The Rundown | Chicago News

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is trying to keep Illinois’ ban on assault-style firearms intact while the state appeals a legal challenge to it. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was in Joliet today for the installation of the first electric vehicle charging station funded through the state Climate Equitable Jobs Act. The Chicago Sky will have the third-overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Hundreds of Chicagoans gather on the Northwest Side to discuss how Trump’s policy proposals may affect them once he takes office in January. A new study from the University of Georgia looks at the proximity of crisis pregnancy centers to abortion providers in Illinois. Local environmentalists are raising questions about a plan to develop so-called clean hydrogen in Northwest Indiana.

A Democratic Cook County commissioner wants to boost access to reproductive health services. The Cannabis Research Institute has launched in Chicago. A new play in Chicago has become a space where people can share post-election feels.

The City Council has resoundingly rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed property tax increase. So what’s next? A new lawsuit aims to hold the state accountable for the death of a man incarcerated in a dilapidated Illinois prison. A new recording shows how former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan considered turning to a ComEd lobbyist to hire the wife of a political ally.

Testimony concluded today from a key government witness in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. A new lawsuit wants to hold the Illinois Department of Corrections accountable for the death of a man incarcerated in a dilapidated state prison. The last supermoon of the year will light up the sky tonight.

Another special Chicago city council meeting is expected this afternoon — this time in an attempt to vote down a key part of the mayor’s budget proposal. U of I’s leader is planning to step down after this year. A study out today finds a reduction in Illinois’ greenhouse gas emissions.

More than 1,000 unionized nurses at UI Health in Chicago are on strike for an indefinite period of time. Defense lawyers in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are attacking the credibility of a government mole. A group representing retailers is warning hiking taxes on goods to avoid a massive property tax increase is still going to hurt Chicagoans.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he is prepared to resist Immigration Enforcement agents if they attempt to operate in Chicago once Donald Trump becomes president. Prosecutors show how former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan wanted to help a congressman’s son who’d been convicted of misconduct. New Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh had his introductory news conference this week.

Aldi has abruptly closed its location in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood. The Chicago Bears have fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after just nine games. Defense lawyers in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial are getting their first crack at a star government witness.

Illinois state lawmakers are back in Springfield today for a truncated legislative session. Illinois lawmakers are trying to shore up protections for vulnerable populations ahead of a second Trump presidency. This Thursday students are invited to learn about a new bill that could make going to college in Illinois more affordable.

Some Chicago City Council members are questioning how a police oversight body decides what disciplinary actions to take. The Chicago City Clerk’s office plans to raise prices to bring in more revenue as the city faces a massive budget gap. The Pitchfork Music Festival is leaving Chicago.

City Civics Day draws hundreds of Chicagoans eager to get involved in their communities. A Springfield-based nonprofit is trying to change Illinois state law around compensation for exonerees. The Chicago City Clerk’s office is planning to hike prices on permits to raise more revenue.

The Associated Press has called two more Chicago School Board races. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed budget includes an increase for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. A Chicago public school in the city’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood has a new name.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker isn’t ready to say what his plans are for the next election. Mayor Brandon Johnson doesn’t have the budget to re-open more mental health clinics next year. Prosecutors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial play a profanity-laced recording involving the ex-speaker’s son.

Some Chicago alderpersons want to give more resources to the Chicago agency that investigates discrimination complaints in light of Donald Trump’s election win. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he’ll continue to push back against federal policies he says are a threat to “common Illinois values.” The Black Harvest Film Festival kicks off Friday at the Gene Siskel Film Center downtown.

Chicago is still a Democratic stronghold, but former President Donald Trump had the strongest showing for a Republican presidential candidate here in more than two decades. The man accused of killing a Chicago police officer late Monday will be in court this morning. Some Chicago council members are warning Mayor Brandon Johnson that his $17.3 billion budget plan won’t pass unless he makes some big changes.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, advocates in Illinois held a press conference today – vowing to defend the rights and safety of all immigrants. Illinois Republicans are bullish on a second Trump presidency. And many Ukrainian Americans in Chicago are worried about what Trump’s return to the White House will mean for their home country.

