Stories by Acacia Hernandez

Teresa Fraga of the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council has been a homeowner in Pilsen for the last 43 years. She said she was expecting a $2,500 bill in December but instead received one for $14,279.

Heat and displacement concerns in South Shore. Spiritual resistance in turbulent times. A coalition uplifting artists of color. And a sweet success story in this week's throwback.

A major ruling on guns and those accused of domestic violence. A push for a standalone library in Back of the Yards. And what Chef Carlos Garza is serving up On the Pass. 

In days when the bonds holding the country together can feel fragile, it can be difficult to see past the worry and anger in order to work toward justice. In his new book, the Rev. Otis Moss III draws upon stories from his congregation, forebearers and family.

Chef Carlos Garza heads the kitchen at one of Chicago’s biggest and most recognizable restaurants, Carnivale. He said Carnivale’s pan-Latin menu reflects the way he thinks about food — a connecting of cultures.

A group of Chicago artists is creating a unifying voice in a new collective geared toward strength in numbers. The New Vanguard Coalition is committed to uplifting Chicago creatives.

Some South Shore residents have been without heat and hot water. Organizers said the situation highlights concerns over possible displacement and rising housing costs caused by the coming Obama Presidential Center, just blocks away.

A recent ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said the Second Amendment allows people accused of domestic abuse to have guns. The ruling applies only to the 5th District, but advocates said there could be ramifications nationwide.

The 22nd Chicago International Salsa Congress, a four-night, three-day event, kicks off Thursday with three free beginner dance workshops teaching salsa, bachata and rueda casino.

Last June, a team doing research at the courthouse in Leflore County, Mississippi, found an unserved 1955 arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant, listed on that document as “Mrs. Roy Bryant.”

Illinois is among 21 states that issued relief checks to residents last year. The IRS provided 11th hour guidance Friday, announcing those checks aren’t subject to federal taxes.

Exclusive details on controversial new plans to house hundreds of migrants. Candidates for mayor on a Department of Environment. And we’re live from the Chicago Auto Show as we ponder why Illinoisans can't buy cars on Sunday.

Sources told WTTW News the migrants — mostly asylum seekers — will be relocated from the suburbs, where they are currently staying at hotels. The 100,000-square-foot Kmart has sat vacant at the corner of 71st Street and Pulaski Road since 2016.

Political speechwriter, debate strategist and senior lecturer Jason DeSanto joins WTTW News to give his assessment of the state of play in the 2023 Chicago mayoral race.

During press interviews held after WTTW's mayoral forum Tuesday evening, challengers to Mayor Lori Lightfoot pledged to reestablish a Department of Environment — disbanded in 2011 under Rahm Emanuel — if elected.

The Chicago Auto Show, now in its 115th year, is the largest auto exhibition in North America. This year, there’s a big focus on electric vehicles and letting drivers get behind the wheel.

Mike Pence is the latest in a string of former top U.S. officials who have been found in possession of sensitive records after leaving the White House — including former President Donald Trump and former Vice President, now President, Joe Biden.

WTTW News probes Paul Vallas’ suburban residency as his campaign closes in on the final two weeks. Meanwhile, candidates get testy with each other and moderators at numerous debates this week. And tax breaks back on the table for the Bears.

Early voting sites for Chicago’s municipal election will open in all of the city’s 50 wards on Monday, running through Election Day Feb. 28.

It was an evening to remember at Orchestra Hall this Thursday with sublime and exceedingly fresh performances of works by two Russian musical geniuses: Sergei Prokofiev and Sergei Rachmaninov.

Road salt runoff is making its way into Great Lakes waterways. Wisconsin has pending legislation that could encourage contractors to use less.

Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas properly claimed a home in south suburban Palos Heights as his legal permanent residence, entitling him to tax breaks, according to the results of a brief probe by the Cook County Assessor’s Office.

The production is set in a South Philadelphia bar in March, 1959 — about five months before Billie Holiday died of drug and alcohol abuse at the age of 44. And the Mercury Theater’s intimate Venus Cabaret space serves as an ideal backdrop.

You might call Dan O’Conor an amateur authority on cold water immersion. Since June 2020, the 55-year-old Chicago man has plunged into Lake Michigan almost daily, including on frigid winter mornings when he has to shovel through the ice.

Since the 1980s, it’s been illegal for car dealerships to operate on Sundays in Illinois. WTTW News explains why.

Paul Vallas is a front-runner to be mayor of Chicago, but does he actually live in the city? We have exclusive new details. The fiscal crisis in Cook County's south suburbs. And a local reverend turned published author.