Stories by Heather Cherone
Police Leaders Agree to Suspend Sergeant for Violating Rights of Black Driver During Downtown Traffic Stop
| Heather Cherone
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined police were not justified in stopping the man’s car and should not have searched him or his car after handcuffing him in Chicago’s River North neighborhood on March 18, 2024.
Week in Review: Minneapolis ICE Shooting; Illinois Sues Trump Administration
| Nick Blumberg
National outrage after an ICE agent fatally shoots a woman in Minneapolis. And Illinois sues after the Trump administration moves to freeze $10 billion for low-income families.
Nicor Files for $221M Gas Rate Hike Less Than 2 Months After Last Increase Approved
| Maggie Dougherty — Capitol News Illinois
Consumer advocates expressed outrage with the move, calling on state regulators to reject the request, which comes only days after Peoples Gas filed for a $202 million rate hike on Monday.
Video From ICE Agent’s Cellphone Captures Fatal Confrontation in Minneapolis
| CNN
Video captured by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross gives a raw, up-close perspective of the pivotal moments surrounding his fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Blackhawks Star Center Connor Bedard Set to Return From Shoulder Injury
| Associated Press
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard is back after missing 12 games with a right shoulder injury.
Minnesota Shooting Videos Challenge Administration Narrative, Policing Experts Question Tactics
| Associated Press
Policing experts say some of the choices the officer made in that moment defy practices nearly every law enforcement agency have followed for decades.
Illinois Joins Lawsuit Seeking to Halt Trump Administration From Freezing Billions in Child Care Funding
| Matt Masterson
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Thursday announced the state had joined on to a lawsuit that seeks to halt what plaintiffs claim is the Trump administration’s unconstitutional freeze of funding that allows families to access food, safe housing and child care.
FBI Offering Up to $10K Reward for Information After Armored Vehicle Guard Shot in Brighton Park
| Matt Masterson
Chicago’s FBI Field Office on Friday said it is offering up to $10,000 for information, weeks after a 49-year-old guard was shot and wounded outside a Chase Bank branch in the 4300 block of South Archer Avenue.
Thursday’s Deluge Was a Record-Setter in Chicago and Even the Bulls Got Rained Out
| Patty Wetli
According to the Chicago office of the National Weather Service, Thursday's rainfall was a record-setter, with 1.92 inches of precipitation measured at O'Hare Airport, the city's official weather station.
Federal Immigration Officers Shoot and Wound 2 People in Portland, Oregon, Authorities Say
| Associated Press
The shooting escalates tensions in a city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump’s recent, failed effort to deploy National Guard troops there.
CPD Must Stop Helping Federal Agents ‘Terrorize’ Chicagoans, Dozens Tell Police Oversight Board
| Heather Cherone
Chicago police officers have faced pointed questions from residents and elected officials for more than six months about their actions during a series of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement actions ordered by President Donald Trump.
Jan. 8, 2026 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Are Chicago police officers violating city law by helping federal immigration agents? And federal funding is frozen for some early childhood programs in Illinois amid allegations of widespread fraud.
Illinois Families, Child Care Providers Brace for Cuts as Trump Administration Withholds Social Safety Net Funds
| Shelby Hawkins
The Trump administration announced Tuesday its decision to withhold billions of federal dollars from five Democrat-led states, including Illinois, intended to provide child care and support for low-income families.
James ‘Big Cat’ Williams on the Bears’ Wild Card Matchup Against the Packers
| Blake Thor
Will it be “Bear Down” or Bears down and out? That’s what fans are wondering as the Chicago Bears head into the postseason against none other than their archrival Green Bay Packers.
Pritzker Signs Major Energy Reform Bill Amid Projected Shortages
| Maggie Dougherty — Capitol News Illinois
The bill will fund battery storage, grant greater authority to state utility regulators, create new options for “virtual power plants” and lift a longtime ban on new large-scale nuclear power plants.
Bailey Proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican Governor’s Race Focuses on Spending
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency disbanded less than a year into Trump’s second term and appeared to have caused more chaos than actual savings to the federal government.
After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting, Chicago Judge Raises ‘Concern’ Over Dismissing Lawsuit on Federal Agents’ Use of Force
| Matt Masterson
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis on Thursday raised concerns about the dismissal request in a class action lawsuit brought by the Chicago Headline Club and local journalists who fought for a broad injunction to limit federal agents’ use of force in an effort to protect legal observers.
Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds
| Blair Paddock
Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report.
Senate Rejects Trump’s Military Threats Against Venezuela With War Powers Vote
| Associated Press
The Trump administration is now seeking to control Venezuela’s oil resources and its government, but the war powers resolution would require congressional approval for any further attacks on the South American country.
From a Documentary on Elie Wiesel to a Satirical Play, Here Are 4 Arts Picks for Your Week
| Josh Terry
Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
Driver Shot in Minneapolis Is at Least the 5th Person Killed in US Immigration Crackdown
| Associated Press
The fatal shooting Wednesday of a woman by an immigration officer in Minneapolis was at least the fifth death to result from the aggressive U.S. immigration crackdown the Trump administration launched last year.
Jan. 7, 2026 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Measles cases are on the rise as federal officials overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule. And what new cuts in grant funding could mean for local schools.
Illinois Groups Sue US Department of Education After $18M in Grants Cut in Middle of School Year
| Blake Thor
Students at 32 Illinois Full-Service Community Schools returned from winter break to major changes, after 708 school programs were discontinued and 277 staff were laid off beginning in mid-December.
Why the US Has Designs on Venezuela’s Oil
| Associated Press
Venezuela’s oil industry has been in the spotlight since President Donald Trump used military force to capture the country’s leader, President Nicolas Maduro.
Minneapolis Mayor Says ICE Officer’s Killing of a Motorist Was ‘Reckless’ and Wasn’t Self-Defense
| Associated Press
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis motorist Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city.
Johnson Says He Is ‘Bracing for What Could Be Midyear Layoffs’
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Brandon Johnson warned again on Wednesday that the Chicago City Council may have to make emergency cuts if revenue baked into the city’s 2026 spending plan fails to materialize.
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