Longtime lawmaker Dick Durbin announced plans to retire after five terms in the U.S. Senate. He joined “Chicago Tonight” for a wide-ranging interview.

Police beats that had ShotSpotter sensors saw an approximately 17.8% decrease in violent crime and a 37.5% decrease in homicides during the first six months of 2025, as compared with the first six months of 2024, according to the analysis of Chicago crime data by Rob Vargas, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago.

Armadillos have been making a slow but steady push north. At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, they’ll turn up in Chicago, according to one expert.

Texas Democrats are seeking refuge in Illinois — we hear from some of the lawmakers directly. And what a pension boost means for the city’s finances.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers from Texas fled the state for Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to block an effort by Republicans to redraw congressional districts. The plan, backed by President Donald Trump, would increase the number of Republican-leaning congressional seats by five.

A city analysis warned the bill “would increase the city’s pension liabilities by more than $11 billion” in the two funds that pay pensions to retired police officers and firefighters.

Texas Democrats flee to Illinois to block a Trump-backed redistricting plan. And what recent air quality alerts could mean for your health.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender who has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics during his second term, had been in quiet talks with Texas Democrats for weeks about offering support if they chose to leave the state.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for the city on Thursday and kept extending it through Sunday night. There was no alert Monday.

Longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis says he’s calling it a career — and endorsing a successor. And the Chicago Cubs say goodbye to Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.

Longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis says he won’t be running for reelection. And how Pilsen is responding to ICE concerns ahead of its Fiesta del Sol event.

“We need our government officials,” said JaShawn Hill, executive director of Chicago Survivors. “We need philanthropic communities and people who believe in our mission to step in and to help leverage us, because if they don’t, we will not be able to provide the quality of care that we have been able to do.”

People just started gathering in Pilsen for four days of food, music and carnival rides at the Fiesta del Sol festival — an annual Latino cultural celebration drawing more than 1 million people.