Stories by Heather Cherone

City officials on Tuesday announced changes to Chicago’s quarantine order. Starting Friday, 18 states and Puerto Rico will be on the list.

Starting Wednesday, people visiting bars and restaurants in Illinois will be required to wear face coverings during all of their interactions with staff, whether they are sitting indoors or outdoors, according to a new policy.

A handful of Chicago residents became the first in the city to participate in a national clinical trial to test a potential COVID-19 vaccine as the University of Illinois at Chicago launched its study on Monday.

City and law enforcement leaders in Kenosha unanimously endorsed the use of body cameras in 2017 as a way to increase police accountability and collect evidence. But since then, they have balked at the price tag.

The Shedd announced the birth of a baby boy beluga, and is expecting a second beluga arrival any day. A Pacific white-sided dolphin is also due to give birth.

More than 18,000 CPS students have signed up to receive free internet access through the Chicago Connected program. With classes beginning remotely in just two weeks, city officials expect that number to continue growing exponentially.

President Donald Trump has the fundraising advantage on Democratic nominee Joe Biden, but in Illinois, Republicans are the underdogs when it comes to both power and cash.

The leader of the Chicago Republican Party said Monday that he is expecting to hear a strong “law and order” message from this week’s National Republican Convention combined with a hopeful economic vision for the future.

The city hunts for real estate developers for commercial corridors on the South and West sides, but will developers bite? Crain’s Chicago Business Editor Ann Dwyer joins us with the stories behind the headlines.

Paris Schutz has a report from day one of the 2012 GOP convention in Tampa.

“They were asking for $25 billion,” said U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, who voted against $25 billion in funding for the Postal Service. “This goes on the proverbial credit card, no way to pay for it.”

A measure that would have required Chicago Police officers to allow those arrested access to a phone within an hour of being detained failed to advance Monday, after a deputy chief told aldermen it could put the city at risk of lawsuits.

Watch the Aug. 24, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

In June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the pandemic had blown a $700 million hole in the city’s budget, the last time she gave a detailed update on the city’s finances.

The weeklong social media campaign coincides with the 104th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service on Aug. 25.

More than 16 months ago, a report found the databases used by the Chicago Police Department to track gang members was riddled with errors. Despite those findings, the City Council has ignored calls to hold hearings on the issue.

The coronavirus is shaking up America’s liquor laws. At least 33 states and the District of Columbia are temporarily allowing cocktails to go during the pandemic. 

While in-person visits are a lot tougher these days, the fact that Mane in Heaven can do virtual visits means the minis get to connect with people from all across the country.

“This is the most important election in the history of our country,” Trump said in an unscheduled appearance after the nomination was official. “Our country can go in a horrible direction or in an even greater direction.” 

Jazz musicians set up in driveways, front lawns and other outdoor spaces as part of this year’s Back Alley Jazz — a series of pop-up concerts inspired by performances that took place across the South Side in the 1960s and ‘70s.

The number of Illinois kindergarteners hitting readiness requirements has increased statewide, but more than two-thirds of students are still not meeting those goals. Education advocates say there’s more work that must be done to eliminate systemic inequalities.

“What happens in Wisconsin or any other city in our country does affect all of us,” Chicago police Superintendent David Brown said during a press conference Monday morning. “And yes, we are monitoring that situation."

Chicago police confiscated 76 bicycles from protesters at a July 17 demonstration in Grant Park that turned violent, leaving many without their primary mode of transportation. About two dozen were reunited with their bikes Sunday.

After expressing frustration at the slow pace of approval for coronavirus treatments, President Donald Trump announced Sunday the emergency authorization of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.

Comedian Sarah Cooper has become an internet sensation with her viral lip-synched trolls of President Donald Trump’s speeches and interviews. But the target of Cooper’s ridicule hadn’t been asked what he thinks of the videos … until Sunday.

State health officials reported nearly 1,900 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and another six virus-related deaths — five of them among Cook County residents, including a woman and man in their 40s.