Stories by Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois

Adam Kinzinger, from Channahon, served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. He chose not to run for reelection in 2022 after publicly breaking with the Trump administration over Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol.

After a string of fall-like days, the real August is showing up this weekend to reclaim summer. 

Mike Royko was Chicago’s Prince of Print. At his peak, he wrote five columns a week that could lift underdogs or level overlords. In 1972, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary at the Chicago Daily News, and he later wrote for the Sun-Times and the Tribune. Royko was also complicated.

Folks at home may have seen a celebration of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz when balloons dropped on the final evening of the Democratic National Convention. The balloon crew knew otherwise — this job was personal.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was especially proud of the way Chicago Police Department handled four days of protests designed to urge Vice President Kamala Harris, now officially the Democratic nominee for president, to end the war in Gaza.

Newly updated vaccines against COVID-19 will be in pharmacies soon, just as the US is experiencing a surge of infections. But is it a good idea to get in line for a new shot pronto, or should you wait a few weeks to get optimal protection against a possible winter wave?

Work started before the final balloon even hit the ground, but it will take a couple of days for crews to fully clear all of the barriers around the United Center and McCormick Place.

WTTW News reporters are spread out across Chicago covering the 2024 Democratic National Convention and Illinois’ delegation. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates.

Vice President Kamala Harris told voters they have a chance to chart a “new way forward” as Americans this November, as she looked to introduce herself to voters and prosecute her case against Republican Donald Trump as she accepted her party’s nomination Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention.

The DNC officially comes to a close as Kamala Harris accepts the Democratic nomination for president. We’re live at the United Center.

Social media was aflutter Thursday night with speculation that a surprise special guest would appear at the DNC before Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage.

There was heavy police presence as protesters walked the blocks by the United Center, including at a park where a small group of activists breached an outer perimeter fence earlier in the week. 

It’s Kamala Harris’ big night as she closes out the DNC. We’ll have live coverage from inside the United Center as she’s set to take the stage.

Mayor Brandon Johnson told WTTW News on Thursday night that the Chicago Police Department “most certainly” passed the test posed by the Democratic National Convention, just as the final night of the convention — and the final planned protest — got underway.

If Vice President Kamala Harris beats former President Donald Trump in November, she’ll be the first woman in the Oval Office as well as the first person of Jamaican ancestry to assume the role, and the first person of South Asian descent.

For the second time, Democrats are trying to elect a woman to the White House over former President Donald Trump. Delegates who’ve been in Chicago since Monday will hear Thursday night from their “joyful warrior,” Vice President Kamala Harris.

With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its modified vaccine version to be available a little later.

It's Kamala Harris’ turn to deliver the goods on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, as she accepts a historic nomination for president of the United States.

The creators were invited to the DNC by convention organizers, a new but significant part of a digital strategy that aims to leverage the sizable followings of creators across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Discord and Twitch, according to officials with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ campaign. 

They’ve been popping up around Chicago and on social media this week during the Democratic National Convention, where Harris will formally accept the party’s presidential nomination.

As the Democratic National Convention continues for a fourth and final day, there have been a total of 72 arrests related to First Amendment activities since Monday, according to the DNC 2024 Joint Information Center.

The pastor of St. James Church, Ald. William Hall said it was “humbling, joyful, inspirational” to find himself in the white-hot spotlight of the convention.

U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-California) has been hailed as a party legend at Democratic National Convention guests all week — but even her star power was outshone at a meeting of the Women’s Caucus on Thursday morning when actor and singer Sheryl Lee Ralph took the stage.

The Cook County Public Defender’s Office said the majority of cases involving protesters ordered them to avoid the area they were cited in following release.

Young voters gathered in the West Loop at the Epiphany Center for the Arts. The event included speakers and a series of voter engagement workshops. Trainings were on topics such as building inclusive voting coalitions on college campuses, messaging during polarized times and running high school voter drives.

Day 3 of the DNC is in the books, and it included both the old guard and some fresh faces. We’re live with reaction and analysis.