The new year usually brings with it hundreds of new laws in Illinois. But like everything else in recent history, the coronavirus pandemic has changed that up, too. On Jan. 1, 2021, only a trio of new laws will take effect.
Stories by Amanda Vinicky
Health Officials Urge Residents to ‘Spread Joy, Not COVID’ Amid Vaccine Excitement
US Surgeon General Pays a Visit to Chicago
Just days before Christmas, a trio of high-profile doctors, including U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, made a plea for people to follow public health measures designed to stop the spread of COVID-19, even as two vaccines are being distributed across the U.S.
All Police Officers Involved in Mistaken Raid Placed on Desk Duty: Lightfoot
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday that all of the officers involved in the February 2019 raid that left a Chicago woman handcuffed and naked have been placed on desk duty.
High Court Front-Runner Hailed By Right, Feared By Left
Amy Coney Barrett, a devout Catholic, is a federal appellate judge in Chicago who has established herself as a reliable conservative on hot-button legal issues from abortion to gun control.
Unrest in Kenosha: A Live ‘Chicago Tonight’ Report
Protesters have returned to the streets of Kenosha every day since a police officer shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake seven times. We visit the city to speak with residents and officials about the shooting and unrest that’s followed.
An Exit Interview with Senate President John Cullerton
After 41 years in public service, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is stepping down. He reflects on recent headlines, his life in politics and what’s next.
Lightfoot Fires Top Cop Eddie Johnson for ‘Intolerable Actions’
Mayor Lori Lightfoot makes a bombshell announcement: Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson is terminated, effective immediately. Lightfoot says an inspector general’s investigation revealed Johnson “repeatedly lied” to both the mayor and the public.
Should Chicago Increase Its Minimum Wage to $15 by 2021?
At a City Council hearing on Tuesday, committee members discussed a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021. Activists say it’s long overdue. But could it hurt small businesses? We debate the issue.
Chicago Casino Study: Taxes Too High to Be Profitable
An onerous tax structure would virtually kill any chance that a Chicago casino operator could make a profit, despite an ability to make massive amounts of money, according to a newly released feasibility study.
Pritzker Signs Bill Legalizing Recreational Marijuana
With the swipe of a pen – several of them, actually – Gov. J.B. Pritzker made it official Tuesday: Illinois will become the 11th state where smoking or otherwise using weed is legal.
FBI Raids 34th Ward Office of Ald. Carrie Austin
Federal agents have executed a search warrant at the South Side ward office of Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin. A source close to the matter says Austin has been under federal investigation for several years.
Ald. Moreno Charged with Insurance Fraud, Obstruction of Justice
Chicago police on Wednesday charged 1st Ward Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno with four felony counts after he allegedly lied to police and his insurance agency in January claiming his car had been stolen.
Prosecutors Drop All Charges Against Jussie Smollett
“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett exited the Leighton Criminal Court Building a free man Tuesday morning after prosecutors unexpectedly dropped felony charges against him in a case that’s garnered national headlines for months.
Spotlight Politics: Mayoral Money Machine Revs Up
Bill Daley gets a major endorsement for mayor while hauling in big bucks. Carol Marin, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky have details on that story and more in this week’s political roundtable.
Spotlight Politics: More Stories of Aldermen Behaving Badly
Chicago aldermen are caught up in some questionable or unscrupulous behavior, as the campaign for mayor gets down and dirty. Carol Marin, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky have details in this week’s roundtable.
Spotlight Politics: Bombshell Solis Revelations Roil City Politics
Shocking news from City Hall as the scandal touches the statehouse. Political reporters Carol Marin, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky dive into the story in this week’s roundtable.
Ald. Ed Burke Charged with Attempted Extortion
Federal agents raided longtime Chicago Ald. Ed Burke’s ward and government offices Nov. 29, and for the first time there’s insight as to what they were looking for: evidence of an extortion scheme.
Bill Daley Unveils Partial 2017 Tax Returns
The Daley campaign provided “Chicago Tonight” the cover sheets for his 2017 federal income 1040 form. They show that Bill Daley paid an effective tax rate of 37 percent on adjusted gross income of just over $2.5 million.
FBI Raids Offices of 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke
The FBI executed search warrants Thursday at both the ward office and City Council office of powerful Ald. Ed Burke, City Council’s longest serving member. What Burke had to say about the day’s events.
Pritzker Campaign Staffers Allege Racial Discrimination
Ten minority staffers working for J.B. Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign have filed suit in federal court for racial discrimination and harassment, alleging they were subject to less favorable treatment than their white counterparts.
State Budget Passes. Now What?
The new state budget includes significant cuts and a higher income tax. So now what? We address some lingering questions about the fiscal health of the state—and the city.
Rauner Calls Trump Immigration Ban ‘Overly Broad,’ ‘Rash’
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday criticized President Trump’s executive order and discussed ongoing issues with Chicago Public Schools and education funding during an interview on WBEZ.
Budget ‘Grand Bargain’ Shaping Up in Springfield
After nearly two years of budget gridlock, spiraling deficits and political acrimony in Springfield, a grand bargain on the budget is coming together in the Illinois Senate.
