Stories by 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.

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."

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.

Wildfires are burning out of control in central Canada, and the smoke is drifting toward Chicago.

The fourth annual Bank of America Chicago 13.1 half marathon is expected to bring 10,000 runners through the West Side on Sunday. The course starts and ends at Garfield Park and takes runners through Douglass Park and Humboldt Park.

In the backstretch of the legislative session, horse racing advocates are pushing to revitalize the industry in Illinois and its accompanying horse betting, both long in decline.

Chinese students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that some of them would have their visas revoked.

The bill would allow trained library workers to administer opioid antagonists to potential overdose victims on library grounds, in the immediate vicinity of libraries and at library events.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams sought to quiet the controversy about how he hadn’t wanted to come to his current team prior to the 2024 draft.

These openings, screenings and performances will have you in the movie theater, the symphony and the dive bar concert venue.

Lawmakers still figuring out how to fill the state’s budget gap. A new opera on lesser-known Black heroes. And journalist Jonathan Capehart has a new memoir.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, editor, columnist, PBS NewsHour political analyst and MSNBC host lays it all bare in his new book.

The opera spotlights the women who challenged segregation in Montgomery, using classical music infused with sounds of gospel, jazz and the blues to tell the story centered around seven women.

The bill would replace the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra, and Pace, with a new entity called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority. It would be charged with creating a universal fare system and ensuring coordination of service and capital projects.

President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, a former Chicago gang leader serving a life sentence at a supermax prison in Colorado.

The Navy Pier Marina is expected to officially open to the public June 14. The opening of the marina, located on the north side of Navy Pier, comes as this year’s boating season kicks off.

The Chicago Transit Authority has paid out more than $1 million over the past five years to vault operations employees for remote work, despite the fact that their work cannot be done remotely, a new watchdog report has found.

Experts say making iPhones in the U.S. would upend the way Apple builds its most lucrative product. Moving iPhone production to the US would mean shifting away from countries like China and India that have the highly specialized workforce and skills.

The billionaire entrepreneur, who supported Trump’s candidacy with at least $250 million and has worked for his administration as a senior adviser, said he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill.”

The WNBA says it cannot substantiate claims that racist fan behavior took place during a game in Indianapolis between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever earlier this month.

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

Laura Gardner, owner of Local Style Potato Chips, set out to combine her love of potato chips and Chicago foods to make the ultimate snack.

Lawmakers have just a few more days to pass a balanced state budget. And Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke on how she’s reshaping the office.

At her swearing-in ceremony six months ago, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke promised a tougher approach to tackling violent crime.

The Illinois General Assembly returned from the long weekend break for its final week of the spring session. Lawmakers have until May 31 to pass a revenue and spending plan with a simple majority of votes.

The U.S. Coast Guard is warning the public about potential explosive devices that could wash up on Chicago-area beaches.