Stories by Associated Press

Former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson, whose prosecutions of public officials — including a predecessor — helped catapult him to become the state’s longest-serving chief executive, has died. He was 84. 

As protests and rallies sprung up across the U.S. in the wake of George Floyd’s death, health care workers showed their support for the movement by volunteering as street medics to treat protesters. 

The U.S. Postal Service is warning states it cannot guarantee that all ballots cast by mail for the Nov. 3 election will arrive in time to be counted, even if ballots are mailed by state deadlines. 

Mayor Lightfoot announces a plan to prevent looting as the Chicago Police Department seeks the public’s help in apprehending additional suspects. As Election Day draws closer, the Postal Service issues a warning about mail-in ballots.

Under Illinois law, a voter can request a mail-in ballot up to five days before Election Day. But the USPS warns that voters who wait until that deadline are at high risk of being disenfranchised, due to the Postal Service’s delivery capabilities.

Mayo Clinic researchers reported a strong hint that blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors helps other patients recover, but it’s not proof and some experts worry if, amid clamor for the treatment, they’ll ever get a clear answer.

The mayor announced a five-point plan to protect businesses and better identify and respond to looting through analytics, additional police deployments and faster lockdowns in areas where businesses are being burglarized.

Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months.

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday reported 2,264 new coronavirus cases and said 14 counties have reached a warning level for the virus.

The Chicago Bulls fired coach Jim Boylen on Friday, the new front office beginning its remake of a team that missed the playoffs again. 

R. Kelly's manager has been arrested on charges that he threatened a shooting at a Manhattan theater two years ago, forcing an evacuation and the cancellation of the screening of Lifetime’s “Surviving R. Kelly” series.

CPS will start the school year with an all-remote learning plan, but Catholic schools in the city and suburbs are taking a different approach. How will the school system keep everyone safe, and are teachers and parents on board?

After a tumultuous week, neighbors tell us what they think is good in Englewood.

A group of lawmakers proposes a new ethics package as another member of the Illinois General Assembly is charged with a federal crime.

What do oranges, grapefruits and limes all have in common? They’re all fruits being used in an art project turning citrus into jewelry. 

According to census data, women in the workplace, especially Black women, make far less than white men on average. Cherita Ellens, president and CEO of Women Employed, talks about how to close the pay gap.

Ines Sommer’s documentary “Seasons of Change on Henry’s Farm” shows that climate change is knocking on the door. But that’s not what the movie was supposed to be about. 

While the players are students, college football is a major economic engine. It brings in hundreds of millions in revenue for universities and their athletic departments.

Led by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a new plan for police reform from the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls for sweeping changes to agreements with police unions in order to allow officers to be held accountable for misconduct.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment dropped below 1 million last week for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak took hold in the U.S. five months ago, but layoffs are still running extraordinarily high.

Holding signs that read “CPD out of CPS” and “Police Free Schools Now,” dozens of youth activists approached the mayor’s home after an organized rally in Logan Square Park where they called for the removal of officers from Chicago public schools.

President Donald Trump said he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots.

More 230,000 Chicago voters have applied to vote by mail in November, shattering the record set during this year’s primary election with more than 80 days left until Election Day, officials said Thursday.

Watch the Aug. 13, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has formally announced Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Our politics team takes on that story and other national and local news in this week’s roundtable.

November’s election is sure to be unlike any other — and not just because of who is on the ballot, but because of how people are expected to cast their ballots.