Stories by WTTW News

The city’s watchdog reflects on her tenure as it comes to a close. And Steppenwolf’s new play examines the money that follows a father’s loss.

Chicago has earned “every bit” of its reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities, with much more work to be done, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

A son lost in a clash with the police. A huge cash settlement on the table. And a father torn between staying put in Chicago or starting anew. That all-too-real dilemma is what underpins the play “Windfall,” a new work written by Oscar-winning Steppenwolf ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney.

Home care workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois and state legislators gathered Thursday in front of the Illinois Capitol Building in Springfield to rally in support of a bill that would raise wages for home care workers serving seniors through the state’s Community Care Program.

The switch to digitized mail for incarcerated people has had little impact on the drug exposures the policy sought to stop, according to new data from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The Chicago Harbor Lock was built in the 1930s as part of the project that famously reversed the flow of the Chicago River. WTTW News explains.

The arch is one of several projects that the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his lasting imprint on Washington.

Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.

City Council fails to block a phaseout of the tipped minimum wage. And the debate over whether Chicago Public Schools should cancel classes on May 1.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, representatives from the Chicago Teachers Union and some Chicago Board of Education members have been petitioning to exempt CPS students and teachers on May 1, allowing them to participate in local demonstrations.

Chicago restaurants must phase out the tipped minimum wage by July 1, 2028, while giving servers and other workers who earn gratuities 8% raises annually every July 1.

The Republican nominee for governor said he’s moved into an apartment on Chicago’s near South Side that will serve as a sort of “headquarters” for his Chicago-area campaign operation.

Federal prosecutors charged Tim King, 59, in a three-count indictment accusing him of misusing Urban Prep funds to cover his own personal credit card expenses and then attempting to cover up that theft through falsified documents.

A jury has found that concert giant Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had a harmful monopoly over big concert venues, dealing the company a loss in a lawsuit over claims brought by dozens of U.S. states.

Illinois lawmakers are fed up with the state Department of Corrections after another audit found it has ignored state spending rules and failed to fix many mistakes that have languished for years.

The city’s 2026 budget set aside just $82.5 million for police misconduct settlements, and authorized officials to borrow an additional $283.3 million to cover the soaring cost of lawsuits alleging wrongdoing by police officers, records show.

Barbara Deer, 51, and her son Kaleb Deer, 23, were identified by Cook County Medical Examiner records as the two people killed at a Homan Square home Tuesday.

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg did not conclude in the report released Wednesday that the CPD members deliberately covered up the fatal crash. Instead, Witzburg found that their actions prevented her office from “conducting a full and complete investigation."

Thunderstorms dumped 2.43 inches of rain at O'Hare Airport, Chicago's official weather station.

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

How some people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. And Yusef Jackson on his vision for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

The organization the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. made into a national force for economic and racial justice has new leadership: the reverend’s youngest son, Yusef Jackson, who was unanimously chosen by the Rainbow PUSH board.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is hosting its sixth annual Missing Persons Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The event aims to connect people with resources to locate missing loved ones.

CHICAGO — A law originally enacted to keep the state’s nuclear fleet profitable is instead giving relief to energy customers due to rising power costs and increased federal subsidies for nuclear generators. ComEd customers in Illinois will see an average $19 monthly reduction to their electricity bills over the coming months, thanks to a policy in the state’s landmark climate bill.

Chicago’s lack of affordable housing impacts thousands of residents across the city. This problem is exacerbated when accessibility accommodations, such as needing a wheelchair, are also necessary.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed its own previous ruling and granted Pramaggiore and McClain bail pending a new trial. That ruling came just hours after attorneys for the pair asked the court to throw out their convictions.