Stories by Patty Wetli

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is hosting First Day Hikes at 15 state parks on Jan. 1.

Community members weigh in on a proposal to demolish the Damen Silos. Local efforts to protect monarch butterflies. And how a local charity is working to increase donations this holiday season. 

Charitable giving dropped more than 2% in 2023, according to a Giving USA report. But local organizations are making efforts to reach their donation goals just in time for the new year. 

Population assessments show monarch populations have declined by 59% from 2023 to 2024. The unique pollinators are an important part of the ecosystem, but also have deep cultural connections.

Madigan, who is charged alongside McClain, is alleged to have orchestrated multiple corruption schemes, wielding his political power to reward loyal allies and enrich himself. Both men are each charged with racketeering, bribery and wire fraud and each have pleaded not guilty.

Sammy Sosa appeared to acknowledge using performance enhancing drugs during a career in which he hit more than 600 home runs, and the Chicago Cubs said they were ready to welcome back their former star.

The board announced a special meeting for Friday evening where it will take up only a small handful of items, including the schools chief’s possible termination and a settlement with CPS.

The union called it the largest strike against the company in U.S. history, although Amazon said it did not expect the labor action to impact its operations.

Chicago’s South Side residents have a 30-year life expectancy gap compared to their North Side counterparts. Advocate Health Care is working to address that disparity with a new $1 billion investment plan that includes replacing Advocate Trinity Hospital with a new facility.

The city’s budget director on what’s in the 2025 spending plan. We tour the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s new facility. And plans to improve health disparities on the South Side.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a non-stop operation serving hundreds of organizations across Chicago and Cook County. With food insecurity still rising, the food bank has opened a new facility focused on preparing hot meals.

Chicago’s $17.1 billion spending plan is now in place for 2025 — but it didn’t come easily. Forceful pushback from alderpeople blocked property tax hikes — but the budget still includes $165.5 million in additional taxes and fees to generate revenue.

Robert Crimo III willingly waived his right to remain silent while speaking to police, and there was no “coercion, deceit or intimidation” to prevent him from talking to a lawyer, Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti said.

He checked out the book in 1974 at the age of 13 because of his love of baseball. After discovering he still had the book a few years ago, Chuck Hildebrandt decided to hang onto it until the 50th anniversary of the due date to visit Warren, Michigan, and return it in person.

Police have been tight-lipped about why a 15-year-old student at Abundant Life Christian Christian School shot and killed a fellow student and teacher on Monday, before shooting herself. Two other students who were shot remained in critical condition on Wednesday.

Local and federal officials had been racing to finalize funding for the Red Line Extension before the end of the Biden administration. The $1.9 billion in federal transit grant money will help fulfill a decades-old promise to extend the heavily used train line past 95th Street, down to 130th Street.

The holidays are hectic, so why not go eclectic? Here’s a wide-ranging shortlist of good bets for seasonal art, culture and discovery.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he launched an investigation into the 20-year-old operation after receiving “dozens” of consumer complaints and engaged the FTC on the nationwide settlement.

The new ballpark name comes after the mortgage company Guaranteed Rate, which has secured naming rights for the stadium since 2016, announced this summer that it would be rebranding to Rate.

The law, enacted in April, set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or else face a ban in the United States. The popular social media platform has more than 170 million users in the U.S.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

The companies behind apps for temp workers have drawn millions in funding, hundreds of thousands of workers, and legal action over their labor practices — including here in Illinois.

The mayor finally seals a budget deal — our Spotlight Politics team breaks it down. And asking the governor for grace after decades in prison.

The massive silos — popular with urban explorers and famously featured in “Transformers: Age of Extinction” — date back more than a century but haven’t been used as grain elevators since the 1970s.

Executive clemency is designed to extend mercy and restore opportunity for people who were convicted of crimes and have demonstrated successful rehabilitation. But in Illinois, advocates say that grace has been slow to come for people with criminal records, some of whom are still in prison.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is charged alongside his longtime right-hand man Michael McClain, is alleged to have orchestrated multiple corruption schemes, wielding his political power to reward loyal allies and enrich himself.