Stories by Eunice Alpasan

The events are designed for CTA leaders and staff to have open, informal conversations with riders about service, safety, improvements and rider priorities, according to the transit agency.

According to the Chicago Police Department, 56% of homicide cases were cleared last year, but only 23% resulted in an arrest. Gun violence advocates say discrepancies in reporting and poor communication with victims is leaving survivors without badly needed answers.

A study published Monday in The Lancet estimates that the USAID funding cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030. Nearly a third of those deaths – more than 4.5 million – are estimated to be among children younger than 5.

Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The dispute has laid bare not only the differences between the Republican president and one of his most vociferous one-time advocates, but also has reignited the possibility that the world’s richest man will — along with his billions — reenter the political spending arena.

Assembled on a remote airstrip with tents and trailers that are normally used after a natural disaster, the detention center has been nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” a moniker that has alarmed immigrant activists but appeals to the Republican president’s aggressive approach to deportations.

The future of NASCAR in Chicago is murky going into its third edition on the first weekend in July. The three-year contract between the motorsports organization and the city that was announced in 2022 has two mutual options, and their fate is unclear.

The feds asked a judge to give John Hooker, a former ComEd exec, a prison sentence of 56 months following his conviction on charges including bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the utility company’s books.

Gov. JB Pritzker called the little-known former state representative “a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois.”

What’s behind Chicago’s low homicide clearance rates. And the city’s queer ballroom culture takes center stage.

Ballroom’s pageantry comes to life in the form of balls. Participants and houses compete in various categories for prizes, money and trophies. Some of the categories are: Runway, Vogue Femme, and Realness.

The Chicago Police Department exceeded its nearly $2 billion budget, approved by the Chicago City Council, by $207 million, according to city data.

In all, Chicago owes $35.9 billion to its four employee pension funds representing police officers, firefighters, municipal employees and laborers, according to the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating a direct admissions program. Along with it, he approved bills that implement new state standards for programs offering college credits to high school students, and new requirements for financial aid application assistance.

A contest is now open to submit names for Imani and Searocket’s three offspring.

More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation.

Chicago’s lakefront is famously open and free. So why is a prime section of Montrose Beach roped off every summer? Because it’s for the birds. Literally. The piping plovers. WTTW News explains.

The finding from the administration is the latest intensification in the White House’s battle with Harvard, which lost more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants after rejecting a list of federal demands calling for sweeping changes to campus governance, hiring and admissions.

Without the limits on party spending, large donors would be able to skirt caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate, supporters of the law say.

Chicago officials held the first of four “budget engagement roundtables” designed to gather feedback about the city’s 2026 budget.

Gov. JB Pritzker makes it official — he’s running for a third term. And the interim CPS CEO says Chicago schools face an even higher deficit than had been reported.

A conservative majority left open the possibility that the birthright citizenship changes could remain blocked nationwide. Trump’s order would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of people who are in the country illegally.

The 6-3 ruling comes in a lawsuit over how the government decides which health care medications and services must be fully covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama’s signature law, often referred to as Obamacare.

The decision was not a final ruling in the case, but the justices strongly suggested that the parents will win in the end.

The exhibition “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” transports visitors to a time when Japan was emerging from the feudal era and modern cities were booming.

Lupe Fiasco, born Wasalu Jaco in Chicago, will bring his sharp-tongued raps like “Kick Push” and “Superstar” to Grant Park on Sept. 5.