Stories by Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois

Students in all Illinois public schools will soon have to abide by rules barring them from using cellphones or other personal electronic communication devices during school hours unless they have been given specific permission to use them.

“For Black Chicago in particular, it kind of felt a way that government was able to turn on resources in a moment’s notice that our communities have been starved for decades,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “And I tried desperately to live in my values, even though it cost me politically. It did. It did cost me.”

Get ready for fun with this guide to neighborhood street fests, art shows, outdoor concerts, cultural celebrations and events of all sizes across Chicago and the suburbs.

Chicago was hammered by a pair of storms on Monday that dumped nearly three inches of rain at Midway Airport, where wind gusts topped 70 miles per hour.

Illinois tolls could be going up. We tell you what you need to know. And no more changing clocks? How a new daylight-saving proposal could impact your daily life.

Earlier this month, the U.S. House voted to end the twice yearly changing of the clocks by passing the Sunshine Protection Act. As the act makes its way to the Senate where it still needs approval, some are voicing concerns

The Illinois Tollway board is considering a 15-year, $26.5 billion construction plan to address deteriorating roads and reduce congestion across the state’s tollway system.

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections.

For only the second time in its history, the American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis.

A new Illinois law classifies compulsive gambling under the same umbrella as alcohol and drug disorders.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed 78 bills last week, including two affecting teachers.

There are four categories of project improvements on the ballot. Whichever receives the most votes from the public will receive $500,000.

Candidates will hit the street to gather thousands of autographs from registered voters a month earlier than aspiring candidates did four years ago, the last time all 50 alderpeople, the mayor, city clerk and city treasurer faced voters.

Fred Waller is expected to serve as CPD’s interim superintendent through the end of the year, as the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability searches for a permanent leader.

Illinois is added to the CDC’s investigation of the cyclosporiasis outbreak. And two congressional candidates are tossed off the ballot in Illinois’ 4th District.

After Illinois lifted its moratorium on construction of new nuclear power plants, Gov. JB Pritzker instructed state agencies to find out which communities would be interested in hosting new nuclear sites.

South Carolina was selected Friday to once again lead off the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nominating schedule, most likely cementing a dramatic break from decades of tradition by keeping Iowa off the top of the calendar.

Former President Barack Obama surprised the WNBA All-Stars at their practice at his new Presidential Center on Friday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged 2,318 cases of measles as of Thursday, according to an agency update on Friday.

A new documentary explores the American Dream and what’s happened to it. And a major pickleball tournament comes to the Chicago area.

The paddle sport has exploded in popularity in recent years. The Chicago Slice is among several teams competing this week in a four-day Major League Pickleball tournament in suburban Northbrook.

As the country faces unprecedented affordability crises, rising mental and physical health issues, and a polarizing political climate, a new documentary seeks to discover whether the American Dream can be realized.

In addition to Saturday’s All-Star game at the United Center and Friday’s three-point contest at Wintrust Arena, events will be taking place around the city throughout the weekend.

The CPD on Thursday announced that its Forensic Services Division is now an accredited laboratory by the American National Standards Institute’s National Accreditation Board, the result of what the department said has been a multi-year effort.

Emmett Till was a Black teenager from Chicago who was abducted, tortured and killed in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a White woman in Mississippi. Till was 14 years old. Following Till’s murder, his mother insisted on an open casket funeral to show his mutilated body.

Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meant as a strong signal to the Republican president that his support on Capitol Hill is chipping away as the war drags on and lawmakers in both parties have questioned his administration’s endgame.