Former President Donald Trump has been elected president again, according to a race call by the Associated Press. With nearly all precincts counted, the Chicago Teachers Union, the charter school advocates and the independents effectively split the 10 school board seats evenly. In the race for Cook County’s top prosecutor, Democrat Eileen O’Neill Burke coasted to victory over Republican Bob Fioretti.

Chicagoans took to the polls today. The Chicago Board of Elections is confirming that the wrong ballots were given to some voters in the 4th and 6th wards today. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he's "deeply heartbroken" after an on-duty police officer was shot and killed last night.

Election Day is here and polls are now open across Chicago. A Chicago police officer was killed on duty yesterday (MON). We’ll hear from police superintendent Larry Snelling next. Recordings in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s federal corruption trial lay out a scheme to help a Madigan insider fired for misconduct.

Chicago residents have until 6 p.m. tonight to vote early ahead of Election Day. The Yellow Line rail operator who crashed last November is facing firing, but the CTA can’t take action yet. Workers at the Shedd Aquarium have voted to unionize.

Testimony continues in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants more money for the city’s Dept. of Environment, and hundreds of women march in support of Kamala Harris in Chicago

The Chicago Cubs will enter into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. Some Illinois faith leaders and elected officials are calling for Democratic State Senator Sara Feigenholtz to step down. A project to reduce overbank flooding in south suburban Robbins is halfway done.

After the president of Chicago’s school board resigns, a week after being sworn in, some wonder how he got appointed in the first place. Officials add hate crime and terrorism charges against the man accused of shooting an Orthodox Jew on Chicago’s far-North Side. Researchers at University of Chicago’s Transplant Institute say a pilot study is functionally reversing diabetes.

The president of the Chicago Board of Education is resigning just seven days after being sworn in. Some Chicago City Council members say a proposed property tax increase will be a hard sell. Jurors in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are hearing about a secret plan to give financial help to a political employee accused of sexual harassment.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal includes cutting more than 700 vacant jobs. The new Chicago school board president says he will protect students from hate after being accused of anti-semitism The state of Illinois is launching a free, confidential way to report hate crimes.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is pitching a $17-point-3 billion dollar budget that avoids layoffs, but relies on a big property tax increase. A new report claims Illinois’ gun laws may be making communities less safe by criminalizing gun possession. The White Sox have hired Will Venable as their new manager.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will unveil his proposed 2025 budget today. A new report makes recommendations on reparations for Black Chicagoans. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin convened a panel of experts in Chicago yesterday to talk about affordable drug prices.

Defense lawyers in the federal racketeering conspiracy trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan made inroads Tuesday with a government witness. A new report from the Citizens Utility Board finds that if state regulators allow Peoples Gas to move forward with its pipe replacement program, heating bills could double over the next 15 years. SEIU Healthcare Illinois and health care workers are sounding the alarm with Illinois regulators.

The city added new employees to its ranks despite a citywide hiring freeze. Millions are pouring into Chicago's school board campaigns. A state senator says he wants to work on campaign finance provisions for future races. A former Commonwealth Edison lawyer is shedding light on alleged company efforts to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

A Democratic member of Congress from Chicago is condemning comments made about Puerto Rico at a rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Chicago Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson is apologizing to his coaches and teammates for his play during Sunday’s last-second loss to the Commanders. The 60th annual Chicago International Film Festival wrapped up last night.

Scores of Rohingya Muslims in Chicago cast their first ballots as American citizens over the weekend. The city’s Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument won a major preservation industry award. The finalists were announced this morning for Chicago’s top local food honors.

Grammy award-winning rapper Lil Durk is in federal custody Friday after being arrested overnight on federal murder-for-hire charges. Some of Illinois’ nearly 1.6 million student loan borrowers could get relief under rules proposed today by the Biden administration. Families and staff at seven Acero charter schools are fighting to keep the schools open.

Federal prosecutors are using dozens of wiretaps as evidence in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. New Chicago school board members say they took the post to do right by kids. The invasive carp haven’t gotten any closer to Chicago in over a decade, and a new study investigated why.

Members of Faculty for Justice in Palestine are demanding University of Chicago leaders reinstate an Arab student who was suspended and evicted from his dorm after his arrest at a pro-Palestinian demonstration. Prosecutors Thursday, played one of about 200 secret recordings in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. Major League commissioner Rob Manfred believes the White Sox aren't going anywhere, even if they're sold.

Today the new Chicago Board of Education will be sworn in, after the former board abruptly resigned. Cook County commissioners are advancing a plan to bring some property tax relief to struggling homeowners. In a few minutes, county health officials hope free Naloxone vending machines will help curb fatal overdoses.

A Chicago immigrant rights group says Mayor Brandon Johnson’s decision to reduce services for newly arrived asylum seekers will hurt families. The Illinois Department of Public Health hosted a conference in suburban Naperville this week focusing on health outcomes for communities of color. A top adviser to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is leaving his post, effective immediately.

The Chicago City Council approved a $1.5 billion bond refinancing plan yesterday that budget officials hope will help the city’s budget crunch. Defense attorneys in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial undercut one of the government’s very first witnesses. One of the more than 30 Chicago police officers named in a new federal lawsuit is a disgraced former detective.

The Chicago Board of Education will meet for the first time this week following the resignations of every board member earlier this month. A new report shows there’s been a jump in abortions in Illinois with a virtual doctor’s visit since Roe v. Wade was overturned more than two years ago. RealPage is a software company that the US Department of Justice alleges is enabling illegal rent price-fixing.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan gets his first chance to make his case to jurors in his federal corruption trial. A national civil rights group has written to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - about police officers with extremist connections. The Sonya Massey commission is seeking an outside review of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department.

Chicago will end its separate migrant shelter system by next year, creating a single shelter system for all residents who need it. An Illinois group held a town hall meeting in Springfield over the weekend to imagine what statewide reparations could look like. Chicago drivers may have to start going a little slower.

A WBEZ analysis finds Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s fiscal record is mixed as he approaches his second budget address. Also, Mayor Johnson says he supports lowering the city’s speed limit by 5 miles per hour. The federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and a one-time confidante is poised to enter a new phase today.

Illinois cannabis sales continue to grow – but some newer industry players are still trying to catch up. Hundreds of Chicago parents gathered this morning to hear from school board candidates. 
 It will feel like summer this weekend, with temperatures expected to be in the low to high 70s.

Sunday will mark a decade since then-Officer Jason Van Dyke shot Laquan McDonald 16 times. To mark the solemn occasion, The Rundown is bringing you the first episode of “16 Shots,” a podcast series from WBEZ and The Chicago Tribune that explored McDonald’s life, and the way his death changed the city.

A proposal to move a preschool on Chicago’s Southwest Side is causing alarm. CPS students are graduating high school at record rates, but many still don’t finish college. Illinois prison employees staged more than two dozen demonstrations across the state.

Democratic US Representative of Illinois Brad Schneider says he hopes the death of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, will mark a turning point in the war in Gaza. The Illinois Secretary of State is rolling out DMV kiosks for people to renew license plates, registration and drivers’ licenses the same way you’d get money from an ATM. Time is almost up for Illinois residents to submit a design for a new state flag.

Chicago Public School enrollment is up after years of decline. Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet will open its season tonight with the U.S. premiere of a brand-new show. We talk to Adam Rubin, with the Chicago Architecture Center about this weekend's upcoming Open House Chicago.

WBEZ has confirmed Doctor Erik Mikaitis has been nominated to become the next CEO of Cook County’s public health system. Bally’s Chicago has closed out its first year at the Medinah Temple, and the temporary casino is failing to meet financial expectations. Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton says she wants to keep communication open with people who live near the Central Illinois town of Lincoln - who are upset about plans to close the Logan Correctional Center.

Springfield residents urge state lawmakers to make public transit more accessible during a hearing at the Capitol Tuesday. Early voting for the November election is underway in the Chicago-area. The Chicago International Film Festival kicks off tonight with a new film made by Malcom Washington, the son of Denzel Washington.

Former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump was in Chicago today. Early voting is underway in the Chicago area. Walgreens plans to close about 1,200 locations over the next three years as the drugstore chain seeks to turnaround its struggling U.S. business.