Stories by Patty Wetli

The Chicago Police Department has issued a community alert following several reports of checks stolen from U.S. postal boxes.

Property taxes are due next month — what exactly goes into your bill? Donald Trump is expected to announce his re-election bid. What’s behind a turkey shortage. And a tree that’s seen it all is coming down.

A red wave may not have materialized on Tuesday as polls predicted and the GOP had hoped, but election currents swept in changes across the top ranks of the Illinois General Assembly.

This year, some turkey farmers have been impacted by avian influenza, which affected more than 50 million birds, according to the CDC. No commercial flocks in Illinois have been affected. 

A lawyer is using what she learned in that role to create art that helps people better understand the reality of Cook County’s criminal justice system.

The CTA’s Board of Directors approved a $1.8 billion operating budget for 2023, a plan that doesn’t include fare increases for passengers. But with ridership still down from pre-pandemic levels, the budget relies on nearly $400 million in federal stimulus money to make up for lost fare revenue. 

Donald Lee, 40, and 30-year-old Torance Benson were each found guilty Tuesday following a two-month trial in Chicago’s federal court building after prosecutors said they each participated in a criminal organization that murdered rivals and violently protected a drug-dealing operation on the city’s West Side.

Trump had hoped to use the GOP’s expected gains in last week’s elections as a springboard to vault himself to his party’s nomination. Instead, he finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates after Republicans failed to take control of the Senate. 

Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy facilities Tuesday with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, striking targets across the country and causing widespread blackouts. A senior U.S. intelligence official said missiles crossed into NATO member Poland and killed two people.

Illinois’ constitution will be amended to explicitly protect unions, according to backers of the change who’ve been closely watching as mail-in ballots get added to totals from last Tuesday’s election. Outside entities and leading critics of the question say it’s too early for unions to claim victory.

Safety tips offered by the CPD include: being aware of your surroundings, securing wallets and phones in zipped pockets, keeping shopping bags close to you and keeping headphone volume low enough to hear what’s happening nearby.

The retail giant's announcement follows similar proposals on Nov. 2 from the two largest U.S. pharmacy chains, CVS Health and Walgreen Co., which each said they would pay about $5 billion.

The world's population will likely hit an estimated 8 billion people on Tuesday, according to a United Nations projection, with much of the growth coming from developing nations in Africa.

A winter weather advisory went into effect Tuesday morning for much of the Chicago region, a far cry from last week's balmy 70-degree temperatures.

The second-installment of property owners’ 2021 tax bills will be more than 150 days late amid months of bureaucratic wrangling and finger pointing among Cook County officials.

A bur oak has towered over the zoo’s south lawn, opposite the primate house, since before there even was a zoo. It even predates the founding of the United States of America. 

A federal court ruling puts student loans on hold. Why Chicago homeowners might face a higher property tax burden. The future of the Illinois GOP after a poor showing last week. And a concert pianist on her time in Chicago.

Last Tuesday was instead an unmitigated disaster for the Illinois GOP — losing every race for statewide office and falling further into super-minority status in the statehouse. It’s prompted calls from within for some soul-searching.

In the Chicago area, Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes is the only accredited milk bank. Despite a slow increase in supply, the bank is still providing this valuable resource.  

Pianist Inna Faliks is an educator, mom and a distinguished concert pianist who is in demand across the globe. But before all that, one of her first television appearances was on WTTW in 1994 when she was just 15 years old.

Property owners will receive their tax bills soon — and homeowners might be a bit let down. Zoro, an e-commerce platform for business supplies, is joining the list of companies moving from the suburbs to the city. And McDonald's is rolling out what they say is their largest global campaign to date for the World Cup.

A staffing agency and the bakery’s then-owner are set to pay more than $1 million to settle the case. Worker advocates say the suit points to widespread problems faced by temp workers, and the possible legislative solutions.

Six community gardens will test the logistics of a compost program that could be expanded if it proves successful and scaleable.

The Chicago City Council is set to pay $5.8 million to resolve three lawsuits alledging misconduct by Chicago Police officers.

Dozens of Chicagoans who waited hours to get their turn to address the Chicago City Council were prevented from speaking because a majority of the Chicago City Council attended Monday's special meeting.

The ruling by the three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis came days after a federal judge in Texas blocked the program, saying it usurped Congress’ power to make laws.