Stories by Shelby Hawkins

Chicago is currently at the center of a queer country renaissance with acts like Marlowe, Andrew Sa and #QueerCountry Bandwagon taking center stage.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates talks negotiations over a new contract. What exactly does an alderperson do? WTTW News explains. And Chicago’s queer country music is making a mark on the local music scene. 

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates spoke with WTTW News about the ongoing contract negotiations.

The circumstances around his death have left friends, family and others incarcerated at Stateville questioning the sequence of events around his medical treatment. Friends who witnessed his death last week said he “didn’t have to die.”

As the mayor ramps up work on his second budget proposal, a newly formed Chicago City Council subcommittee is set to meet at noon Wednesday to start examining the dozens of proposals to increase the amount of money officials have on hand to spend starting in 2025.

Roenick’s 1,216 points with Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Jose are fourth most of any U.S.-born player. He has been a candidate since 2012 and passed over each year since.

The Chicago Transit Authority board of directors approved a combined daily pass allowing seamless trips across CTA, Metra and Pace. The proposal calls for daily passes ranging from $10-16 depending on how far passengers are traveling.

Every four years, residents of Chicago’s 50 wards pick their representative on the City Council. They are officially known as alderpeople. But what exactly do they do?

The stories of five asylum-seekers who arrived in Chicago from Latin America are told in a new documentary series from WTTW. “Firsthand: Homeless – The Migrant Experience” profiles five people who left their home countries and traveled across continents to begin a new life.

An increasing number of people are coming to Illinois in search of abortion care in the two years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling. 

Former Ald. Ed Burke is sentenced to two years in prison. We have the story live from the federal courthouse. Marking two years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision on abortion. And the stories of asylum-seekers who made their way to Chicago.

The arts have played a major role in the history of activism and support for members of the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago. 

Former Ald. Ed Burke is sentenced to 2 years in prison and a $2M fine, U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall rules.

Property tax bills for Cook County residents are available online at cookcountytreasurer.com and should hit mailboxes this week.

CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks Wednesday. That led to an outage that has continued to impact operations.

According to the Chicago Police Department, 31 people were shot in 25 separate shooting incidents between Friday and Sunday evenings.

Deer’s family announced his passing on social media Sunday. He was 51 years old.

The revised policy represents a “substantial improvement” over the original policy, according to a coalition of police reform groups that challenged the policy in federal court.

Mayor Brandon Johnson creates a task force to get the ball rolling on reparations. President Joe Biden moves to protect “dreamers” and long-time undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. And Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy quits.

A 16-year-old has been charged with first-degree in murder in the shooting death of a 7-year-old boy on the Near West Side earlier this week, police announced Friday.

The CNN debate will be full of firsts, with the potential to reshape the presidential race. Never before in the modern era have two presumptive nominees met on the debate stage so early in the general election season. Never before have two White House contenders faced off at such advanced ages, with widespread questions about their readiness.

The announcement is a welcome development for President Joe Biden, whose executive action on June 4 that shut off access to asylum for migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally sought to address an ongoing crisis that has become a significant political challenge.

The plan calls for two perimeters that extend for blocks around the arena. Vehicles will have to pass through checkpoints to travel between the two boundaries. Pedestrians will be allowed to move freely without being screened in that area but only convention goers will be allowed within the inner perimeter.

As temperatures and humidity soar outside, what’s happening inside the human body can become a life-or-death battle decided by just a few degrees.

For some local advocates who work on immigrations issues, the action is a welcome one.

Both “The Bear” and “Chicago Med” are set and shot in Chicago so Platt was able to work on them in the same day — by walking the 200 yards between his two trailers.