Stories by Heather Cherone

An effort designed to keep teens who commit minor crimes out of jail is so broken that the city’s social service agency will no longer work with Chicago police to administer the program, officials told aldermen Tuesday.

The Cook County Public Defender’s Office and several activist groups are suing the city of Chicago, accusing the police department of “disappearing” detainees by preventing them from making phone calls after their arrest.

President Donald Trump has made clear that as he embraces the culture wars in the months leading up to Election Day, he’ll put the Supreme Court in his crosshairs. 

Watch the June 23, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The 150-year-old zoo is preparing to welcome its first visitors since the March coronavirus shutdown. Here’s what you need to know.

The government’s top infectious disease expert told a House committee on Tuesday he believes “it will be when and not if” there will be a COVID-19 vaccine and that he remains “cautiously optimistic” that some will be ready at the end of the year.

Although mass shootings are down sharply this year, other non-suicidal gun deaths are on pace to exceed last year, according to incidents tracked by the Gun Violence Archive. 

Hospitals are on the front lines of healing gun violence victims, but some are taking more than just an emergency room role. We learn about the Chicago Hospital Engagement, Action and Leadership Initiative, or HEAL.

Chicago’s lakefront trail officially reopened Monday after the city closed it down in March in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We visit the lakefront and see how the Edgewater community is gearing up for phase four.

Internet access has been a lifeline for those staying at home. But for the 18% of Illinoisans without a broadband internet subscription, that lifeline is cut off. We discuss ideas for ensuring internet equity.

Illinois is on track to move into phase four of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan on Friday, but the state faces a huge challenge in reviving its pandemic-stricken economy and putting people back to work.

More than 200 species of birds have been identified at this small forest preserve, along with hundreds of other living things. We meet up with Jeff Skrentny and several dozen volunteers for a morning of pre-pandemic restoration work.

As Chicago prepares to move into phase four of its reopening plan, playgrounds and pools remain closed, and small music venues are still shuttered, with no end in sight. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday that Chicago will move into phase four of its reopening plan Friday, along with the rest of the state, but continued to hammer home her themes of vigilance and caution.

American honeybee colonies have bounced back after a bad year, the annual beekeeping survey finds.

Chicago Public Schools could become the latest major school district to pull police officers from its school buildings amid nationwide calls for police reform in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

As Chicago increasingly reopens for business and pleasure, the question remains how people will move around the city, and whether riders will feel comfortable using public transportation.

Watch the June 22, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Nearly half of the more than 8,700 verbal orders issued by Chicago police to enforce stay-at-home orders designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 took place on the West Side, according to data from the Chicago Police Department.

Illinois’ ability to withstand financial hits was anemic even before the global pandemic hit, but the novel coronavirus has led the state to craft a novel budget strategy. We talk COVID-19, unemployment and police reform with Illinois’ senior U.S. senator.

Chicago rapper Matt Muse helped lead a march Sunday from Lincoln Park to Wicker Park to bring attention to to the role of Black musicians and creators in the city’s entertainment and music spaces.

John Bolton’s memoir officially comes out Tuesday after surviving a security review and a legal challenge from the Justice Department. But over the weekend, it was available in ways even his publisher is hoping to prevent.

What’s all this talk about a “second wave” of U.S. coronavirus cases? Scientists generally agree the nation is still in its first wave of infections, albeit one that’s dipping in some parts of the country while rising in others.

An outbreak of an intestinal illness linked to packaged salads has sickened more than 20 people across the state, according to health officials.

President Donald Trump said Saturday he’s asked his administration to slow down coronavirus testing because robust testing turns up too many cases of COVID-19.

Small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic and recover from unrest touched off by police brutality protests can apply for grants starting Saturday, city officials announced.