Stories by WTTW News

Watch the Sept. 14, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is raising concerns about coronavirus testing at the nation’s schools, colleges and universities in the wake of incidents in which he says the federal government “commandeered” supplies.

The unmistakable sound of the Salvation Army’s bell-ringers could be heard Monday morning along Michigan Avenue as the organization announced an unprecedented September kickoff to its annual Red Kettle fundraiser.

A drug company says that adding an anti-inflammatory medicine to a drug already widely used for hospitalized COVID-19 patients shortens their time to recovery by an additional day.

A push to build a first-of-its-kind workforce to conduct community-level contact tracing is months behind schedule, even as health officials brace for a surge in infections at the start of the traditional flu season.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown again criticized a perceived lack of consequences for gun offenders after a weekend in which 53 people were shot in the city, 10 fatally.

Smoke from the West Coast wildfires has drifted into northern Illinois, creating milky white or gray skies over what should be a sunny Chicago, according to the National Weather Service.

The city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance created just 1,049 homes in 13 years by requiring some developers to set aside units for low- and moderate-income Chicagoans, but that has barely dented the city’s affordable housing gap, according to a new report.

Authorities searched Sunday for a gunman who shot and critically wounded two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who were sitting in their squad car — an apparent ambush that drew a reward for information and an angry response from the president.

​Mexican Independence Day celebrations are a community staple across many communities in Chicago and beyond. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, those celebrations are looking very different this year.

Chicago Public Schools students talk about their first week of virtual classes. We explore the history of police in schools, and the local connections of the NFL’s first Black team president.

How did the first week of virtual school go at Chicago Public Schools? We speak with a panel of CPS students about their experiences.

From the football field to the front office: We speak with Jason Wright, the NFL’s first Black team president.

More than 1,400 new cases of the coronavirus and 14 deaths were reported Sunday by state health officials, bringing statewide totals to 261,371 cases and 8,309 deaths since the first infection was reported in Illinois in late January.

Jarrett Adams is a criminal defense lawyer who has dedicated his career to bringing justice to those who are underserved. But his first experience with the law came with trying to prove his own innocence.

A 24-year-old letter carrier was “shot multiple times while working” Thursday on the South Side around noon, the Chicago Police Department said in an incident release.

A new school year begins. Is CPS making the grade? Presidential candidates vie for Latino votes. A photography exhibit in the Loop is closing soon — we visit “Temporal: Puerto Rican Resistance.” Watch the full show.

After a long holiday weekend, Chicago Public Schools students logged in Tuesday for their first week of remote learning to open the 2020 school year amid the pandemic. The pluses and minuses of week one.

A record 32 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in 2020, making Latinos the largest ethnic or racial group this election. Have the candidates done all they can to garner support from Latino voters? 

Hundreds of nurses at the University of Illinois Hospital took to the picket line Saturday for a weeklong strike amid contract negotiations between their union, the Illinois Nurses Association, and the hospital system.

In times of crisis, effective leaders strike a balance between inspirational rhetoric and leveling with the public about the tough times ahead. Facing the coronavirus, President Donald Trump chose a different path.

Illinois Republicans probe Michael Madigan. U.S. Attorney General Barr touts a drop in Chicago crime. Recordings reveal President Trump knew about COVID-19 dangers while publicly saying the opposite.

Eric Trump, the president’s son, twice texted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to thank her for taking steps to protect Trump Tower in downtown Chicago after violent protests.

Two former Illinois child welfare workers who investigated abuse allegations involving AJ Freund face child endangerment charges accusing them of failing to protect him from harm, according to an indictment filed Friday.

“If you’re talking about getting back to a degree of normality which resembles where we were prior to Covid, it’s going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases remained steady in the two regions of the state where officials have increased restrictions after a surge in infections. The statewide positivity rate is 3.9%, officials said Friday.