Stories by Josh Terry

Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran’s leadership, missile arsenal and nuclear program while suggesting that toppling the government is a goal. But the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.

The death toll rises in the Middle East as the conflict in Iran escalates. And who is expected to attend the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s services in Chicago.

Advocates for health care providers that treat low-income and uninsured patients are pressuring state lawmakers to pass legislation they say would prevent drug manufacturers from restricting access to medications that are discounted through a federal pharmacy program.

The war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. It has disrupted the supply of the world’s oil and gas, snarled international shipping and stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.

The war powers resolution gave lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The vote forced them to take a stand on a war shaping the fate of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

Preservation Chicago’s annual “Chicago 7 Most Endangered” list aims to sound the alarm on historic buildings and sites at risk of demolition. By spreading awareness, the organization aims to mobilize the support necessary to save the threatened buildings from demolition.

Olga Bautista, who serves as vice president of Chicago’s Board of Education following her appointment by Mayor Brandon Johnson, is resigning her position, she announced Wednesday.

Data from the Chicago Police Department shows there were 25 homicides and 81 shootings across February, increases of 19% and 8%, respectively, over the same month in 2025.

It was “improper” for the department led by Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry to refuse to provide those records to the Office of the Inspector General, Deborah Witzburg said in a statement.

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

Michael Williams, then 65, spent nearly a year in jail after being charged with murder, only to have the charges dismissed after prosecutors told a judge they did not have enough evidence to proceed to trial.

The Democrats running in the Cook County Board president primary join “Chicago Tonight.” Toni Preckwinkle and Brendan Reilly talk about the issues facing residents and share their visions for the office.

The cuts, imposed by the Trump administration, will hit the county’s bottom line next year, threatening the ability of more than 400,000 Cook County residents to get necessary health care.

The Chicago Fire broke ground on a new stadium development site Tuesday at The 78 in Chicago’s 3rd Ward. The stadium is expected to open before the 2028 Major League Soccer season following a $750 million private investment from the club’s owner, Joe Mansueto.

Illinois is among 29 states and Washington, D.C., being sued by the Trump administration for access to their complete, unredacted voter registration databases.

Four days into a war that President Donald Trump suggested would last several weeks but perhaps longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified in the Senate on Tuesday in her first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration was executing its mass deportation agenda.

The proposal called for parents to face jail time if their children “violate curfew, engage in drag racing, flipping of cars, intoxication or use of paintball guns.”

“No, I have never, had never met Jeffrey Epstein,” Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday. “I was never on Jeffrey Epstein's plane. I was never on any plane with Jeffrey Epstein or with Ghislaine Maxwell. Never met her.”

Chicago, along with Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, have advanced in the application process to host the convention and will receive a site visit this spring, the Democratic National Committee announced.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that the shooting was unjustified, and Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling agreed, according to records published Friday.

Trump fans the flames of war in Iran — what we know and where we’re going. And could more nuclear reactors be coming to Illinois?

A recent executive order by Gov. JB Pritzker set a new goal to begin development on new nuclear power plants by 2033, with the intention of bringing online enough energy to power up to 2 million Illinois homes.

The war in the Middle East spiraled further Monday as Israel and the U.S. pounded Iran. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.

Illinois lawmakers have introduced legislation to create a governor-appointed commission to investigate Illinois-linked crimes connected to the network of international sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.