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As the nearly 100-year-old Cook County Jail dormitories were demolished in 2021, artist Maria Gaspar was able to salvage 18 cell bars and a couple of bricks.

The artist’s large canvas “Paris Street; Rainy Day” is a true icon in the Art Institute collection, and it’s one of the centerpieces of a show titled “Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World.” The exhibition features more than 120 works that capture people and places in and around 19th century Paris.

None of the alderpeople at the sparsely attended committee hearing pressed CPD officials about why the department had fully complied with just 16% of the court order known as the consent decree by the end of 2024, five years after it took effect.

We’ve got a lot of rules on the books governing when and where we can enjoy an adult beverage. WTTW News explains.

The new database launched after WTTW News reported the city spent $510.9 million on employee overtime in 2024 — 1.5% less than in 2023, with more than half of the total amount used to compensate Chicago Police Department officers for working extra hours.

Michael McClain and three codefendants — former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former contract lobbyist Jay Doherty — were each convicted of bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the utility company’s books in the 2023 “ComEd Four” trial.

The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all.

The president’s association with Epstein is well-established and his name was included in records that his own Justice Department released back in February as part of an effort to satisfy public interest in information from the sex-trafficking investigation.

Seventy-nine of the 92 cases brought as part of the pilot program have resulted in an indictment by a grand jury or a finding of probable cause by a judge, allowing a trial to proceed, according to data provided to WTTW News from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“There are some recommendations that are coming through,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “In due time, we’re going to release some of those recommendations.”

Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said Thursday.

“Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Librarians” connects the history of public libraries, civil rights and literacy to the current political attacks on the public library system.

Former Sen. Carol Mosely Braun on her life and career. And remembering actor and musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner.

Actor and musician Malcolm-Jamal Warner died this week in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. Warner became everyone’s brother playing Theo Huxtable in the long-running television hit “The Cosby Show.”

Carol Moseley Braun is making waves in the push for more diverse leaders in politics. In 1993, she became the country’s first Black woman senator — shuttling her into the national and cultural spotlight.

A Chicago City Council subject matter hearing reignited calls for an ordinance mandating bird-friendly building design requirements. “We know how to solve this, and for some reason we just haven’t,” said one speaker.

Here’s a soulful and sometimes silly six-pack of the artistic and the fantastic — our shortlist of Chicago shows to kick-start your heart and make your brain buzz.

The popular downtown event will return Sept. 7 and Oct. 5, closing vehicular traffic on State Street from Randolph Street to Jackson Boulevard. The event — now in its fifth year — features performances, food, drinks, shopping and local attractions.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has adopted a recommendation to remove thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed in the United States, even though there is no clear evidence of harm from the mercury-based preservative.

In a filing known as a “statement of interest,” the Justice Department said the government has an interest in the outcome of the lawsuit, although the filing stops short of asking the court for permission to intervene as a party in the case.

In an expected move, Madigan on Wednesday filed his notice of appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court after he was convicted in February on 10 felony charges including bribery and wire fraud.

In a sentencing memo published late Tuesday, prosecutors asked that ex-City Club president and ComEd lobbyist Jay Doherty be sentenced to 15 months in prison.

One on one with Sen. Tammy Duckworth on the Epstein files, cuts to public media and more. Plus, new data on how much the city is spending on overtime.

“My kids grew up smelling dead animals and rotting fish,” said Ljiljana Radocaj, a mother and resident of the 10th Ward. “It’s the most horrific smell — you can’t even describe it. You can just run from it.”

President Donald Trump is facing backlash from his supporters over his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files. The fallout comes following congressional Republicans’ success in clawing back funds from foreign aid and public media and the passage of the president’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”

During a Tuesday news conference to celebrate Union Station’s centennial, leaders highlighted the station’s history, architecture and its role in Chicago serving as a national railroad hub.