Stories by Heather Cherone

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday it was too soon to evaluate whether President Donald Trump’s decision to send more than 100 federal agents to Chicago had begun to pay dividends in the ongoing effort to crack down on surging violent crime and gun violence.

The Chicago Police Department is expanding a community policing initiative it says has already helped reduce 911 calls in one police district by assigning officers to specific geographic areas to build trust with its residents.

Watch the Aug. 20, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon was arrested Thursday on charges that he and three others ripped off donors to an online fundraising effort to build a southern border wall.

City crews are still clearing debris from last week’s powerful derecho. Thousands of trees were lost, which has renewed the call by some for an Urban Forestry Advisory Board to manage Chicago’s green infrastructure. 

Now that he’s no longer fighting a gun charge, state Rep. Curtis Tarver is considering suing the Chicago Police Department for violating his rights.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas talks about the disparities in delinquent houses and how she’s working to reduce the problem. 

For the last 15 years, Chicagoans have explored the art of one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods thanks to a trolley. But this year, the Bronzeville Art District Trolley tour is going virtual. 

Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, and Hillary Clinton, the first woman nominated for president by a major party, are speaking on Biden’s behalf Tuesday night. And Kamala Harris, the first Black woman on a major party ticket, will deliver highly anticipated remarks.

U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Sean Casten discuss recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service and funding for the agency as well the Democratic National Convention as part of our special coverage of the virtual gathering.

A new survey shows how consumer attitudes about using ride-hailing and delivery services have changed. It also highlights a wealth divide, where Americans with higher incomes are able to utilize the services to help reduce their risk of infection.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker hailed on Wednesday the decision by the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency approval to a coronavirus test developed by University of Illinois researchers that uses saliva rather than a deep nasal swab.

Chicago’s streets can have an impact on much more than the way we get from one place to another. That was the message from Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi in a speech to the City Club on Wednesday.

Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, often focuses on her identity as a Black woman. At times during her political career, as she ran for California attorney general and senator, some didn’t realize she was of Indian descent.

An asteroid the size of an SUV buzzed past Earth over the weekend, coming closer to the planet than any other on record, according to NASA. 

School resource officers with sustained allegations of excessive force, or complaints of inappropriate interactions with youth in the past five years will no longer be eligible to serve in schools, city officials announced Wednesday.

Watch the Aug. 19, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Four aldermen have called for a special Chicago City Council meeting in an effort to pressure Mayor Lori Lightfoot to ask Gov. J.B. Pritzker to call out the Illinois National Guard to reduce escalating violence and sustained protests amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a huge step forward for American women when, exactly 100 years ago, they finally gained the guaranteed right to vote with ratification of the 19th Amendment. But to Alice Paul, the step wasn’t nearly large enough.

U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Jesus “Chuy" Garcia weigh in on the U.S. Postal Service, the stimulus plan and the Democratic National Convention as part of our special coverage of the virtual gathering.

Three weeks before students return to a fully remote instruction plan for the fall, Chicago Public Schools released its final reopening plan and updated remote learning guidelines for students and families.

The yet-to-be-named foal was born Friday. Grevy’s zebras are endangered in the wild due to habitat loss and hunting. 

Facing mounting public pressure and a crush of state lawsuits, President Donald Trump’s new postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery.

A day after Michelle Obama’s passion wowed Democrats, Joe Biden is drawing on a collection of his party’s most experienced leaders at the Democratic National Convention to underscore what he calls a global leadership deficit.

What’s it like to be a first-time delegate celebrating this year’s virtual convention? We ask Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the Chicago city treasurer, and Krystal Garcia Centeno, a member of the Progressive Turnout Project.

Watch the Aug. 18, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”