Stories by Shelby Hawkins

Two notorious physicians-turned-fugitives wanted in Chicago live lavishly in Dubai. And Mayor Brandon Johnson tries to take aim at smoking on the CTA.

What does the Chicago Park District owe its community of volunteer natural area stewards? Some say a little respect, and maybe a heads up if the district is going to mow down acres of native plants.

Just as piping plover season was beginning to wind down, volunteer monitors in Waukegan have been called back into action, with four captive-reared chicks released on a Lake County beach earlier this week.

President Donald Trump’s administration had withheld more than $6 billion in funding on July 1, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House’s priorities.

Forcing Chicago and Illinois law enforcement officials to help federal agents conduct deportation operations is unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Lindsay Jenkins ruled.

The plan says to combat “radical climate dogma,” a number of restrictions — including clean air and water laws — could be lifted, aligning with Trump’s “American energy dominance” agenda and his efforts to undercut clean energy.

Critics have condemned the South Florida facility as cruel and inhumane. DeSantis and other Republican officials have defended it as part of the state’s aggressive push to support President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

All five are long-time assistants who now each face distinct challenges and must balance the responsibilities of managing an entire roster and staff instead of focusing on one particular side of the football.

Consumer advocates push back over rising home insurance rates — what you should know. And is the city doing enough to protect birds from colliding into buildings?

After writing his first novel at the age of 16, Aiden Branss started his own publishing company focused on young authors.

Illinois homeowners could soon face a higher insurance bill. State Farm is raising its rates by 27% starting Aug. 15 — which could cost customers $475 more on average.

“I will not be proposing a property tax increase in my budget,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Thursday. “I’m going to continue to work hard to find progressive revenue so that we can continue to make critical investments in transforming our city.”

As the nearly 100-year-old Cook County Jail dormitories were demolished in 2021, artist Maria Gaspar was able to salvage 18 cell bars and a couple of bricks.

The artist’s large canvas “Paris Street; Rainy Day” is a true icon in the Art Institute collection, and it’s one of the centerpieces of a show titled “Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World.” The exhibition features more than 120 works that capture people and places in and around 19th century Paris.

None of the alderpeople at the sparsely attended committee hearing pressed CPD officials about why the department had fully complied with just 16% of the court order known as the consent decree by the end of 2024, five years after it took effect.

We’ve got a lot of rules on the books governing when and where we can enjoy an adult beverage. WTTW News explains.

The new database launched after WTTW News reported the city spent $510.9 million on employee overtime in 2024 — 1.5% less than in 2023, with more than half of the total amount used to compensate Chicago Police Department officers for working extra hours.

Michael McClain and three codefendants — former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former contract lobbyist Jay Doherty — were each convicted of bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the utility company’s books in the 2023 “ComEd Four” trial.

The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all.

The president’s association with Epstein is well-established and his name was included in records that his own Justice Department released back in February as part of an effort to satisfy public interest in information from the sex-trafficking investigation.

“There are some recommendations that are coming through,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “In due time, we’re going to release some of those recommendations.”

Seventy-nine of the 92 cases brought as part of the pilot program have resulted in an indictment by a grand jury or a finding of probable cause by a judge, allowing a trial to proceed, according to data provided to WTTW News from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.

“Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Librarians” connects the history of public libraries, civil rights and literacy to the current political attacks on the public library system.

Former Sen. Carol Mosely Braun on her life and career. And remembering actor and musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Actor and musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner died this week in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. Warner became everyone’s brother playing Theo Huxtable in the long-running television hit “The Cosby Show.”