Stories by Heather Cherone

The measure is the third attempt by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) to expand the Chicago Police Department’s power in an attempt to deter teens from gathering in large numbers.

CPD officers have shot 22 people, killing nine, since the start of the year, records show. In 2024, CPD officers shot 12 people, killing six, records show.

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

Illinois’ consolidation of suburban police and fire pension funds is beginning to pay off, with records showing improved investment returns and significant cost savings for some local governments. While challenges remain, the overhaul has boosted funding levels and eased financial pressure on communities long burdened by rising pension obligations.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Is the third time a charm? Mayor Brandon Johnson unveils another budget proposal. And Geoffrey Baer shows us why Chicago is known as “the city that works.”

From how the United Center transforms its basketball court into an ice hockey rink to how holiday packages arrive at your front door, the WTTW special “Chicago Works” brings to the forefront the often unseen work that helps keep the city running.

According to a new study from Lincoln Park Zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, feral cats aren’t eating a lot of rats.

Federal prosecutors allege that Luis Uribe is a “serial rapist” who used his position in law enforcement to sexually assault and rob at least four women at gunpoint throughout 2022.

In March 2024, Gov. JB Pritzker announced the closure and rebuild of both Stateville and Logan correctional centers, allocating $900 million for the projects. The decision came after a state-commissioned report found that the two prisons accumulated more than $402 million in deferred maintenance costs.

The law, which takes effect immediately, also provides legal steps for people whose constitutional rights were violated during the federal enforcement action in the Chicago area, including $10,000 in damages for someone unlawfully arrested while attempting to attend a court proceeding.

U.S. labor laws can’t help new unions force companies to reach a deal. The laws only require employers to bargain in “good faith,” meaning there are basically no penalties if companies drag out negotiations for years.

In letters sent to both Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker, the Federal Transit Administration on Sunday issued a special directive calling for “immediate, measurable corrective actions” aimed at reducing violent crime.

The current proposal would impose a $33 per employee tax on companies with 500 or more employees to generate $82 million to fund violence prevention and youth employment programs.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is warning Chicago is headed for a shutdown if there’s no budget deal. And Congress votes on Obamacare subsidies this week — what to know.

A group of alderpeople led by 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn is pushing an ordinance to ban the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products in Chicago.

If the extra subsidies expire, the premiums ACA enrollees pay will more than double on average, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.

“We have to revisit our promotion policy,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We don’t want these types of archaic approaches to set us back. So, it is something that we are looking into.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was open to new ideas and continuing negotiations but said he would not allow the city’s budget to be balanced “on the backs of working people.”

The three top Democrats vying to become the party’s nominee for U.S. senator in Illinois have released proposals detailing how they plan to make life more affordable for Americans.

Despite little to no daylight — plus months of frigid temperatures — people who live in northern Europe and above the Arctic Circle have learned how to cope mentally and physically with the annual onset of the winter blues.

Quilen Blackwell, whose nonprofit transforms vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into flower farms that employ at-risk young people to grow, arrange and sell the flowers, is the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year.

Chicago's total for the 2025-26 snowfall season already stands at 17.1. That's almost as much as Chicago notched in all of 2024-25.

CPD officers have now shot 21 people, killing eight, since the start of the year, records show. In 2024, CPD officers shot 12 people, killing six, records show.

President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package Monday — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China.

Mayor Brandon Johnson says a rival budget plan put together by a group of alderpeople is a nonstarter. And the Cook County state’s attorney says it’s time to take a hard look at who gets released on electronic monitoring.