Stories by CNN

Family of 4 Found Fatally Shot in Their Romeoville Home, Police Investigating As a Murder

The two adults, their two children and the dogs were found with gunshot wounds in their home in Romeoville, officials said. Police do not consider the deaths a murder-suicide and are investigating the incident as a murder. 

Suburban Chicago Man Convicted in 2006 Pipe Bomb Explosion at Hinsdale Train Station

A federal jury in Chicago on Monday found 70-year-old Thomas James Zajac guilty on three charges stemming from the Sept. 1, 2006, bombing that injured one person.

Chicago Chef Celebrates the Underappreciated Reach of Midwestern Food in New Cookbook

You can rag on our region for Crock Pot meals loaded with cream of mushroom soup, or salads mostly made of marshmallows and Cool Whip. But one Chicago chef says the culinary depth and national influence the Midwest has had on America’s taste is underestimated.

Sept. 18, 2023 - Full Show

The new cash bail law officially takes effect in Illinois. We look at how law enforcement and prosecutors are handling it. Why a system for handling Chicago police misconduct allegations hasn’t yet been implemented. And surprising facts about Midwestern food.

Mayor Brandon Johnson Vows to Pass New Law Protecting South, West Sides from Pollution

“The time to act on environmental justice is now,”  Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

A Look Inside Cook County Courtrooms on the Day Cash Bail Ends in Illinois

Illinois officially became the first state in the country Monday to officially eliminate the pre-trial practice of requiring that some criminal defendants pay a set cash amount in order to secure their release from custody ahead of trial.

Illinois Gun Owners Who Want to Keep Now-Banned Assault Weapons Must Register Them

The law provides an exception for Illinoisans who already owned such items before it went into effect. Those people are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner’s Identification Card account before Jan. 1, 2024.

In Chicago Courtroom, ‘El Chapo’ Son Ovidio Guzmán López Pleads Not Guilty to US Drug and Money Laundering Charges

Ovidio Guzmán López was extradited on Friday, five months after U.S. prosecutors unsealed sprawling indictments against him and his brothers, known collectively as the “Chapitos.”

Exuberant as Ever, a Grand-Scale Production of ‘Hamilton’ is Back in Chicago

The musical’s latest visit to Chicago, which will run through December at the Nederlander Theatre, is as grand-scale and exuberant as ever.

Nearly a Foot of Rain Devastates Calumet City With Second Flash Flood This Year: ‘All My Stuff Is Gone’

Residents of Calumet City are recovering from a second round of flooding in less than three months after more than half a foot of rain fell on the area Sunday.

Former NFL Player Sergio Brown Missing After His Mother’s Death Ruled a Homicide in Maywood

Authorities discovered the body of 73-year-old Myrtle Brown on Saturday after relatives alerted police they’d been unable to find or contact her or her son, the Maywood Police Department said in a news release.

Planned Parenthood Resumes Abortion Services in Wisconsin After More Than a Year

Providers across the state stopped offering abortions following the June 2022 decision, fearing enforcement of an 1849 state law that appears to ban the procedure but had previously been nullified by the 1973 Roe ruling.

Centuries After Native American Remains Were Dug Up, a New Law Returns Them for Reburial in Illinois

Key to the measure is first-time authority for tribes to rebury recovered remains in Illinois, which they much prefer to relocating them to states to which the U.S. government forced their relocation nearly two centuries ago.

System Designed to Alert Chicago Police Brass About Officers With Multiple Complaints Was Ready 2 1/2 Years Ago but Never Implemented: Letter

The Chicago Police Department must implement an early-warning system under the terms of the consent decree, the federal court order designed to compel the department to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers. CPD is in full compliance with just 5% of that 2019 court order, city data shows.

24 People Shot, But No Homicides Recorded Over Weekend in Chicago: Police

Chicago Police Department data shows 24 people were shot in 20 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Exploring the Pride and Pressure of Being a First-Generation Latino American

Being a first-generation Latino American comes with rewards and struggles — from honoring your roots while defining your identity as an American to dealing with the weight of family expectations while forging your own path.

Violence Prevention Organizations Team Up to Train on Best Practices

The Southland RISE collaborative brought together hospital trauma center staff and violence prevention street outreach workers in a shared training workshop. The goal was an exchange of ideas and resources focused on curbing violence on Chicago’s South Side.

Meet Música Mexicana, the Latino Sensation That’s Sweeping the Nation

Music is a big part of any celebration. So for Hispanic Heritage Month, we’ve asked music journalist Sandra Treviño to dial in on a few music styles, genres and trends across the Latino diaspora.

As Tensions Run High at Police Station Migrant Shelters, Volunteers Speak Out on Shelter Conditions

Currently, about 1,600 migrants are living in police stations across Chicago — a solution that was intended to be temporary. But many of those men, women and children have been sleeping on floors or in tents outside police stations for months.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Sept. 15, 2023 - Full Show

Altercations at police stations housing migrants. The rewards and struggles of being first generation. And reconnecting with your roots for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 15, 2023 - Full Show

After months of fighting in the courts, Illinois is set to eliminate cash bail. A partnership to counter violence. And 60 years since the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

Disparately Resourced Public Defenders Across the State Prepare for End of Cash Bail in Illinois

Illinois on Monday will become the first state to fully abolish cash bail through an act of the legislature — a major criminal justice overhaul spurred by the advocacy of a progressive faction of the Democratic Party that’s grown increasingly powerful in recent years.

Week in Review: Chicago’s Budget Shortfall; $25M Wrongful Conviction Settlement

A half-billion-dollar budget shortfall as Chicago pays millions in wrongful conviction lawsuits. The city forges ahead with shelter plans for migrants and doubles down on a temporary casino.

Cash Bail Officially Ends in Illinois Monday. Here’s What You Need to Know

The long-anticipated elimination of cash bail officially takes effect in Illinois Monday, following extensive delays, legal challenges and pushback from critics who sought to keep the existing system in place.

60 Years After 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing, Legacy of Four Young Girls Lives on at Carole Robertson Center

Every year, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning holds ceremonies and social justice activities in remembrance of Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carol McNair — the four little girls killed in a 1963 white supremacist attack on the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.

Get Back to Your Roots at Morton Arboretum for Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

This month, the Morton Arboretum is inviting people to get back in touch with their roots with a variety of events and programs highlighting Latino cultures and communities, beginning with the Celebración de los Árboles on Sept. 16-17.
 

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