Stories by Heather Cherone

A package of new regulations designed to tighten ethics rules for state lawmakers and Springfield lobbyists will not override Chicago’s ethics rules, much to the relief of city officials.

A Chicago alderman wants ride-share companies to cap surge pricing amid a driver shortage, and drivers want Uber and Lyft to do more to keep them safe.

The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death made his initial appearance Tuesday on federal charges alleging he violated Floyd’s civil rights by pinning the Black man to the pavement with his knee.

A Roman holiday this summer is easier than you think. We check out a new exhibit featuring recreations of the most recognized works by Italian artist Michelangelo, now open in Oak Brook.

A year after the murder of George Floyd — and the corporate statements in support of racial equity that followed — some corporations say they are working toward an equitable economic recovery. We learn about the Chicago Community Trust’s new Move to Action initiative.

For 184 years, members of the Chicago City Council have been known as aldermen — even though its first female members were elected a half-century ago. That is set to change.

Though it may have been one of the quirkier bills passed by the General Assembly, the designation recognizes the role Illinois played in the development of one of the world’s greatest wonder drugs: penicillin.

Legislators finally pass a budget, among other laws, in Springfield—we’ll have a rundown. The latest on COVID-19 reopenings. The holiday weekend’s violence toll. And ride-share driving comes up short.

New rules for Chicago’s home-sharing industry are set to take effect Tuesday, including a ban on short-term rentals that last only one night, in an effort to block huge parties that have become a regular nuisance in some neighborhoods.

For the first time in nearly a year, visitors to Chicago from anywhere within the United States do not have to quarantine for 10 days or record a negative test for COVID-19, city officials announced Tuesday.

The Supreme Court is leaving in place a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who claim they developed ovarian cancer from using Johnson & Johnson talc products.

The homicide total over the holiday weekend was the lowest in 10 years, police Superintendent David Brown said Tuesday, as department officials credited the city’s newly announced summer safety plan with helping to limit violence.

A DePaul University study of nearly 280 long-haulers — people who experience symptoms of COVID-19 months after their initial diagnosis — found that while most of the symptoms improved over time, some lingered or even got worse.

Illinois Democrats used their supermajorities in the General Assembly to full advantage this weekend as their spring session reeled toward an end, pushing through a progressive agenda, a $42 billion budget with no tax or fee hikes on individuals, and legislative maps.

Illinois’ primary date next year is moving from March 15 to June 28, giving candidates for the U.S. House time to organize their campaigns and petition drives, given that legislators will not finalize a new map of congressional districts until fall.

The pandemic’s effect on veterans’ health. Remembering one of America’s greatest cartoonists. A guide to summer festivals. And a close encounter with a large insect. 

By the age of 23 he had fought in World War II, tangled with Gen. Patton, and won his first Pulitzer Prize. Cartoonist Bill Mauldin created artwork for magazines, books and newspapers from the 1940s into the ‘90s. We explore a new exhibition of his work.

On Memorial Day, Americans remember and celebrate members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice. But living veterans have fought another enemy over the past year: the coronavirus pandemic.

With just one day remaining before they’re scheduled to adjourn until fall, Illinois legislators have a heaping set of issues left to tackle: a state budget, ethics reform, a follow-up to the major criminal justice overhaul signed into law in February, and legislation to fix issues with Illinois’ gun licensing system.

Barring quick action from the General Assembly, a requirement that health insurance companies treat virtual visits as they would regular, in-person appointments will soon lift. Lawmakers appear to be on the verge of extending that mandate before Monday’s planned adjournment.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot kicked off a firestorm of criticism when she announced that interviews about her second anniversary as mayor would only be given to reporters of color. We speak with leaders of local journalist associations on the role of diversity in newsrooms.

Leaders of local journalist associations on newsroom diversity. The 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. And a local puppeteer’s experience with racial profiling.

U.S. history is filled with dark events — often involving racism and racial violence — that haven’t been made part of the national fabric. Many involved Black Americans, of which the Tulsa Race Massacre is considered among the most egregious in its absolute destruction.

Vietnam has discovered a new coronavirus variant that’s a hybrid of strains first found in India and the U.K., the Vietnamese health minister said Saturday.

All legal gun owners would need to be fingerprinted under legislation that narrowly passed the Illinois House on Saturday – a practice that gun rights advocates say will prevent violence, but which critics say is an example of excessive government overreach.

Is it safe to ditch your mask? Local doctors on why it may be premature. Plus, Latino veterans pushing for a new American Legion post. And summer jams for your next road trip.