On the first day of winter, Cook County officials touted the benefits of spending time in nature, encouraging people to discover the nearly 70,000 acres of forest preserves this season — safely.

Suburban Cook County health officials outlined their vaccination plans Monday as they await the shipment of 20,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. 

With suburban Cook County on track to exceed 2,000 opioid overdose deaths this year, officials announce a program to address the “silent epidemic” that will connect people with treatment.

A little over a month after she won reelection, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was officially sworn in. Following the ceremony, she reflected on the challenges of 2020 and looked ahead to the next four years.

Throughout the pandemic, nature has proved its worth as an outlet and resource, benefiting people’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. Now the question is, will people return the favor?

Meet a high school student who’s on a quest to see more bird species in Cook County than anyone, ever.

History was made in Illinois last week when Jill Rose Quinn was elected into office. She joins us in discussion.

“Moving forward, we want to double down on our efforts of focusing our attention on violent crime, on gun crimes that have devastated our communities this year and has been a stubborn issue for years past,” Kim Foxx said Wednesday.

The current Democratic state senator ran on a promise to reform an office plagued by a reputation of inefficiency and corruption.

With more than 98% of precincts reporting by Wednesday afternoon, each of the 61 Cook County judges seeking retention in Tuesday’s election appear to have surpassed the 60% voting threshold necessary to remain on the bench.

State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has declared victory in her contested bid for reelection against Republican challenger Pat O’Brien in what was likely the most contentious race on the Cook County ballot.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle plans to consolidate two clinics into Provident Hospital and change its full-service emergency room to a stand-by emergency department. “We are strengthening Provident Hospital. It is here to stay. Period,” she said.

The economic collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic presented an “extraordinarily challenging” set of circumstances to the county’s finance team, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said a day before unveiling her $6.9 billion spending plan.

It might just seem like names at the end of the ballot, but voting for judges in Cook County has serious consequences. How voters can make educated decisions about the dozens of judges listed on the 2020 ballot.

To help navigate the options, three local bar associations have screened and ranked each candidate. Here are their recommendations. 

With Dorothy Brown deciding not to run for a fifth term, Cook County will have a new circuit court clerk this fall for the first time in 20 years. And legal advocates have some recommendations for whoever wins that seat in November.