Stories by Associated Press

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune will be forced to answer from some in their own party over whether to reassert the legislative branch’s role in war-making alongside critical votes on health care and government spending.

Approaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found.

Less than four months after announcing his reelection campaign, Walz said Monday that he could no longer devote the energy necessary to win another term, even as he expressed confidence that he could win.

The report published by the Chicago Police Department acknowledges that the number of times officers used force against members of the public “continues to trend upward.”

The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary nighttime operation that was accompanied by a flurry of strikes.

We’re looking ahead to the stories likely to shape 2026 — from immigration enforcement and midterm elections to Chicago’s budget struggles and a new school board.

Of the pregnancy-related deaths that occurred in 2021 and 2022, committees found 91% could have been prevented.

On an icy January evening in 1963, a Cessna returning from Florida crashed into a brick ranch home across from Luther North High School in Portage Park. Four people were killed, including the pilot’s wife and young daughter. The crash left a lasting memory in the neighborhood.

Trump said in a social media post Wednesday that he’s removing the Guard troops for now. “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again - Only a question of time!” he wrote.

Chicagoans will get a small break on their grocery bills but be forced to pony up to cover a host of tax and fee hikes that a deeply divided Chicago City Council approved to fill a massive budget shortfall over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Chicago may see its fewest homicides in years. And residents are calling for a referendum on the new quantum campus.

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is set to become the largest quantum development in the United States. Some Southeast Side residents have voiced concerns over gentrification, environmental impacts and energy use.

Flu activity in suburban Cook County jumped from “low” to “high” during the week ending in Dec. 20, according to health officials. Chicago’s public health department reported “high” levels of emergency department visits and hospitalizations for flu late last week.

Illinois lawmakers responded to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrant communities with new legal protections for students and guidelines for schools that will take effect Jan. 1. Lawmakers also focused on the use of AI in education.

President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through his first term led to two impeachments, is trying to keep history from repeating — and doing so in ways his opponents say are intended to manipulate next year’s election landscape.

More artists have canceled scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the facility.

With only a handful of days left before the calendar turns to 2026, Chicago is on pace to see its lowest homicide total since at least 2014.

New laws are taking effect in the new year — what you should know. And America’s fight for independence is documented in a new series.

The Intuit Art Museum in West Town champions the work of self-taught artists, those who create art outside of the mainstream art world. “Catalyst: Im/migration and Self-Taught Art in Chicago” has been extended through March 22.

Previous winners include “Mrs. O’Leary’s Plow,” “Casimir Plowaski” and “Snower Wacker.”

The festivities will take place along the Chicago Riverwalk at Wacker Drive from Wells Street to Lake Street, with a main stage located at Wacker and Franklin, officials said.

It is not the first time the state and federal government have been entangled in litigation relating to immigration policy.

The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor.

Supporters of the gunshot detection system said it helped officers save lives when shootings were not reported to emergency services. ShotSpotter was never used to dispatch paramedics.

We’re looking back at the stories that defined 2025 — from a massive immigration crackdown and congressional musical chairs to city budget battles and a hometown Holy Father.

Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966 and also is celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations.