Stories by Marc Vitali

David Cerda calls camp “the theater of the ridiculous,” and this prolific camp counselor isn’t slowing down. A fixture on the Chicago theater scene since the ‘90s, Cerda has now written a semi-autobiographical play based on his upbringing in Northwest Indiana.

Archival record label Numero Group pays homage to the practice of music discovery while aiming to give new life to music that may have previously flown under the radar. For more than two decades, the label has reissued music and chronicled the stories of artists across a wide range of genres.

The 7-percentage point increase in the level of full compliance with consent decree CPD reached between July and December is the largest increase in the nearly six years that the federal court order has been in effect.

The rejection of the proposed settlement means the federal lawsuit filed by Reed’s family alleging that the city violated Reed’s civil rights will now head to trial.

Privacy concerns for undocumented immigrants filing taxes. Meet the new 35th Ward alderperson. And inside a local organization helping teens tell their stories.

On Monday, alderpeople approved Anthony Quezada with a 32-11 vote as the new alderperson of the 35th Ward, despite some opposition from City Council members over an anti-Black slur he wrote on a social media post in 2014.

The announcement comes after months of tension within IRS over the data-sharing plans and internal concerns from career officials about the legality of the collaboration.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is “evaluating” a request from the Republican chairperson of the U.S. House Oversight Committee about the state’s laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants.

The U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee withdrew its records request during an emergency court hearing in Chicago after Northwestern professors sued the committee, claiming its investigation into the university’s law clinics violated their First Amendment rights.

“Our solidarity has brought us this far,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates and union leadership wrote in an open letter to members. “Your vote decides what happens next.”

Every Thursday, WTTW News arts correspondent Marc Vitali highlights the must-see cultural events in Chicago.

On a warm Tuesday evening in late June 2019, state Sen. Emil Jones III walked out onto the patio at a suburban steakhouse and into an hourslong dinner that would set the table for alleged bribes.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods — specifically those sourced from China — are expected to heighten the prices of everyday tech products, from iPhones to laptops, cars and even smaller gadgets like headphones and computer mice.

The increase reported Thursday in the Consumer Price Index means consumers and businesses that rely on eggs might not get much immediate relief.

Top Republicans have argued the legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, is necessary to ensure only citizens vote in U.S. elections and “cements into law” Trump’s order.

The 216-214 vote pushed the budget plan forward, one more milestone for Johnson, and the next step in a lengthy process to unlock the centerpiece to the president’s domestic agenda of tax cuts, mass deportations and a smaller federal government.

Last year, euthanasia at the city shelter increased for the third consecutive year, amounting to 2,455 animals, of whom 60% were dogs, according to city data. “We’re at capacity almost every day,” Chicago Animal Care and Control spokesperson Armando Tejeda said.

The Black Student Success Plan aims to bring in more Black teachers, reduce suspensions against Black students, promote teaching on Black culture, increase belonging and close opportunity gaps. It provides a five-year roadmap to improve the outcomes of Black students, who make up a third of the district’s population.

Chicago is now home to the National Public Housing Museum, a first of its kind institution created alongside people who’ve lived in public housing.

A new approach to building affordable housing in Chicago. And efforts to address disparities among Black students at CPS.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, along with a group of individual voters, asked the court to reject the current legislative map for its partisan bias and lack of compactness. House Republicans wanted the court to appoint a special master redraw the districts.

More than 1,000 faculty members, alumni, students, attorneys and local community members have signed letters calling for “solidarity and resistance” from Northwestern’s leaders as it faces accusations of civil rights violations from Washington.

Even after a four-hour hearing, several alderpeople said they were not prepared to vote on the proposal designed to leverage the city’s financial power to build what the city calls “green social housing,” permanently affordable, mixed-income and environmentally sustainable housing.

The rock festival will announce this year’s lineup on April 23 with tickets going on sale that day, according to festival organizers. The three-day festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary, will be held Sept. 19-21.

Illinois has been at the forefront of the data center boom, but state lawmakers are working to gauge and mitigate the impact these centers have on climate and energy consumption.

Indiana health officials announced a measles outbreak Wednesday, with six cases that have no known links to the outbreaks in several other states.