Stories by Josh Terry

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

Pope Leo XIV is a White Sox fan dating to his days growing up in Chicago. He was known as Robert Prevost or Father Bob when he went to the World Series opener 21 years ago, a 5-3 White Sox victory over the Astros.

Alderpeople strike a new deal on Chicago’s parking meters. And the Federal Reserve raises interest rates — what that could mean for the housing market.

The study, which tracks 100 years of ward redistricting in Chicago and Milwaukee, found that 15% of Chicago’s land has never changed wards.

Here’s a breakdown of what it means that New York-based Stonepeak Partners is set to become the new owner of the city’s more than 36,000 meters.

The rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surpassed 7% for the first time since January 2025 last week, according to federal lender Freddie Mac. That’s after the Federal Reserve’s first rate hike since 2023, raising rates by a quarter of a percentage point earlier this month.

Last year, Chicago lost its unofficial title as America's “rattiest city." Now the push is on to see how low its ranking can go.

Vincenzo Vitelli, a physicist at the University of Chicago, and Kaiyu Guan, an environmental scientist at the University of Illinois, were among a group of 20 fellows chosen for this year’s MacArthur Fellows Program. Recipients receive a “no-strings-attached” $800,000 award.

Dozens of elected officials penned a letter Tuesday urging state regulators to reject Peoples Gas’ $144 million rate hike request and reform the company’s pipeline retirement program.

Chicago’s finances have long been out of whack, pinched by soaring pension costs, spiraling personnel costs and a massive amount of debt.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced the charges against Eva Bratcher, 72, who was indicted late last month on counts including theft of government property and fraud, misrepresentation or misuse of Social Security benefits.

Republican Bryan Drew and Democratic Rep. Margaret Croke are running to succeed comptroller Susana Mendoza. The candidates differ on ways they’d use artificial intelligence, tackle the pension debt and make the office more transparent.

In the fall, bridges along the Main and South branches of the Chicago River are lifted to allow boats to move into winter storage facilities. The scheduled bridge lifts start this week and run through mid-November, the Chicago Department of Transportation announced.

When Jamie Rhee retired in April 2025 after nearly seven years as the commissioner of the Department of Aviation, serving three mayors, she was the city of Chicago’s highest paid employee, records show.

What does the future look like for data centers in Chicago? And both the Cubs and White Sox head into baseball’s postseason — what to expect.

Large, resource-intensive data centers have drawn increased public attention in recent years as their construction ramped up around the country. But in an urban environment like Chicago, data centers of all sizes can have a big impact.

This marks the first time since 2020 that both Chicago teams made the postseason. Both teams will play their best-of-three Wild Card Series on the road starting Tuesday with the Cubs taking on the Padres in San Diego and the White Sox facing the Astros in Houston.

Applicants include current and former members of the Chicago Police Department, as well as candidates from outside of CPD, according to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability.

The state’s program put Illinois just behind California and New York in terms of incentives available to filmmakers.

With the November election approaching, the Chicago Board of Elections and Cook County Clerk’s Office are looking for people to serve as poll workers on Election Day. Election judges must be a registered voter or an eligible college or high school student.

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.

The Obama Presidential Center Museum drew more than 175,000 visitors, including visitors from 50 states and 39 countries, according to the Obama Foundation. More than 61,000 visitors were Illinois residents.

More than a dozen progressive members of the City Council said they would not vote in favor of the deal unless the firm sold Omni Air, threatening the completion of the deal involving the city’s 36,000 parking meters.

It is unclear why the probe into the April 2021 shooting took more than five years to complete.

Chicago’s much-hated parking meter deal could get a little bit better. And should serious police discipline cases be heard behind closed doors?

While the risk to Illinois residents remains “very low,” according to IDPH, health officials are reminding residents to make sure they are vaccinated against the disease in order to protect themselves and their loved ones.