Stories by Associated Press

FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan, who he said “intentionally misdirected” federal agents away from a man they were trying to take into custody at her courthouse.

The Forest Preserve District of Cook County has mapped the largest specimen of each tree species identified in the preserves and has made it easier for people to find these “champions.”

A judge sentences the gunman in the Highland Park parade shooting. Pushback against federal funding cuts to university research. And Juliana Stratton launches her campaign for the U.S. Senate.

The 21-member board voted to approve the deal during its monthly meeting at Chicago Public Schools’ Loop office Thursday — the last step necessary to finalize the new labor agreement.

“We’re cutting off the pipeline to the workforce in science in the United States,” said Dr. Linda Forst, a professor at UIC. “So, it’s bad news for these students immediately, but it’s bad news for the United States over the long haul because we don’t have a new workforce coming through.”

Chicago police officers would not be banned from making traffic stops based on minor registration or equipment violations that are designed to fund evidence of “unrelated” crimes, under a new policy unveiled Thursday by Chicago Police Department leaders.

“For too long, the middle class has been centered on the campaign trail but sidelined when it comes to real governance,” newly announced U.S. Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said.

The senator, who’s served 16 years in Springfield since he replaced his father was charged with three counts of bribery and lying to the FBI. Before they began deliberating Monday, jurors heard eight days of arguments, evidence and testimony, including from Jones himself.

Double-crested cormorants have been thrilling Chicagoans lucky enough to witness thousands of the birds streaming along the Lake Michigan shoreline — wave after wave, lasting for several minutes — as they migrate further north.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the National Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union, which accused the Republican administration of giving “unconstitutionally vague” guidance and violating teachers’ First Amendment rights.

Standing on his backyard deck Thursday – the same place where he declared his 1996 candidacy for U.S. Senate – Illinois’ senior Sen. Dick Durbin reflected on his decision to retire after four decades in Congress.

After 12 years, the class action lawsuit over living conditions at Stateville Correctional Center that helped bring the prison to a close was settled Thursday.

The City Nature Challenge is a friendly global competition designed to showcase the biodiversity in urban yards, parks and nature preserves.

Expo Chicago returns to Navy Pier this weekend, bringing art from around the globe and amplifying the city’s status as a destination for artists, gallerists and collectors. There is much to see — 170 galleries from 93 cities and 36 countries.

A food assistance program aimed at helping children have access to nutritious meals during the summer months will begin to issue benefits to low-income families in Illinois starting in May.

There was little doubt that University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger would go first that year. The standout player of his class had just received the first ever Heisman Trophy and been named as the Chicago Tribune’s Big 10 player of the year.

The injunction issued by U.S. District Judge William Orrick does not apply to Chicago or Cook County but is likely to bolster efforts by city officials to prevent President Donald Trump from blowing a $3 billion hole in Chicago’s budget.

Robert Crimo III, 24, on Thursday was handed seven consecutive life terms, along with the maximum of 50 years in prison on each of the 48 counts of attempted murder he faced.

Want to sing your karaoke version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in front of actual talent agents? Ponder the rise of fascism in Germany? How about visit the year’s biggest art fair, view short films or learn a new definition of “Black magic?” April ends with a shower of cultural possibilities, so run around out there.

The case in Illinois is not considered an outbreak and the risk of measles transmission for the general public in the state remains low, according to IDPH.

Whether he was terrorizing opponents or discussing the Bears on sports talk radio, the man known as “Ming The Merciless” and “Mongo” after the character in “Blazing Saddles” who knocked out a horse remained a prominent presence in Chicago long after his playing days ended.

Emotional testimony at the sentencing hearing of the Highland Park parade shooter. And a long-stalled push for reparations in Chicago is moving forward.

Singer, poet and South Side native Jamila Woods has been using music as a tool for self-healing for most of her life. She first found the power of an artistic community in her grandmother’s church choir and now finds a similar solace through connections with fans and musicians alike.

The 40-member task force will be charged with developing “Chicago’s first comprehensive reparations study, a critical step forward in acknowledging, addressing and repairing generations of harm experienced by Black communities,” according to a statement from the mayor’s office.

Twelve states sued the Trump administration Wednesday for “illegally imposing” tax hikes on Americans through tariffs.

The agency shuffled through three acting directors over the course of a week. It’s preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. And President Donald Trump is weighing in on which nonprofits should lose their tax-exempt status.