Stories by Heather Cherone

Officer Richard Rodriguez Jr., who was a member of the Near North (18th) Police District tactical team until he was stripped of his police powers last month, has been suspended for at least 68 days in connection with seven incidents of misconduct, records show.

Routine funding for the Department of Homeland Security has lapsed since Feb. 14, leading to long waits at U.S. airports as Transportation Security Administration agents call out rather than work without pay.

ICE agents arrive at airports across the country as wait times soar. And an attempt to end a phaseout of the tipped minimum wage.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said his office was monitoring the deployment of federal officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Because raw milk has not been pasteurized to remove illness-causing organisms, Illinois imposes strict limitations on its sale to protect public health. Some want to change that.

Democratic elected leaders and health advocates gathered Monday in Chicago to highlight the impact of the Affordable Care Act —  signed by then President Barack Obama 16 years ago — while sounding the alarm on rising health care costs for Americans.

In addition to the wonderful energy and ever superb playing of the CSO’s grand-scale musicians, there also were two guest artists on the program in the outstanding soprano Lidia Fridman and tenor Francesco Meli.

Sheaves Slate, 27, will be detained in Cook County Jail pending trial on charges including first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated arson stemming from the fatal fire last week.

The court was hearing arguments Monday in a case from Mississippi that also could affect voters in 13 other states and the District of Columbia, which have grace periods for ballots cast by mail.

The NCAA Tournament this year has underscored the value of continuity within a program, and that simply restocking with a new wave of transfers each offseason is not necessarily the best way to build a championship roster.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that Officer Noah Ball’s decision to shoot the boy was unjustified, a conclusion endorsed by Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling, records show.

Nearly 50 days after the executive order was signed those “policies and procedures are currently in draft status,” according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WTTW News seeking a copy of the policy required by the executive order.

Lincoln Park Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a baby eastern black rhinoceros, born early Thursday morning.

Juliana Stratton notches a commanding win in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary. And a busy week at City Hall as Mayor Brandon Johnson pledges a veto — and fires a top deputy.

The Friday press conference was held at the Highlands REIT-owned Sherman Plaza in downtown Evanston. Highlands REIT, or Highlands Real Estate Investment Trust, has a portfolio of investment properties in several states that also includes an empty correctional facility in Colorado.

On Friday, the CTA filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration seeking an immediate restoration of the funds for the two projects.

The bright daylight fireball was visible across a large swath of the U.S., from Illinois to Maryland to New York, at approximately 7:55 a.m. Central time.

James “Jimmy” Gracey, a college student from Illinois who was found dead after going missing while in Barcelona on a break, was likely the victim of an accident, Spanish regional police said Friday.

CBS News said Friday it is shutting down its storied radio news service after nearly 100 years of operation as part of a round of layoffs, blaming a shift in radio station programming strategies and challenging economic times.

Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86.

The Illinois congressional delegation could be getting a new look. Four members either are retiring or left to run for higher office, opening up the opportunity to usher in a new generation of leaders.

How Republican nominee Darren Bailey is trying to flip the governor’s mansion red. And two congressional candidates on their big primary wins.

Illinois is gearing up for a rematch. Former state legislator Darren Bailey won the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, meaning he will face incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker in the November general election.

A CPS spokesperson said school leaders have started soliciting feedback from its school community on the decision to consider a school name change after multiple allegations of abuse came to light against the former president of The United Farm Workers union.

At issue before the 7th Circuit is a constitutional challenge to the Protect Illinois Communities Act, a sweeping ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines.

The ruling is based on a civil suit brought against Amazon by two former employees after they were not compensated for pre-shift health screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic.