Stories by Patty Wetli

Left out of phase three reopening with no plan for how to move forward, bar owners have had the rug pulled out from under them a second time, they say.

More than a dozen officers lounged, slept and snacked in the burglarized South Side office of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush in the early hours of June 1 as unrest swept the city, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday.

The Cook County Department of Public Health will scale up its COVID-19 contact tracing program within the next six months, thanks to a $41 million grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health. 

After six weeks on a ventilator and life-support machine, a 20-year-old woman whose lungs were damaged by COVID-19 received what is believed to be among the first double lung transplants performed on a survivor of the virus.

Oprah. Cubs. White Sox. Blackhawks. “Hamilton.” These are a few of the teams and celebrities who will help send off the class of 2020 during Chicago’s citywide virtual graduation this weekend.

Chicago drag queen Milani Ninja is performing at the National Museum of Mexican Art for its 17th annual Queer Prom, but unlike the five other times she’s performed at the event, this year’s show is pre-recorded for a virtual prom on Friday.

For much of its seven-year existence, the Black Lives Matter movement has been seen by many Americans as a divisive, even radical force. Times have changed.

Young adults have filled streets across the country on a scale not seen since the 1960s to protest for racial justice after the death of George Floyd. But whether that energy translates to increased turnout in November is another question.

Watch the June 11, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

The daughter of Indonesian immigrants, Chasity Kasir said the traits of hard work and respect were instilled in her from a young age. This weekend, she’ll graduate from Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory High School at the top of her class.

Amid a pandemic that has been linked to the deaths of more than 2,000 people in Chicago, the city is cautiously reopening. But some communities are facing another hurdle: rebuilding.

The Southwest Side neighborhood has been hit hard by COVID-19 and saw some looting last week. As part of our series, we speak with business owners and community leaders about the path forward.

With Lollapalooza and other big summer events now officially canceled in Chicago, some city residents may be wondering what their entertainment options will look like in the months ahead. How the city is going virtual.

The killing of George Floyd has reinvigorated calls for police reform. While some push for defunding the police, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has another idea.

Seven years ago, the town of Washington in central Illinois was hit with a tornado. Now, some say the COVID-19 shutdown is an even bigger disaster.

A new study from Northwestern University highlights the growing wealth gap between black and white families. 

The final cost to hire 100 private security guards to patrol the South and West sides to protect businesses from a second weekend of looting and damage that never materialized was $400,000, Chicago officials said.

A group of Republican lawmakers are calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to lift additional restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus by Friday — weeks ahead of the timeline outlined in the governor’s reopening plan for Illinois.

Philonise Floyd challenged Congress to “stop the pain” as lawmakers consider a sweeping law enforcement overhaul, so his brother George won’t be just “another name” on a growing list of black Americans killed during interactions with police.

While schools and nonessential businesses temporarily closed in March, hundreds of child care centers stayed open to care for the children of essential workers. The state is now dedicating millions of dollars toward their financial health.

Aldermen on Wednesday endorsed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to use federal money to create a $20 million fund to offer grants to Chicagoans struggling to pay their rent and mortgages because of the pandemic.

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza is joining the chorus of 10th Ward neighbors calling for the Illinois EPA to delay consideration of General Iron’s permit to move from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side. 

Watch the June 10, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Herd immunity is when a virus can no longer spread easily because enough people are immune to it. That lowers the chances of the virus jumping from person to person and reaching those who haven’t been infected yet.

Chicagoans who did not get financial help from the federal government during the coronavirus pandemic can apply for $1,000 grants from the city, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday.

For parents who’ve been strapped for child care during the coronavirus shutdown, relief is in sight. But there will be even less capacity than normal this year, so prepare to act fast.