Stories by Associated Press

The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute engagement devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy — who had urged skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s recently unveiled 2026 budget proposal includes a controversial cut. It proposes to get rid of two programs that allow immigrants without legal status to receive healthcare coverage.

NEW YORK (AP) — A grassroots organization is encouraging U.S. residents not to spend any money Friday as an act of “economic resistance” to protest what the group’s founder sees as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans.

Parents push back on the potential closures of some charter schools. Some undocumented immigrants are at risk of losing their health care coverage. And the leader of the Chicago Park District is stepping down.

After a career in city government spanning 35 years and five mayoral administrations, Rosa Escareño, general superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Park District, announced her resignation Wednesday.

Many undocumented families describe their lives as living in the shadows since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Mixed-status families who have called Chicago home for decades are feeling the impact of Trump’s promise to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.

The 21-member board at its monthly meeting Thursday voted to amend language in a revised resolution that would now aim to save five Acero schools: Cisneros, Casas, Fuentes, Tamayo and Santiago.

The report found more than 6,000 people enrolled in the state-funded programs were classified as “undocumented” despite actually having social security numbers. Some of those people were green card holders who would have instead qualified for health coverage like Medicaid or traditional insurance.

Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose studied portraits ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife at their home. He was 95.

Say farewell to February and welcome March by embracing the seemingly limitless choices we have in the Chicago area. We reside in the metropolis of the Midwest, so make big plans.

Due to the surge in demand, the Secretary of State’s Office launched an online portal so residents can determine whether they need a REAL ID before the federal enforcement period begins. The office is asking residents to wait until after May 7 to apply if they do not have immediate travel plans.

“Chicago is the steppin’ capital of the world.” That’s a phrase coined by local DJ Sam Chatman, also known as the Godfather of Steppin’. And though the dance craze’s popularity has spread far and wide, no one can do it quite like the hometown originators.

In a letter to families Wednesday, officials with the Acero charter school network said the individual was taken into custody by ICE agents, though the agency itself did not respond to a request for comment.

The donation is one of the largest to the aquarium in recent history, according to Shedd.

In just a handful of decades, the rusty crayfish has become dominant in the Great Lakes. Join us on a deep dive into this elusive invader.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation will increase its giving in response to what it calls a “crisis" prompted by the Trump administration’s freeze on federal foreign aid and the now- suspended freeze on federal grants.

City Hall narrowly approves a controversial new borrowing deal. And the history behind the Chicago dance style known as steppin’.

The measure passed by the narrowest possible margin with the support of the entire Progressive Caucus and all but four members of the Black Caucus.

Disability rights group Equip for Equality filed a lawsuit alleging the men still incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center are living in “unduly restrictive and isolating conditions compared to prisoners without disabilities, because of their disabilities.”

Shermann “Dilla” Thomas has a new gig at theDuSable Black History Museum as a brand ambassador and social media chief — an opportunity he’s called a “dream job.” It’s just one of his many projects — from giving bus tours to posting on TikTok about the city’s lesser-known history.

State Superintendent Tony Sanders acknowledged that roughly 10% of funding for Illinois school districts could be at risk if the federal government ceases funding. ISBE receives billions annually from the federal government.

“We started this program with a simple premise: In a healthy and functioning society, no one should fall into financial ruin simply because they got sick,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a news conference announcing the latest round of medical debt relief.

Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl” — has died. She was 39.

Antonio Reyes — who was charged this week with five new counts of first-degree murder as well as four counts of attempted first-degree murder — now stands accused in six separate fatal shootings.

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

The mayor’s $830 million borrowing proposal faces pushback. A look at plans to rid the Chicago Police Department of extremist officers. And remembering legendary soul singer Jerry “Iceman” Butler.