New laws are taking effect in the new year — what you should know. And America’s fight for independence is documented in a new series.

We’re looking back at the stories that defined 2025 — from a massive immigration crackdown and congressional musical chairs to city budget battles and a hometown Holy Father.

Nearly 300 new Illinois laws will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.

Revisiting some of our favorite conversations that we've had on "Chicago Tonight" this year.

The mayor lets the budget he objects to go into effect. And a Chicagoan wins CNN’s Hero of the Year Award.

Quilen Blackwell, whose nonprofit Southside Blooms transforms vacant lots on Chicago’s South Side into flower farms that employ at-risk young people, is the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year.

The city budget, which will take effect Jan. 1, will double CPD’s overtime budget from $100 million to $200 million, the first increase since 2020, when the budget for police overtime went from $95 million to $100 million, records show.

The Illinois Supreme Court is set to weigh in next year on whether serious Chicago Police Department misconduct cases must be heard publicly.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s decision not to veto the budget he called “morally bankrupt” immediately averts what could have been the city most severe fiscal crisis in more than 40 years.

Are Chicago police officers being held accountable for misconduct? And the years-long battle over police discipline makes its way to the Illinois Supreme Court.

The Chicago City Council takes the first step toward passing a rival budget plan. And the Bears threaten to take their ball and go to a new home — in Northwest Indiana.

Instead of allowing police to impose so-called “snap” curfews just 30 minutes in advance, a new plan calls for more lead time before dispersing large crowds.

The first meeting of the state's Immigration Enforcement Accountability Commission looks at the deployment of chemicals against protesters. Some alderpeople push forward with an alternative budget plan and a new teen curfew. And digital literacy efforts are helping seniors in Chinatown — but lost funding is threatening the effort.