Stories by Alexandra Silets

With roughly a month before they plan to complete the weighty task of drawing new maps that will determine the lines of political power for the next decade, Illinois Democrats say they have not determined what data they’ll use. We speak with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle about that and more.

The main orchestrators of an alleged bribery scheme targeting Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan officially began fighting the charges on Wednesday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot sought to calm fears Tuesday that the president plans to send 150 unidentified, secret federal agents to Chicago, saying she has been told it will not be a “Portland-style” deployment. “We do not welcome dictatorship,” she said. 

Journalists alarmed by dozens of incidents where reporters were shot at, manhandled, gassed or arrested while covering demonstrations touched off by the death of Minnesota man George Floyd are fighting back legally.

Six people in Illinois have reported severe breathing problems after vaping. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now investigating these cases and five others, all reported since just May.   

As part of a wide-ranging discussion on “Chicago Tonight,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she will be seeking public input on possible locations for a Chicago casino.

The lead prosecutor in the Jason Van Dyke murder trial says he’s spoken with the state’s top legal officer about the possibility of challenging the prison sentence handed down to the former Chicago police officer.

In Illinois, medical marijuana can now be used as a painkiller to replace opioids. We hear from a co-sponsor of the new law.

Wednesday’s forecast shows a daytime high of around 14 degrees below zero, which would beat the city’s all-time coldest high of minus 11. When wind chills are factored in, temperatures could reach minus 35. 

In a highly watched race in the northwest and western suburbs, Lauren Underwood, a 32-year-old registered nurse, declared victory over incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Plano).

State Sen. Kwame Raoul has won a hard-fought race against a crowded field of eight candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee for Illinois attorney general. He will face political neophyte and former Miss America Erika Harold who won the GOP nomination.

For first time since the height of the Cold War, the hands of the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic indicator of how close we are to a global catastrophe, have been moved to 11:58 p.m. This is the closest the clock has been to midnight since 1953.

A special hourlong presentation celebrates Joel Weisman’s 40th anniversary as host – and his final appearance at the helm of the show he helped create. “For four decades, Fridays have always been my favorite day of the week,” he says.

If you tuned in to watch any NFL game Sunday, you saw nearly all the football players in the league—and even some owners—join in a silent protest during the national anthem. Sports columnist Rick Telander weighs in on the controversy.

Lawmakers are in the final weeks before the legislative session ends – is there a “grand bargain” in sight?  

Last week, the National Labor Relations Board gave graduate students at private universities the go-ahead to form collective bargaining units. What local students and schools impacted by the ruling have to say.

One day after the surprise firing of Chicago police superintendent Garry McCarthy, names of a possible successor are starting to emerge. How will the process work?

The City Council is poised for a vote on raising the minimum wage this week.

President Obama is in town to promote his executive order on immigration. We take a deeper look at how it impacts Chicago.

The debate over net neutrality is at the very core of how the internet will develop. We debate the issue with experts on opposing sides.