Stories by Heather Cherone

"These gifts are, by definition, city property; if they are squirreled away and hidden from view, people are only left to assume the worst about how they are being handled," Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.  Daily Chicagoan, the newsletter from WTTW News, sends these picks to your inbox each week along with more essential recommendations from our staff. Sign up here.

Property tax bills for Cook County residents are available online at cookcountytreasurer.com and should hit mailboxes this week.

Medicaid, the health care program for low-income people and families, is jointly administered by the federal and state government, which also share costs.

Illinois reacts to the president’s move to pause federal funding. Calls for cancer warning labels on alcohol. And the mayor weighs in on immigration raids in Chicago.

In this lab, you can find students working on projects like a smartwatch incorporating muscle stimulation, an augmented headset that expands our perception, or a device to assist individuals in learning the drums.

Most adults in the United States drink alcohol, but there is steadily growing public concern about the health effects of moderate drinking.

The vast majority of the ideas won’t make it to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker or become law, but the list of proposals offers some insights into the issues members of the lower chamber are concerned about as they kick off their new terms in office.

The 66-year-old’s unexpected decision Tuesday to step aside after just two terms comes as a surprise and poses a challenge for Democrats in Michigan during a turbulent period, likely dividing their strong bench between the gubernatorial and Senate races in 2026.

President Donald Trump's second White House is looking a lot like the inside of Mar-a-Lago, with extremely wealthy Americans taking key roles in his Republican administration.

Six transgender active duty service members and two former service members who seek re-enlistment on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order that calls for revising policy on transgender troops and probably sets the stage for banning them in the armed forces.

The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year.

Of the 23 total charges in the indictment, Michael McClain faces six counts including racketeering conspiracy, federal program bribery and wire fraud. He has pleaded not guilty.

Here are five excellent places to reflect and recharge. Just don’t everybody go at once.

Much of what Trump can do will boil down to money. Congress is expected to consider additional support soon. Trump may use emergency powers to tap the Defense Department, as he did for a border wall in his first term.

The freeze on federal funding and grants has wide-ranging implications and impacts everything from funding for child care, university research and roads and bridges.

Despite the top cop’s attempt to reassure the tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants and their relatives who live in Chicago, Trump administration officials have repeatedly vowed to deport everyone who is in the United States without authorization.

The Chicago Transit Authority says the $1.9 billion in federal funding it’s been promised for the Red Line Extension should be secure, despite the Trump administration’s sweeping freeze of grant money Tuesday.

If Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to appear as requested, it could open a new front in the ongoing battle with the GOP-controlled U.S House and the Trump administration, which is attempting to strip self-proclaimed sanctuary cities of all federal funding.

Could a blanket pardon for Jan. 6 rioters lead to more political violence? And a tool to file taxes for free hits Illinois — what that means for taxpayers.

More than 1,500 people received a “full, complete, and unconditional” pardon from the president last week. The assault on the Capitol — which injured more than 140 police officers — has been one of several displays of political violence in recent years.

“I am the first paraplegic to be elected to state office in Illinois history,” said Dan McConchie, who suffered a spinal cord injury during a 2007 hit-and-run crash. “I recognize some needs of things that needed to be done.”

The IRS Direct File program, which lets eligible taxpayers file their taxes directly with the IRS for free, is now available in Illinois.

To reduce the number of formerly incarcerated citizens returning to prison, some communities are turning to restorative justice — a practice promoting accountability and healing for all parties affected by crime.

A ribbon cutting was held Monday for the Lookingglass Theatre Company's new multi-purpose lobby at its home in the Water Tower Water Works building on Michigan Avenue.

Monday marked the fourth day of closing arguments in Michael Madigan’s landmark corruption trial at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago.