The Illinois secretary of state asked for an investigation into a suburban Chicago police department after learning that it violated state law by sharing data from automatic license-plate readers with a Texas sheriff seeking a woman who had an abortion. https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/13/giannoulias-calls-investigation-after-suburban-license-plate-data-shared-police-texas

No Kings protest: Organizers are planning to gather in Daley Plaza at noon Saturday to join in on the anti-Trump movement. Dozens of other gatherings are planned across the Chicago area, from neighborhoods like South Chicago and Edgewater to suburbs like Evanston and Schaumburg. https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/12/what-know-about-no-kings-protests-happening-chicago-across-us-saturday

Deep dive by @Chalkbeat and @ProPublica into a vexing issue facing Chicago: Dwindling enrollment has left about 150 Chicago #schools half-empty, while 47 operate at less than one-third capacity, leading to high costs and limited course offerings. #Chicago #education #news https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-public-schools-enrollment-costs

Gov. JB Pritzker steadfastly defended Illinois’ handling of the migrant crisis and laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants, urging Republicans on the U.S. House Oversight Committee to help him fix the nation’s “broken immigration system.” #politics #immigration https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/12/gov-jb-pritzker-defends-protections-undocumented-immigrants-congress-urges-gop-fix

Chicago native Natasha Olguin has been named deputy commissioner of the office, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced. https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/10/top-spot-chicago-film-office-finally-filled-chicago-native-natasha-olguin-tapped-key

Businesses and manufacturing are starting to feel the impact of steel and aluminum #tariffs that took effect. The Trump administration is putting a 50% tax on these metals when they’re imported from other countries. #politics https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/09/how-tariffs-steel-and-aluminum-could-impact-illinois-small-businesses

Private waste haulers were slapped with nearly 200 tickets for illegal, early-morning pickups during the first six months of a new enforcement. #Chicago https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/09/chicago-cracks-down-nearly-200-illegal-trash-pickups-first-months-enforcement-effort

Federal health officials no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women—though the CDC and doctors disagree. Conflicting guidance has sparked confusion. Full story: https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/03/federal-officials-issue-new-covid-vaccine-guidelines-here-s-what-know #health #publichealth #COVID19

Chicago’s other football club — the Fire — is doubling down on its commitment to the city, with team owner Joe Mansueto announcing a plan to personally finance a $650 million soccer-specific stadium to be built along the Chicago River in Related Midwest’s development, The 78. #MLS #sports #news #Chicago https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/03/chicago-fire-announces-transformative-privately-financed-650m-soccer-stadium-78

Illinois State Police keeps a gang database. ICE has access to it. This, despite the state's TRUST Act prohibiting data sharing agreements between the two. https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/02/illinois-state-police-keeps-data-suspected-gang-members-ice-has-access

Giving almost no time for public review, #Illinois Democrats pushed through a $55.2 billion budget for next fiscal year late Saturday, bolstering coffers with new taxes on sports bets, nicotine products and businesses. #news #politics https://news.wttw.com/2025/06/01/illinois-democrats-pass-555b-state-budget-new-taxes-sports-betting-nicotine-products

U.S. Rep Raja Krishnamoorthi represents portions of DuPage, Kane and Cook counties, including the 41st Ward in Chicago, and he joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. #politics #Illinois #news https://news.wttw.com/2025/05/29/us-rep-raja-krishnamoorthi-his-bid-us-senate-being-champion-underdogs

Illinois legislators passed a law to explicitly prevent police from ticketing and fining students for minor misbehavior at school, ending a practice that harmed students across the state. #education #news https://www.propublica.org/article/illinois-bans-police-ticketing-students-school-price-kids-pay

In an interview on “Chicago Tonight,” Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke defended her push for more pretrial detention and noted “significant problems” with the county’s electronic monitoring system. #jail #justice #Illinois #CookCounty https://news.wttw.com/2025/05/27/cook-county-s-top-prosecutor-defends-tougher-pretrial-detention-policy

Nearly half of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s senior staff and his picks to serve on key panels with citywide authority are Black and more than half are women, according to a WTTW News analysis. #news #politics #chicago https://news.wttw.com/2025/05/27/mayor-brandon-johnson-s-senior-leadership-team-nearly-50-black-more-half-female-analysis

We’re just days away from the end of the Illinois General Assembly’s spring session on May 31. Among the many thorny issues lawmakers are tackling is the future of Chicago-area public #transit. #news #Chicago #Illinois https://news.wttw.com/2025/05/22/deadline-approaching-illinois-lawmakers-secure-transit-funding-and-reform-bill

Chicago Police Dismissed a Recruit’s Claims That a Colleague Sexually Assaulted Her. Then He was Accused Again and Again.

The Invisible Institute and ProPublica reviewed over 300 complaints accusing Chicago officers of sexual assault and misconduct.

Time and time again, the police department downplayed or ignored claims, enabling officers to become repeat offenders.

https://www.propublica.org/article/chicago-police-officers-sexual-assault-allegations

Just five months into the year, #chicago taxpayers have spent at least $144.5 million to resolve nearly two and a half dozen lawsuits, exceeding its budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by more than 76%, city records show. #news https://news.wttw.com/2025/05/21/chicago-pay-625m-settle-4-police-misconduct-cases

Green Social Housing initiative: #chicago Department of #housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk more about the efforts to address a shortage of affordable housing. #news #politics https://news.wttw.com/2025/05/20/chicago-housing-commissioner-green-social-housing-initiative-department-spending

The impact of the shrinking Dept. Of Education: An Illinois Teacher Dragged a 6-Year-Old With Autism by His Ankle. Federal Civil Rights Officials Might Not Do Anything. (via @ProPublica) #Education #civilrights #news https://www.propublica.org/article/garrison-school-illinois-autistic-student-dragged-ankle