The Rundown | Chicago News

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget team said that an alternative budget proposal from 26 alders who oppose the mayor’s spending plan is based on faulty projections and regressive fines. Indiana state House lawmakers have passed a new congressional map that now advances to the state Senate, where it is unclear if enough lawmakers will support its final passage. Granite City Works will make stee...

The city of Chicago’s running tab for police misconduct settlements tied to disgraced former police commander Jon Burge grew by $15 million today. As Chicago plunges into extreme cold weather territory, medical professionals urge the public to pay attention to the signs of frostbite. Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen is calling on Congress to vote soon to extend Obamacare subsidies to keep health...

A majority of Chicago alderpersons are backing an alternate budget plan that would double residents’ garbage collection fee to avoid a new corporate head tax. The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party will hold a candlelight vigil and dedication ceremony Wednesday. The Illinois Secretary of State has issued warnings to national rental car companies abou...

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a measure allowing the state to develop its own vaccine guidelines, independent of the federal government. Thousands of Illinoisans could face homelessness once new federal requirements kick in. Capacity has been increased at Christkindlmarket in the Loop. Plus, we’ll hear from a Chicago protester who says their dismissed charges show Border Patrol Commande...

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory until midnight for the Chicago area and until 3 a.m. for northwest Indiana. Healthcare providers are concerned that federal funding cuts could undo some of the gains made against HIV and AIDS. Actor and director Robert Townsend returns to his native Chicago this weekend with a pop-up film and comedy festival. Plus, Illinois Governor...

An early winter storm is moving through the Great Lakes region and bringing a chill to Chicago for Thanksgiving. A federal judge called out an immigration enforcement agent for using artificial intelligence to write the narrative of a use-of-force report. The Village of Oak Lawn has agreed to pay more than $800,000 to a man punched by a village police officer during a 2022 traffic stop. Plus, foot...

O’Hare Airport is expected to have its busiest Thanksgiving travel season on record. Several state agencies say President Trump’s tariff policies are costing Illinoisans thousands of dollars more this year. HBO is premiering a new documentary tonight that looks at the making of the Super Bowl Shuffle. Plus, one way the federal government provides affordable housing is by subsidizing rent in buildi...

A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest in the shooting death of 14-year-old Armani Floyd Friday night in the loop. The Federal Aviation Administration expects this week’s Thanksgiving holiday travel period to be the busiest in 15 years. This holiday season a consumer watchdog group is warning parents about the rise of children's toys equipped with A-I chatbots. Pl...

A new report in the Sun-Times determines there's not enough affordable housing in many Chicago suburbs. A stretch of milder weather that starts this weekend will taper off after the Thanksgiving holiday. Chicago’s annual tree lighting ceremony is Friday night in Millennium Park. Plus, The Smashing Pumpkins released “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” 30 years ago. Now, frontman Billy Corgan i...

The federal appeals court in Chicago is putting a short-term hold on a judge’s order that tried to release as many as 615 people detained by immigration authorities this year. Chicago’s transgender community and their allies are using this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance to say “we’re not going anywhere.” Chicago State University just enrolled its largest freshman class in a decade. Plus, Ch...

Federal terrorism charges have been filed against a suspect who allegedly lit a woman on fire on a Blue Line train Monday night. Some local government leaders say the so-called ICE Free Zones they created during the feds’ immigration enforcement campaign are good tools to have. Governor JB Pritzker paid Pope Leo the 14th a visit in Rome Wednesday. Plus, Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday bu...

Just four people are currently being held in the controversial U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in west suburban Broadview, down from nearly 150 two weeks ago. The U.S. House has voted to admonish Democratic Illinois U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia for the way he announced his retirement. A new program allowing Illinois residents to store their driver’s license or state I...

Suburban Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has declared a civil emergency in the village. Starved Rock State Park will undergo an $18 million improvement project over the next year. The CTA holiday train starts running Black Friday. Plus, a key city council panel rejected Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal today in a rare move, far ahead of the December 31st deadline to pass a plan. Cr...

21 protesters have been arrested today outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in suburban Broadview. Advocates against domestic violence are applauding a move by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to restore funding for services. Plus, a conversation with Chicago theater director Robert Falls about his staging of “Amadeus” at Steppenwolf Theater.

Republicans and Democrats continue to battle over whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is not giving up hope on legislation to crack down on homeowners insurance price hikes. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is in the hospital with a rare neurological disorder. Plus, we remember the life of Miguel Perez Jr. – a U.S. Army veteran who drew national headlines after...

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered the release of as many as 615 people who have been held in mandatory detention by federal immigration authorities. A U.S. Representative from Illinois is on the House committee that released emails from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Chicago Transit Authority has closed the door on fare increases in 2026. Plus, while violent crime in Chicag...

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is urging people to stay vigilant even as Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino could be on his way out of town. Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a long-lost Purple Heart Medal to the family of a World War II veteran. Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is going to continue his bid for Illinois governor. Plus, after police killed George Floyd i...

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is under fire for voting to advance a Republican-led House measure that would help end the government shutdown. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’s confident police did not violate the welcoming city ordinance when responding to protests this weekend. The National Weather Service said a La Nina pattern will be active through February, which could mean a col...

WBEZ’s Prisoncast! and the Mud Theatre Project present a new radio drama — written and performed almost exclusively by currently or formerly incarcerated thespians. “The Story of Violence," based on an award-winning script by playwrights at Dixon Correctional Center in Illinois, examines Chicago’s gun violence problem through five characters’ perspectives as their lives intersect at a downtown hot...

O'Hare International Airport today is second in the nation in flight cancellations. The federal government says it's largely complying with an order to improve conditions at the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement processing facility in suburban Broadview. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants members of the United Nations to come to the city – and see ongoing human rights violations for themselves...

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction governing the use of force by federal immigration officers in Chicago. In a separate case, a judge ruled yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security has to improve conditions for detainees at the immigration processing center in suburban Broadview. Chicago-area commuters may soon see the impacts of a massive transit-deal that is awaiting G...

A high-stakes hearing is underway over the treatment of protesters and journalists covering the Trump Administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Chicago’s acting cultural commissioner says the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is entering a new era. A D.C.-based conservative activist group is suing Illinois for records on the state’s role in offering refuge to Texas Democr...

Immigrants who have recently been detained at the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview testified in federal court about the conditions there. The Regional Transportation Authority is walking back its 10 percent fare increases for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace next year. In a surprising move, Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher Shota Imanaga is set to become a free agent...

Illinois and 20 other states are suing the Trump administration to block a rule that could make some government and nonprofit employees no longer eligible for student loan forgiveness. Students and staff are celebrating the opening of a new facility at the Philip J. Rock Center and School in west suburban Glen Ellyn. It’s a major-league-high three Gold Glove winners this year for the Cubs. Margare...

A measure that would allow citizens to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents now awaits the governor’s signature. A bill to let people who are terminally ill end their own lives medically has cleared the Illinois legislature. Illinois lawmakers passed an energy bill last night that will strengthen the reliability of the electrical grid. Plus, horror writers gathered at the University of C...