Stories by Heather Cherone

The lawsuit filed by John Velez, who spent 17 years in prison before his conviction in the murder of 26-year-old Anthony Hueneca in Little Village was overturned, is set to go to trial on July 21, records show.

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss joins state Sen. Laura Fine, of Glenview, and progressive media star Kat Abughazaleh in the increasingly crowded race to replace U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who represented Illinois' 9th District for 14 terms.

Why some Illinois families are being evicted for minor offenses. And a look inside a hair salon... in a school bathroom.

For many Black people, getting their hair done can be a costly ordeal. But Jessica Thurmond, a student in North Lawndale, is trying to alleviate that. She’s styling her classmates’ hair for free in her school’s bathroom stalls just in time for class.

An investigation by The New York Times and the Illinois Answers Project shows that many cities in Illinois have turned crime-free housing programs into a blunt instrument to oust families for virtually any alleged infraction, no matter how minor.

The health center Vivent Health+TPAN, located at 5537 N. Broadway, is providing clinical care in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine as well as wraparound social services for people living with HIV.

Ever since it opened in 2023, the Chicago Park District’s new 17-acre headquarters in Brighton Park has been known as Park 596.

The Chicago Park District is undertaking an inventory of its trees — counting their numbers and recording their health — in order to develop a management plan.

Weeks after ratifying a new labor agreement, rank-and-file members of the Chicago Teachers Unions this week will be voting once again, this time to decide on their leadership for the next three years.

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

The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program, or HBIA, was launched in 2021. It covers qualifying individuals aged 42-64.

Natural gas customers in the Chicago suburbs and downstate Illinois are likely to see an increase in their monthly bills next year, but it's up to state regulators to decide how big a hike, if any, to approve.

The Chicago Transit Authority board of directors saw a highly unusual heated exchange at its monthly meeting, with Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) warning directors not to be a “backbiting snake” and oppose Mayor Brandon Johnson’s reported pick for the transit agency president.

The event will be held at the PAWS Chicago Pippen Fasseas Adoption Center, 1997 N. Clybourn Avenue, in Lincoln Park. The shelter is extending its adoption hours and adding additional appointments for the upcoming event.

The wave of early retirements, firings of probationary workers and other Trump administration incentives for federal employees to leave government service led to more than 560 departures from the NWS, according to a NOAA employee who requested anonymity for fear of retribution.

The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson came into office with a list of progressive priorities for the city of Chicago. He looks back on the last two years and what lays out his goals are for the next two years.

The fourth season of the FX series will premiere June 25 at 7 p.m., with all 10 episodes being available on Hulu, and on Disney+ internationally, FX announced Tuesday.

Hasan Piker, who has 2.8 million followers on Twitch, recounted his experience online Monday saying he was questioned for hours a day earlier despite being born in the U.S. and enrolled in Global Entry, a federal program allowing low-risk passengers to travel through customs and passport control quickly.

Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson were reinstated by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday, making both eligible for the sport’s Hall of Fame after their careers were tarnished by sports gambling scandals.

Starting in July, about 3,000 early childhood professionals at 86 early childhood care and education agencies funded by the city will see a cost-per-child increase in their salaries, averaging to a 5-10% increase in wages, according to city officials.

Raoul and 19 other Democratic attorneys general announced a pair of new lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation and their respective secretaries claiming they’re attempting to illegally coerce states into enacting sweeping immigration enforcement.

Federal prosecutors argued that former Ald. Carrie Austin would be able to stand trial as long as she was given additional medical care and breaks when necessary.

A 3.3 magnitude earthquake struck Illinois shortly before midnight Monday, with an epicenter roughly 75 miles southeast of Springfield.

Meet one of the candidates hoping to succeed Sen. Dick Durbin. And a bill that would allow community college in Illinois to offer some four-year degrees.

New proposed legislation in Illinois aims to increase those rates by offering some four-year degrees at community colleges, but critics say efforts should instead be made in improving the transfer process — and are concerned it could cut into some universities’ enrollment.