Though it may have been one of the quirkier bills passed by the General Assembly, the designation recognizes the role Illinois played in the development of one of the world’s greatest wonder drugs: penicillin.

Legislators finally pass a budget, among other laws, in Springfield—we’ll have a rundown. The latest on COVID-19 reopenings. The holiday weekend’s violence toll. And ride-share driving comes up short.

For the first time in nearly a year, visitors to Chicago from anywhere within the United States do not have to quarantine for 10 days or record a negative test for COVID-19, city officials announced Tuesday.

The homicide total over the holiday weekend was the lowest in 10 years, police Superintendent David Brown said Tuesday, as department officials credited the city’s newly announced summer safety plan with helping to limit violence.

Illinois Democrats used their supermajorities in the General Assembly to full advantage this weekend as their spring session reeled toward an end, pushing through a progressive agenda, a $42 billion budget with no tax or fee hikes on individuals, and legislative maps.

The pandemic’s effect on veterans’ health. Remembering one of America’s greatest cartoonists. A guide to summer festivals. And a close encounter with a large insect. 

By the age of 23 he had fought in World War II, tangled with Gen. Patton, and won his first Pulitzer Prize. Cartoonist Bill Mauldin created artwork for magazines, books and newspapers from the 1940s into the ‘90s. We explore a new exhibition of his work.

On Memorial Day, Americans remember and celebrate members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice. But living veterans have fought another enemy over the past year: the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chicago nightclub helped launch the early careers of music and comedy acts like Barbra Streisand and Richard Pryor, while achieving status from established jazz artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn, who both recorded live albums at the Rush Street venue.

Two months after the fatal police shootings of 13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, the Chicago Police Department unveiled a new policy on foot pursuits it says will better prioritize the safety of officers, the public and those being pursued.

Paseo Boricua has been the heart and soul of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community for decades. But the area has been impacted in recent years by gentrification and displacement of some longtime residents, as rents rise and luxury buildings sprout up on its borders. 

The legislative session hits the 11th hour in Springfield. A live report from Humboldt Park. The mayor’s new foot pursuit policy. And a new WTTW doc takes us to the glory days of Mister Kelly’s.

Illinois legislators are heading into the holiday weekend with a to-do list that includes a major energy overhaul, ethics package and a new state budget.