Stories by Heather Cherone

“From the public health perspective, it is about protecting the children and protecting adults who don’t really know what is in the products they’re consuming,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige said.

The program serves about one in eight Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. Word in October that it would be a Nov. 1 casualty of the shutdown sent states, food banks and SNAP recipients scrambling to figure out how to secure food.

The filibuster is a longstanding parliamentary tool that halts action on most bills unless 60 senators in the 100-member chamber vote to move forward. Over the years, it has stymied policy priorities for Democrats and Republicans alike.

Doctors prescribe prazosin, which relaxes blood vessels, to help lower blood pressure. It also is sometimes prescribed for nightmares and other sleep disturbances caused by post-traumatic stress disorder.

A West Side resident, Remel Terry has been a member of the commission, better known as the CCPSA, since it was launched in 2022.

State lawmakers approved new funding for public transportation agencies without large statewide tax increases previously proposed.

Monthly premiums for 2026 plans are expected to be higher for those enrolling in ACA exchange plans because COVID-era subsidies are expiring.

The government shutdown hits the 30-day mark — how it’s impacting both sides of the political aisle. And millions are bracing for higher health care costs if Congress fails to extend tax credits.

Thousands of federal workers have been furloughed, with thousands more still on the job without pay. Programs like SNAP are set to run dry of funding come Saturday.

El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition that dates back centuries. The Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones by creating altars and sharing memories.

“You are not going to make everyone drop dead because it’s a political game someplace,” U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said in court.

Medical providers are deciding whether they can continue offering telehealth services without the guarantee of reimbursement or whether they need to halt virtual visits altogether.

Ruben Torres Maldonado, who was detained by immigration agents earlier this month and whose teenage daughter is fighting cancer, is set to be released from custody after a judge on Thursday granted him a bond.

Community groups and neighbors are coming together to help children and families feel safe during Halloween celebrations, with some families choosing to opt out of trick-or-treating altogether amid fears of immigration raids.

A recently released agreement gives the Department of Homeland Security access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ Social Security data. It contains alarmingly few provisions to ensure accuracy and privacy, experts say.

President Donald Trump appeared to suggest the U.S. will resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades, saying it would be on an “equal basis” with Russia and China.

“Our Chicagoland neighborhoods are being bombarded with tear gas, invaded by unidentified masked men in unmarked vehicles, thugs who are intimidating workers and children and grandparents, most of whom are Black or Brown, most of whom have committed no offense at all,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

Chicago Public Schools leaders say new data shows elementary school students showed improvements in reading and math proficiency, while high schoolers increased their graduation rates while earning a record-high of more than $3 billion in scholarships this past year.

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

The verdict is in for an Illinois sheriff’s deputy facing murder charges in the shooting of Sonya Massey. And what you should know as millions could soon lose food assistance benefits.

Nearly 2 million Illinois residents, including 900,000 people in Cook County, face losing their benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program if Congress fails to pass a budget by Nov. 1.

Nearly 300 public radio stations and more than 100 public television stations in the U.S. are producing local reporting, researchers found. In nine counties, public radio is the sole news source.

Chester Wilson, 59, was former Ald. Carrie Austin’s chief of staff when he was indicted in July 2021 alongside his boss, once one of the most powerful politicians in Chicago.

The proposal passed the House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan roll call and is expected to receive a vote in the Illinois Senate later this week. It comes amid a startling rise in violence and threats aimed at public officials.

The DOJ filed the motion with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday afternoon, hours before Bovino was set to appear at the Dirksen Federal Building to meet with U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis.

The city of Chicago, Cook County and the state of Illinois are joining forces to appeal the Trump Administration's denial of federal disaster relief funds that would have supported the recovery from a pair of severe flooding events this past summer.