Stories by Heather Cherone

It will likely cost Chicago taxpayers approximately $52 million in interest to borrow that money and pay off during the next five years, according to estimates provided to the Chicago City Council by Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski.

Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino and his agents are reportedly leaving Chicago soon. And the federal government reopens after a record shutdown — with dissent among the Democrats.

While Senate Bill 2111 was widely covered for the $1.5 billion it drives to transit throughout Illinois and its governance reforms in the Chicago region, the more than 1,000-page bill outlines a new approach to public transportation.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said most faced charges of obstruction, disorderly conduct, and walking on a highway. One also faced a charge of mob action. Their ages ranged from 23 to 67.

The current proposed budget would impose a monthly $21 per employee tax on companies with more than 200 employees to generate $82 million to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs.

The city’s lawsuit accused DoorDash of advertising delivery services from restaurants without their consent, damaging the restaurants’ reputations and forcing them to scramble to resolve complaints.

Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $285.3 million to resolve lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct — including wrongful convictions and improper pursuits — so far this year, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

The mayor bats down concerns over efficiencies as budget hearings wrap up. And parents help immigrant neighbors get kids to school.

More than nine years in the making, the six-part,12-hour documentary series tells the tale of the country’s founding struggle from multiple viewpoints.

“The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.”

The Illinois Department of Human Services, which previously issued partial November benefits, said that it is “working to restore full SNAP benefits.” But it won’t happen instantly.

Attorneys representing a group of Chicago journalists and protesters claim immigration agents have repeatedly violated a sweeping injunction limiting the use of “riot control weapons,” less than a week after it was put into effect by a federal judge.

Jon Martin started his coin collection 20 years ago and has amassed about 600 pieces. In a bid to connect with his community and perhaps get more people interested in numismatics, the Rogers Park resident recently decided to give away some of his collection.

Federal prosecutors have not filed criminal charges against anyone who was arrested. Nor have they revealed any evidence showing that two immigrants arrested in the building belonged to the Tren de Aragua gang, or even provided their names.

Diana Santillana Galeano, who had been held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention in Clay County, Indiana, was released Wednesday night, hours after a federal judge granted a habeas petition.

The shutdown magnified partisan divisions in Washington as Trump took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal workers — to pressure Democrats into relenting on their demands.

Crime in Chicago has been dropping significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic began to wane in 2022, a trend that accelerated after Mayor Brandon Johnson took office in May 2023 and has continued since, according to Chicago Police Department data.

Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.

Could 50-year mortgages soon become an option? A look at the pros and cons. And a local coin enthusiast shares some of his collection with neighbors.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2026 budget proposal includes a controversial head tax he hopes will generate $100 million to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs in the city.

Most first-time homebuyers in the United States take out 30-year mortgages. Under a new proposal from the Trump administration, they may soon have an even longer loan option.

A stretch of Chicago’s southernmost lakefront long used as a toxic landfill is now one step closer to becoming parkland open to all.

Hundreds of people who have been arrested and detained in the Chicago area during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown could soon be released on bond.

While the study has its fair share of critics, it has raised alarms when it comes to the business benefits around a multi-billion-dollar advancement in the tech industry. 

Abughazaleh and five others entered their not guilty pleas before a packed courtroom in the Dirksen Federal Building on Wednesday,

Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin is running to represent Illinois’ 7th Congressional District and replace retiring U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis.