Chicago Teachers Union candidate Brandon Johnson enters race for mayor. Candidates for statewide offices tussle in debates as election nears. Mayor Lori Lightfoot gets rebuke in City Council. And the suddenly hot Bears head to Dallas.

In a special hour-long forum in partnership with WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, candidates for U.S. senator Tammy Duckworth and Kathy Salvi on gun violence, abortion, the economy and more.

The candidates for Illinois secretary of state square off. The fate of a private towing ordinance. The controversy over transgender athletes in school sports. And a photography club that has their lens way in the past.

Meet the candidates running for Illinois attorney general in the first of our candidate forums. Plus, a rise in Jewish hate crimes. And the impact of the pandemic on students with disabilities.

Crunching the numbers in the CTA’s latest budget proposal. The impact of a major grocery store merger. A hiccup in plans for student loan debt relief. And WTTW News Explains where your ballot goes after it’s cast. 

Gubernatorial candidates punch hard in a final debate. Bailey scores big deposit from conservative billionaire and we dig into other big races. In sports, the Bulls tip off the season as the Bears try to stave off collapse.

Proposed changes to the SAFE-T Act gather momentum. The future of the financial district. New guidance for detecting anxiety in kids. With winter comes road salt — and some ecological problems.

Federal student loan forgiveness applications are open. Our Spotlight politics team breaks down last night’s gubernatorial debate. Comedian and actor Jeff Garlin joins us. And the author of the book “Black Skinhead.”

Chicago’s top doc on upping the vaccine booster rate. Why Mayor Lori Lightfoot is sitting on federal COVID relief money. A look at why Cook County Forest Preserves is asking voters for a small tax hike. And Hedy Weiss reviews new productions.

One-on-one with Sen. Dick Durbin ahead of crucial midterms. Where to vote early in Chicago. Could gig workers become full-time employees? Two downtown high rises hit the market. And a new local art exhibit.

Michael Madigan indicted again. Pritzker racks up endorsements as polls show Democrats pulling away in Illinois. The House January 6 Committee wraps up testimony. And bumbling Bears lose third in a row in Thursday night snoozefest.

The latest hearing from the January 6 Committee. Starbucks shuts down one of its unionized locations. We’re live in Austin for our In Your Neighborhood series. And meet a newly-minted genius. 

An investigation into deaths and mismanagement at a South Side hospital. Plus, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Chicago’s burgeoning tech scene and Día de los Muertos returns to a prominent Pilsen museum.

A look at the candidates for Illinois Supreme Court. A national housing museum finally breaks ground in Chicago. Plus, the latest in Ukraine, federal spending on children and the Chicago Lowrider Festival.

The high stakes races for Illinois Supreme Court seats. An interview with the mayor of Highland Park three months after the Fourth of July shooting. One-on-one with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. And private booting companies push to expand.

Gubernatorial candidates sling mud in their first televised debate. No property tax hikes in Mayor Lightfoot’s election year budget. Homeless advocates press Lightfoot for more funding. And the White Sox head into an offseason full of questions.