Stories by WTTW News
June 2, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
State lawmakers react to the new budget. And Jeremy Piven is bringing his stand-up comedy home to Chicago.
CSO Soars With Superb Works by Gershwin, Bernstein, Dvorak and Price: Review
| Hedy Weiss
There was only a single performance of an exhilarating CSO concert this past Saturday evening. It attracted a packed house with a wonderfully enthusiastic audience.
FBI Offers Reward for Information After Man Allegedly Robbed 2 Chicago Banks Monday
| Matt Masterson
According to authorities, the unknown male suspect robbed a Huntington Bank located in the 1400 block of West Fullerton Avenue just after 9:30 a.m., then robbed a Fifth Third Bank in the 5900 block of North Broadway around noon.
CTA Unveils New Pride Train Design in Celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month
| Eunice Alpasan
This year marks the eighth year the Pride train is running on the Red Line.
Spring Ended on a Chilly and Dry Note, With Drought Expected to Persist as Chicago Heads Into Summer
| Patty Wetli
Meteorological summer in Chicago is kicking off with a mini heatwave, following a chilly and dry end to spring.
RFK Jr. Says Autism ‘Destroys’ Families. Here’s What Those Families Want You to Know
| Associated Press
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s comments and his plan to swiftly study its causes, have splintered a community of millions of people living with autism. For some, they were an overdue recognition of the day-to-day difficulties for families. To others, Kennedy deeply misrepresented the realities of their disability.
Can Donald Trump Fix the National Debt? Republican Senators, Many Investors and Even Elon Musk Have Doubts
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump faces the challenge of convincing Republican senators, global investors, voters and even Elon Musk that he won’t bury the federal government in debt with his multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package.
State Senate’s Transit Funding, Proposal for Tax on Deliveries Stalls in House
| Andrew Adams — Capitol News Illinois
A version of the bill passed in the Senate, sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago. But the House adjourned early Sunday morning without concurring as some of its tax hikes became too controversial. Now, the future of Chicagoland transit is in limbo as the bill awaits further action.
Illinois Democrats Pass $55.5B State Budget With New Taxes on Sports Betting, Nicotine Products
Spending plan raises over $1B in revenue; income, sales taxes not affected
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
The $55.2 billion spending plan is supported by $55.3 billion of revenue, including just over $1 billion in new taxes and revenue changes. The four bills making up the budget and capital spending plan were part of a flurry of thousands of pages of legislation that went from introduction to passage in the final 48 hours of the legislative session.
Week in Review: Scramble to Pass State Budget; Assisted-Dying Bill Advances
| Paul Caine
The Illinois House advances a bill allowing physician-assisted death for the terminally ill. And an overhaul of public transit in the Chicago area is lining up in Springfield.
Illinois, Most of Its Counties and 7 Towns End Up on Trump Administration’s Confusing Sanctuary List
| Associated Press
The list, which was riddled with misspellings, included sparsely populated counties that have little interaction with immigration authorities, that overwhelmingly voted for President Donald Trump and that have actively supported his hard-line immigration policies.
Feds Seek 12.5-Year Prison Sentence for Ex-Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan After Corruption Convictions
| Matt Masterson
The government on Friday filed its sentencing memorandum, arguing that it is “just and warranted” to sentence Madigan to 12.5 years in prison and hit him with a $1.5 million fine.
PBS Sues the Trump Administration Over Defunding, Days After NPR Filed Similar Case
| Associated Press
In its lawsuit, PBS relies on similar arguments, saying Trump was overstepping his authority and engaging in “viewpoint discrimination” because of his claim that PBS’ news coverage is biased against conservatives.
Illinois Bill Aims to Lower Cost of Prescriptions, Rein in Pharmacy Benefit Managers
| Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois
The bill, known as the Prescription Drug Affordability Act would put new regulations and impose new fees on a large but little understood segment of the prescription drug industry — pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.
Supreme Court Lets Trump End Legal Protections for Over 500,000 Immigrants From 4 Countries
| Associated Press
The Supreme Court again cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of immigrants for now, pushing the total number of people who could be newly exposed to deportation to nearly 1 million.
US Inflation Gauge Cools With Little Sign of Tariff Impact, so Far
| Associated Press
A key U.S. inflation gauge slowed last month as President Donald Trump’s tariffs have yet to noticeably push up prices.
Kennedy Express Lanes to O'Hare Reopening Sunday as Construction Project Enters New Phase
| Patty Wetli
Outbound express lanes on the Kennedy are reopening Sunday, a month ahead of schedule.
CPS Renews Urban Prep Charter Schools Contract After District Previously Sought to Take Over Schools
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Board of Education on Thursday approved a new two-year charter renewal for Urban Prep Charter Academy, which operates a pair of South Side high schools predominantly serving Black male students.
US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi on His Bid for the US Senate, Being a ‘Champion for Underdogs’
| Sean Keenehan
A heated race is already unfolding to replace longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in next year’s primary elections. Since the 80-year-old senator announced his retirement last month, three Democratic candidates have launched campaigns.
May 29, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Lawmakers are working to address transit and state budget challenges with just two days left in session. And a congressman from Schaumburg discusses his bid for the U.S. Senate.
Illinois Bill Would Allow Terminally Ill Adults to End Their Lives With Medical Assistance
| Shelby Hawkins
The bill would legalize the use of prescription drugs that aid in dying, what’s commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide.
Pritzker to Consider Bill Mandating Gun Owners Lock Up Firearms Near Minors
| UIS Public Affairs Reporting
The bill mandates that gun owners store their firearms in a secure, locked box in any place where they know or “reasonably should know” that a minor without permission to access a firearm, an at-risk person or someone who is prohibited from obtaining a firearm can access the weapon.
Illinois Lawmakers Unveil New Funding Sources for Chicagoland Transit, Aiming to Stave Off Disastrous Fiscal Cliff
| Nick Blumberg
The measure, filed late Wednesday night, features a new menu of revenue sources to help keep Chicago-area buses and trains running. Lawmakers believe the measure will be enough to address the anticipated $770 million fiscal cliff next year.
Coast Guard Gives Chicago Beaches the All Clear After Missing Explosives Found
| Patty Wetli
The explosives had been deployed earlier in May, and failed to activate, during a joint military exercise conducted by the Coast Guard and U.S. Air Force off the shore of Milwaukee.
2025 Millennium Park Summer Film, Music Series Announced. Here’s the Schedule
| Eunice Alpasan
The Millennium Park film and music series are making a return this summer. This year's film schedule includes "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Love & Basketball," "Wicked" and "Pride and Prejudice."
‘The Experience of a Lifetime’: CPS CEO Pedro Martinez Reflects on Tenure as He’s Set to Leave School District
| Matt Masterson
Martinez on Thursday reflected on his time as Chicago’s schools chief during what will be his final monthly meeting of the Board of Education before he exits to take over as Massachusetts’ next school board commissioner.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Trending
2026 Chicago Festival Guide
CPD Sergeant Who Led Botched Raid at Home of Anjanette Young Now Working as a Suburban Police Detective
Woman Charged With Fatally Stabbing 7-Year-Old Girl Walking in Chicago Saturday
Key City Panel Unanimously Agrees to Pay $260.8M to Resolve 16 Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-CPD Detective Reynaldo Guevara
Marimar Martinez Hopes New Lawsuit Could Spur Criminal Charges 1 Year After Border Patrol Agent Shot Her
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter