Stories by Joel Ortiz

After last month’s win in the Democratic primary, congressional candidate and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss is gearing up for the Nov. 3 general election, where he will face Republican John Elleson and independent Delila Barrera.

Congressional candidate Daniel Biss on his primary win and what comes next. And City Council lifts its ban on coach houses in most of Chicago — what it could mean for affordable housing.

Every Monday, Back of the Yards Coffeehouse hosts Senior Mondays, welcoming seniors to enjoy a free coffee and pastry while participating in activities designed to foster community and connection.

As they deflected questions about their 2028 intentions, the high-profile Democrats pointed to what they described as an imminent threat from the Trump administration heading into the November midterm elections.

“The robustness and integrity of CPD’s disciplinary system is absolutely vital,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said. “If we are to take seriously the task of fostering trust in CPD, the city must build and run a police disciplinary system in which both members of the public and members of the department have reason to be confident.”

CPS CEO Macquline King on Thursday afternoon said her recommendation to the board has been, for weeks, to maintain May 1 as an instructional day for students despite a push from the Chicago Teachers Union.

Rush nurses, in collaboration with National Nurses United and its affiliate National Nurses Organizing Committee, filed a petition Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election, according to union organizers.

Since the start of the year, Chicago taxpayers have paid nearly $30 million to resolve four wrongful conviction lawsuits.

Attorneys for Madigan and the federal government presented their arguments before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals during a hearing Thursday inside a 27th-floor courtroom in the Dirksen Federal Building.

Mayor Brandon Johnson nominated Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched 2019 Chicago Police Department raid, on Thursday to serve on the city’s police oversight board.

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

Could President Donald Trump’s own Cabinet remove him from office? And meet two local chefs who are James Beard Award finalists.

“I’m a perfectionist that doesn’t believe you can reach perfection,” chef Norman Fenton said. “A dish is never finished. It’s always evolving. It’s always taking a new form, so it’s never perfect. Never perfect. Always working on it.”

Several Democratic elected officials in Illinois released statements on social media calling for Trump to be impeached, including calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked.

Aadam Jacobs has recorded more than 10,000 concerts, with increasingly sophisticated equipment, over four decades in Chicago and other cities. Now a group of devoted volunteers in the U.S. and Europe is methodically cataloging, digitizing and uploading them one by one.

Route 66 marks its 100th anniversary this year. Despite losing its status decades ago as one of the nation’s main arteries, people from around the world still flock to it to take perhaps the quintessential American road trip and soak in its neon lights, kitschy motels and attractions, and culinary offerings.

Illinois lawmakers are considering a bill that could allow drivers with suspended licenses to continue driving with a speed control device in their car. The device would limit the car’s speed to the road’s stated speed limit.

A lack of domestic workforce participation in agriculture pushes Illinois farmers to employ foreign workers through the temporary H-2A non-immigrant visa program.

The change was suggested at Wednesday’s meeting of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners.

A new study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute explores how a 3% surtax on Illinois residents earning $1 million or more per year could impact the state.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s new top public safety adviser will be Emmanuel Andre, the deputy of policy for the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, the mayor’s spokesperson announced.

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

The debate over whether wealthy Illinois residents should be taxed at a higher rate. And we sit down with the state’s newest Supreme Court justice.

“The way I see our role is not only to decide these very important issues for society, but also, perhaps more importantly, to ensure there is a high level of public confidence in the courts,” Justice Sanjay Tailor said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said late Tuesday he’s pulling back on his threats to attack Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets, subject to Iran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Chicago South Side Birth Center plans to offer prenatal care, birth services, postpartum care, lactation support, holistic reproductive health care, childbirth education and community wellness programming.