Stories by Jenna Schweikert — Capitol News Illinois

Drivers currently lack the right to unionize under federal labor law because they are classified as independent contractors. The proposal would not change that classification but would give rideshare drivers the right to unionize in Illinois despite their contractor status.

Federal prosecutors have alleged Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, posted a Snapchat message offering $10,000 for someone to kill Greg Bovino, the controversial Customs and Border Patrol chief. Espinoza Martinez’s lawyers say the message was nothing more than repeating rumors.

In the latest case to be settled, the City Council voted 28-16 to pay $875,000 to 21 people who each say they were brutalized by Chicago police officers during the 2020 protests.

“The city’s finances are, needless to say, in an extremely precarious place, and we can ill-afford mistakes which run well into the eight figures,” Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president has “an expectation” that credit card companies will accede to his demand that they cap interest rates on credit cards at 10% for one year.

What the Trump administration’s cap on credit card interest could mean for you. And “Stranger Things” star Jake Connelly on his newfound fame.

The final season of “Stranger Things” introduced us to a new character who quickly became a fan favorite — Derek Turnbow, the comic relief-turned-protagonist.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed more than 50 lawsuits seeking to block various actions by the Trump administration to cut off federal funding or conduct aggressive immigration enforcement.

“The final purchase price was far too high, much more than they initially received for the sale, and higher than most reasonable assumptions would support,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

The jury was selected Tuesday afternoon as the case got underway inside a 17th-floor courtroom at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago. Opening statements are slated to begin Wednesday morning.

The district has set aside $500,000 for a participatory budget program in which residents will have an opportunity to submit ideas and vote on the category of projects they want prioritized.

New federal rules contained in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will impose tighter caps on how much money states can raise for their Medicaid programs through provider taxes.

While the furor over Trump’s escalating calls for U.S. control of the vast Arctic island was a focus of an elite annual meeting in Switzerland, Greenland’s leader insisted on respect for its territorial integrity and said recognition of international law is “not a game.”

Peoples Gas is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to approve a $202 million rate increase, while Nicor Gas is seeking its own rate hike of $221 million.

How potential gas rate hikes could impact your bill. And the impact of Black male role models in the classroom.

Juan Espinoza Martinez is set to go on trial Tuesday on charges alleging he placed a bounty on the head of Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino last fall.

The Chicago Police Department must work faster to complete internal affairs investigations, Supt. Larry Snelling told a federal judge.

“The more children can see folks that look like them, that talk like them, that understand the cultural nuances they have, the easier it becomes to teach them, the easier it becomes to reach them,” longtime South Shore educator Wayne Issa said.

A new lawsuit over heavy-handed immigration enforcement tactics in Chicago. And what’s on the agenda as state lawmakers head back to Springfield.

The annual Department of Energy evaluation shows Fermilab’s leadership and safety grades rose from C+ to B in 2025, yet finance‑system gaps and transformer shortages caused concern. Argonne posted strong marks and earned a $6 million fee despite lower publication output and an accelerator shutdown.

Illinois will begin a process to automatically seal criminal records for millions of adults in the state, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean Slate Act on Friday.

The Bears are meeting the Rams in another playoff game. We go back to 1986 to relive the NFC Championship Game the Bears won against the Rams on their way to Super Bowl XX.

Efforts to hold federal immigration agents accountable. And do the Bears have enough juice to get past the league’s top offense?

A new project is underway with the goal of holding accountable federal immigration agents accused of misconduct. Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is behind the initiative called the ICE Accountability Project, which allows community members to submit their own documentation of incidents.

The Cinderella season continues as “Da Bears” gear up for a divisional round showdown against the Rams on Sunday. Caleb Williams and company kept their Super Bowl hopes alive against the Green Bay Packers last Saturday, overcoming an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit.