Stories by WTTW News
Mayor Emanuel Prepares to Release His Final City Budget
| Paris Schutz
In his final budget before leaving office, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is promising no major tax or fee increases, but there are significant new costs. How will they be paid for?
Former Blagojevich Aide Bradley Tusk on Politics and the Midterms
| Alexandra Silets
Bradley Tusk served as deputy governor under Rod Blagojevich. Now he advises tech startups. What it was like working for the now-imprisoned former governor.
A Chicago Pension Fix? Using Revenue from Public Assets
| Evan Garcia
Could profits from public assets like Midway Airport help fund Chicago’s pensions? The former mayor of Highland Park thinks so.
Are We Forgetting About the Holocaust?
| WTTW News
A recent study shows two-thirds of millennials in the U.S. have not heard of Auschwitz. A priest and a holocaust survivor are trying to change that.
Field Museum Exhibit to Toast Chicago’s Immigrant-Driven Beer History
| Alex Ruppenthal
Visitors to the Field Museum this fall will have a chance to soak up Chicago’s rich beer history, with a focus on the immigrant communities that established the city’s first breweries.
Sears Files for Bankruptcy. What That Really Means.
| Nicole Cardos
Is it the end of an era? NPR reporter David Schaper joins us to discuss what the future may hold for the former retail giant.
African-American Women Assert Their Independence in ‘Flyin’ West’
| Hedy Weiss
With echoes of “Oklahoma” in its evocation of the hardscrabble lives of exceptionally strong women, Pearl Cleage’s story revolves around the different choices made by four women, including the elderly but unbending matriarchal figure who experienced the abominations of slavery, yet survived to tell the story.
GoFundMe Campaign Started to Support Van Dyke Family
| Matt Masterson
A fundraiser started by one of Jason Van Dyke’s trial attorneys has raised more than $43,000 in one week to support the family of the suspended Chicago police officer.
Lyric Opera Orchestra Ratifies New Contract
| Eddie Arruza
Following a five-day strike that forced the cancellation of three performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago, the company’s orchestra ratified a new contract Sunday.
Luminous Play by Lynn Nottage Explores Faith, Politics, Family and Discrimination
| Hedy Weiss
“Crumbs from the Table of Joy” – one of the playwright’s earliest works, now on stage at Raven Theatre – is continually engaging. And in the current climate, it also turns out to be uncannily timely.
Diabetes Drug Could Prevent Deaths from Air Pollution, Study Finds
| Alex Ruppenthal
An inexpensive drug for Type 2 diabetes also decreases the risk of heart attacks and strokes caused by air pollution, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.
Web Extra, The Week in Review: Kanye West at the White House
| Alexandra Silets
Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the “interesting” visit to the White House by Grammy Award-winning rapper – and former Chicagoan – Kanye West.
The Week in Review: Governor’s Race Gets Testy
| Alexandra Silets
With less than a month to Election Day, the Illinois governor’s race turns into a verbal cage match. Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke is transferred out of Cook County. The Trump administration opposes the city’s police consent decree. And does Kris Bryant really say no to $200 million?
Final Debate for Rauner, Pritzker Takes Place in Quincy, Site of Legionnaire’s Outbreaks
| Amanda Vinicky
Democrats have been highly critical of the Rauner administration’s handling of the Legionnaire’s outbreaks, but the governor insisted during Thursday's debate that action was “immediately taken.”
March to the Polls to Honor First-Time Voters Ahead of Midterm Elections
| Nicole Cardos
A women’s march in Chicago is planned for Saturday. Why organizers say this event will be different from others.
‘The Man Behind the Bunny’ a Celebration of Art Paul
| Paul Caine
He was the legendary founding art director of Playboy magazine. A new documentary celebrates the life and work of the lifelong Chicagoan.
Trump Finds Kanye West ‘Impressive’ at White House Lunch
| WTTW News
The Grammy Award-winning rapper talked about his hometown of Chicago and much more in a meeting with President Donald Trump. “PBS NewsHour” White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor has details on that and more.
U. of I. Professor Wins ‘Genius Grant’ for Civil Justice Research
| Evan Garcia
Sociologist Rebecca Sandefur has received the prestigious award for her research on the hurdles low-income communities face when seeking civil justice. She joins us in discussion.
Illinois Has Worst-Polluting Meat-Processing Plant in US, Study Finds
| Alex Ruppenthal
A pork-processing plant in western Illinois released an average of nearly 2,000 pounds of harmful nitrogen per day into a tributary of the Illinois River last year, according to a new report.
Heroic Artist Alex Ross Takes on Comic Book Legends
| Marc Vitali
The renowned comic book artist unmasks his methods for capturing Spider-Man, Black Panther and other Marvel superheroes in his new book “Marvelocity.”
AARP Illinois Survey Shows Voter Anger Over State Fiscal Crisis
| Andrea Guthmann
Nearly three-quarters of registered voters lack confidence that Illinois’ recent budget deal will reduce the state’s long-term fiscal problems, a new poll shows.
McDonald Cover-Up? How Van Dyke Verdict May Affect Police Conspiracy Trial
| Matt Masterson
Jason Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer to be convicted for an on-duty shooting in 50 years. Sentencing and an appeal are sure to follow, but as that case comes to a close, another is yet to begin.
Former Police Officers on the Impact of Van Dyke’s Conviction
| Paul Caine
Will Jason Van Dyke’s conviction of second-degree murder and aggravated battery change the way Chicago police officers do their jobs?
Could Trump, Sessions Derail Chicago’s Police Consent Decree?
| Paris Schutz
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have entered into an agreement to reform the city’s police department. But U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions says it would increase Chicago homicides.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Trending
2026 Chicago Summer Festival Guide
Illinois Confirms 216 Probable Cases of Cyclosporiasis as Parasitic Infection Spreads
Teen CPD Employee ‘Goose-Stepped’ Across High School Stage Wearing Nazi Uniform: Watchdog
Logan Prison Is Moving 140 Miles North. Here’s What Employees, Incarcerated Women Have to Say
Key City Panel Gives Green Light to $425M Subsidy for Chicago Fire Stadium Site
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter