Stories by WTTW News

A potential path out of city-run shelters and police stations for thousands of migrants. A look at the controversial real estate transfer tax proposal. And Mr. Hamilton himself — Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Mayor Brandon Johnson recently announced a new proposal dubbed “Bring Chicago Home,” which would raise about $100 million dollars to fight homelessness by raising taxes on all sales above $1 million, and then an additional hike on sales of more than $1.5 million dollars.

The various scenarios playing out across the country paint a picture of a strained immigration system making an impact far from the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration late Wednesday announced measures intended to alleviate the problems.

Haidle’s work defies easy labeling, but perhaps the best description of his plays might be that they are magical realist portraits that capture the dynamics of the American family in unique ways.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is celebrating the birds’ fall arrival during Saturday’s Pelican Watch event at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

An art walk, film festival and house music party usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

According to the Chicago Police Department, there were nine separate armed robberies reported between 12:50 a.m. and 2 a.m. Thursday morning. In each incident, victims were approached by multiple armed males who took their belongings and then fled in a dark colored sedan.

With approximately 7,400 people taking up every available spot in 20 city shelters, more than 2,100 men, women and children are being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to city data.

A dance studio on the Northwest Side is working to keep a Mexican tradition alive. And for a group of young dancers, there is joy to be found in every step and turn.

Products made from delta-8 promise to deliver a milder marijuana-like high. But unlike marijuana, which is strictly regulated and can only be sold in licensed dispensaries, delta-8 can be sold in convenience stores and cafes, and there are no age minimums for purchase.

The fate of a tipped minimum wage in Chicago. The city files suit against Monsanto. Trouble with the bears. The battle between legal marijuana and Delta-8. And a local mom keeps a Mexican tradition alive.

The tests coming available soon are intended for use through the end of 2023 and will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, HHS said in an announcement Wednesday.

Representatives of Bayer, which now owns Monsanto, said Chicago's lawsuit was “meritless” because the company never manufactured or disposed PCBs in or near the Chicago area.

The Bears confirmed Williams, 53, submitted his resignation Wednesday morning. He had been with the team since February 2022.

The selected tree will serve as the centerpiece of Chicago’s official holiday celebrations in Millennium Park. Here’s how to submit yours for consideration.

“Many educators have been pushing for this for a long time, particularly adoptive parents, so I’m glad that this is moving forward,” board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland said during Wednesday's agenda review committee meeting.

Chicago could join Alaska, California, Guam, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C. in ending the tipped minimum wage.

Sergio Brown, 35, is still considered a missing person, Maywood police spokesperson Carmen Rivera said in an email Tuesday, acknowledging police were aware of the videos and were investigating.

Increasingly impatient leaders of President Joe Biden’s party in other cities and states have hammered the same message over the last month, saying the administration must make it easier for migrants to get work authorization quickly, which would allow them to pay for food and housing.

Chicago is set to join Alaska, California, Guam, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C. in ending the tipped minimum wage.

Get an inside look at how a regional task force is working to apprehend carjackers across Chicago. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson is pitching the creation of a city-owned grocery store in an effort to reverse historic disinvestment in food access on the South and West sides. This process is starting with a feasibility study alongside the Economic Security Project. 

Following years and years of declining enrollment, Chicago Public Schools officials believe the number of students currently attending district schools is in line with totals from the same time last year.

Riding along with a taskforce working to stop carjackings. What a city-owned grocery store might look like. And Chicago takes another step toward paying tipped workers more.

In an interview with WTTW News, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko gave an assessment of the challenges Ukraine faces as the war with Russia continues. 

The search continues for former NFL player Sergio Brown after his mother was found dead with assault injuries near a creek behind her suburban Chicago home, according to the Maywood Police Department.