Stories by Associated Press

The National Park Foundation, which Congress created in the 1960s to support national parks, will receive the donation from Indianapolis-based foundation Lilly Endowment Inc. The park foundation described the gift on Monday as the largest grant in history benefiting U.S. national parks.

A recent court filing shows that the company is rejecting the leases of an additional 23 locations by Saturday, Aug. 31, joining the more than 100 restaurants that Red Lobster closed earlier this summer. Once complete, the chain will have around 500 outlets left — a sharp decline from the 650 it had just last year.

Paleontologists have found more than 260 dinosaur footprints from the Early Cretaceous Period in Brazil and Cameroon, now more than 3,700 miles apart on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The current dispute centers on the muting of microphones when a candidate isn’t speaking, a condition both Biden and Trump accepted for their June debate hosted by CNN. Both sides are accusing the other of gaming the system to protect their candidate.

According to Chicago Police Department data, 35 people were shot over the weekend in 28 separate incidents.

WTTW News Director Jay Smith sat down with our political team to reflect on the Democratic National Convention for a behind-the-scenes look at what covering the convention was like, and to help provide insights into the stories that emerged from the week.

Chicago is under an excessive heat warning through Tuesday night, with temperatures expected to soar into the mid- to upper-90s and humidity that will make it feel even hotter.

The amount that the jersey sold for topped fellow Yankee Mickey Mantle's 1952 rookie card, which the Dallas-based auction house sold for $12.6 million in 2022.

They’ve now been on the space station more than 11 weeks, however, and NASA announced Saturday that they would remain there through early 2025. 

While Harris has improved on President Joe Biden’s standing in many states — putting Nevada and Arizona back in play, for example — the basic shape of the crucial Senate races that will determine the majority is the same. Democrats were overperforming the top of the ticket when Biden was the nominee and they still are under Harris.

Kamala Harris makes history as she becomes the Democratic nominee for president. Meanwhile, former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger torches Donald Trump.

A law banning political parties from waiting until after the primary election to place a state legislative candidate on the general election ballot won’t keep any Republicans from running this November.

Adam Kinzinger, from Channahon, served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. He chose not to run for reelection in 2022 after publicly breaking with the Trump administration over Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the United States Capitol.

After a string of fall-like days, the real August is showing up this weekend to reclaim summer. 

Mike Royko was Chicago’s Prince of Print. At his peak, he wrote five columns a week that could lift underdogs or level overlords. In 1972, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary at the Chicago Daily News, and he later wrote for the Sun-Times and the Tribune. Royko was also complicated.

Folks at home may have seen a celebration of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz when balloons dropped on the final evening of the Democratic National Convention. The balloon crew knew otherwise — this job was personal.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was especially proud of the way Chicago Police Department handled four days of protests designed to urge Vice President Kamala Harris, now officially the Democratic nominee for president, to end the war in Gaza.

Newly updated vaccines against COVID-19 will be in pharmacies soon, just as the US is experiencing a surge of infections. But is it a good idea to get in line for a new shot pronto, or should you wait a few weeks to get optimal protection against a possible winter wave?

Work started before the final balloon even hit the ground, but it will take a couple of days for crews to fully clear all of the barriers around the United Center and McCormick Place.

WTTW News reporters are spread out across Chicago covering the 2024 Democratic National Convention and Illinois’ delegation. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates.

Vice President Kamala Harris told voters they have a chance to chart a “new way forward” as Americans this November, as she looked to introduce herself to voters and prosecute her case against Republican Donald Trump as she accepted her party’s nomination Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention.

The DNC officially comes to a close as Kamala Harris accepts the Democratic nomination for president. We’re live at the United Center.

Social media was aflutter Thursday night with speculation that a surprise special guest would appear at the DNC before Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage.

There was heavy police presence as protesters walked the blocks by the United Center, including at a park where a small group of activists breached an outer perimeter fence earlier in the week. 

It’s Kamala Harris’ big night as she closes out the DNC. We’ll have live coverage from inside the United Center as she’s set to take the stage.

Mayor Brandon Johnson told WTTW News on Thursday night that the Chicago Police Department “most certainly” passed the test posed by the Democratic National Convention, just as the final night of the convention — and the final planned protest — got underway.