Stories by Patty Wetli

Chicago’s Justice of the Pies was one of 31 businesses named to the Office of Tourism’s Illinois Made program, which boosts the profile of the state’s makers, creators and artisans.

Traveling more than 2,000 miles every year, the migration journey of monarch butterflies links the United States and Mexico in a way no trade agreement or cultural exchange ever could.

“My No. 1 consideration is not whether someone’s going to get angry at me,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday. “It’s whether I can save a life or save the lives of people who are potentially going to get sick."

The Chicago City Council is poised to approve Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $12.8 billion spending plan for 2021 after the plan advanced on Thursday with a 26-8 vote of the Budget and Government Operations Committee.

Taking in the city’s expanse via drone, the special explores Chicago’s famous grid system, its industrial legacy, and the natural areas that weave through the dense urban jungle.

The suit was filed Thursday on behalf of 60 protesters who claim police used “unconstitutional tactics that are clearly intended to injure, silence, and intimidate” during protests following the killing of George Floyd.

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

Three firms involved in the botched smokestack demolition in Little Village will pay $370,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, his office announced Thursday.

Adam Hollingsworth, 33, entered the plea through his attorney Thursday during a brief arraignment held in virtual court.

The delays are happening as the country braces for winter weather, flu season and holiday travel, all of which are expected to amplify a U.S. outbreak that has already swelled past 11.5 million cases and 250,000 deaths.

A close confidant of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Commonwealth Edison’s first female CEO are among those indicted Wednesday in connection with a bribery scheme.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker tells his political opponents that his family is off limits as he announces new restrictions designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Our politics team takes on those stories and more in this week’s roundtable. 

Meet a high school student who’s on a quest to see more bird species in Cook County than anyone, ever.

Chicago Public School Local School Council members are up for election this week. What are LSCs and what power do they have?

As COVID-19 continues to surge in Illinois, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are bracing for what’s likely to come. 

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. With one in three Americans at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, we learn about a local initiative that aims to prevent residents from developing the disease.

A plan to borrow $1.4 billion to repair Chicago’s crumbling streets, sidewalks, bridges and shoreline during the next five years advanced Wednesday with a 22-10 vote of the City Council’s Finance Committee.

The Chicago Transit Authority’s Board of Directors approved the agency’s 2021 operating budget of $1.645 billion on Wednesday, but CTA staff warned of drastic service cuts without another infusion of cash from Congress.

“COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death in Illinois, behind heart disease and cancer,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday as state health officials reported 8,922 new COVID-19 cases and 140 virus-related deaths.

The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration represents an important step in U.S. efforts to expand testing options for COVID-19 beyond health care facilities and testing sites. 

As the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook gave assurances of vigorous action against election disinformation, Republicans at a Senate hearing Tuesday pounded the social media companies over political bias, business practices and market dominance.

CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said that while the number of A’s given to students this school year is up compared to last year, so too is the number of F’s, particularly among students of color.

Acknowledging that demand for COVID-19 tests has grown exponentially during a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Chicago officials announced Wednesday that the city will open a new testing site at Midway Airport.

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

The City Council’s Finance Committee advanced Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $12.8 billion spending plan to the full City Council on a 21-12 vote Wednesday.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced the move early Wednesday, saying it was done after a “comprehensive and methodical” 20-month review process.