issued a firearm owners identification card to the alleged shooter even after police filed a “clear and present danger” report on him.

A push to roll back a law hitting drivers who zip past Chicago parks and schools monitored by speed cameras traveling between 6 mph and 9 mph above the limit with $35 tickets is set to get an up-or-down vote by the Chicago City Council on July 20, according to records obtained by WTTW News.

The threat of COVID-19 eased across Chicago and Cook County Thursday, as federal officials lowered the warning level to “medium” after two weeks at “high,” according to Centers for Disease Control data. However, Chicago Department of Public Health officials continue to recommend that residents wear masks indoors and on public transportation. 

Depending on who you ask, the unusual timing of the elections, issues with voters’ access to the polls, and election judges resigning right before polls open all contributed to the low turnout among Chicago and suburban Cook County’s 3.1 million registered voters. 

Jerry Harris, 22, entered a guilty plea on charges of knowingly receiving child pornography and engaging in illicit sexual conduct during a remote hearing before a Chicago judge Wednesday afternoon.

Boris Johnson has resigned as Conservative Party leader after months of ethics scandals and a party revolt. But he remains Britain’s prime minister — for now — while a successor is chosen. With British politics in turmoil, here’s what will happen next. 

The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest.

For some, it was a tradition. They were avid travelers, members of their synagogue and professionals. But in a hail of gunfire they became victims in the nation’s latest horrific mass shooting.

The lateleaf oak has confounded botanists since it was first discovered in the 1930s. Scientists have been hard-pressed to find a single surviving example in recent decades. But a new discovery, pending genetic testing by Morton Arboretum, could put the tree back on the map. 

The accused gunman in the Highland Park shooting appears in court. How the suspect obtained the weapons. What impact the tragedy may have on legislation. And resources to help those affected.

The recent Broadway smash “Six” is perhaps their most notable success. Now, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater is bringing aliens to center stage with a musical-comedy adaptation of the 1950s sci-fi film “It Came From Outer Space.”

In this week’s edition of Spotlight Politics: our team on Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Highland Park and whether gun laws will tighten.

The alleged Highland Park shooter left a digital trail, and it’s indicative of a pattern specialists often see among mass shooters.

The man charged with killing seven people at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade allegedly confessed his involvement to investigators, telling them he “looked down his sights, aimed and opened fire” at parade-goers, while stopping twice to reload his high-powered rifle with 30-round magazines.

Seven people were killed and more than 30 were injured in a mass shooting at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade on Monday. In the day since, numerous campaigns are being set up to help the victims and provide resources to affected families.

Highland Park’s Fourth of July Parade turned into a tragedy Monday. That sudden shift from a celebratory mood to one of imminent danger can make it difficult for people to process in the aftermath, according to clinicians.