Are Chicago police officers violating city law by helping federal immigration agents? And federal funding is frozen for some early childhood programs in Illinois amid allegations of widespread fraud.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday its decision to withhold billions of federal dollars from five Democrat-led states, including Illinois, intended to provide child care and support for low-income families.

Will it be “Bear Down” or Bears down and out? That’s what fans are wondering as the Chicago Bears head into the postseason against none other than their archrival Green Bay Packers.

Four Illinois sheriff’s offices defied the state’s sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report.

Measles cases are on the rise as federal officials overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule. And what new cuts in grant funding could mean for local schools.

Students at 32 Illinois Full-Service Community Schools returned from winter break to major changes, after 708 school programs were discontinued and 277 staff were laid off beginning in mid-December.

Illinois officials testify in Washington on the fifth anniversary of the Capitol insurrection. And local reaction to U.S. action in Venezuela.

Seemingly contradictory statements from Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have suggested at once that the U.S. now controls the levers of Venezuelan power or that the U.S. has no intention of assuming day-to-day governance and will allow Maduro’s subordinates to remain in leadership positions for now.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday it is no longer recommending that all children receive vaccines against: RSV, flu, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and rotavirus. Instead, the federal government now only recommends protection against these diseases for certain children at high risk.

Administration officials say Maduro’s capture was a law enforcement action that merely used military resources and therefore did not require congressional approval, referencing a drug trafficking indictment issued by the Department of Justice in March.

What Chicago’s new budget means for your wallet. And local members of Congress on Venezuela, health care subsidies and much more.

We’re looking ahead to the stories likely to shape 2026 — from immigration enforcement and midterm elections to Chicago’s budget struggles and a new school board.

Chicagoans will get a small break on their grocery bills but be forced to pony up to cover a host of tax and fee hikes that a deeply divided Chicago City Council approved to fill a massive budget shortfall over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson.