Politics

The planned Amtrak maintenance facility site at the existing railyard near Rate Field is shown Oct. 6, 2026. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Who knew about Amtrak’s Bridgeport plans, and when did they know?

By Talia Soglin

October 12, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Public records reveal some early awareness of Amtrak's Bridgeport plans by local officials, though questions...

President Donald Trump returns to the White House following a trip to Clarksville, Tenn., on the South Lawn of the White House, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)

Judge orders the Trump administration to cancel taxpayer-funded promotional TV ads

By Associated Press

October 11, 2026 at 8:11 p.m.

President Donald Trump must cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars...

South Korean army soldiers watch the North Korean side from the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea’s military says North Korea fired a projectile toward the sea

By Associated Press

October 11, 2026 at 8:13 p.m.

South Korea’s military says North Korea fired at least one projectile toward its eastern waters,...

Rep.-elect Max Miller, R-Ohio, arrives for new member orientation check-in and program registration with Emily Moreno in Washington, Nov. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)

Sen. Bernie Moreno says former son-in-law Max Miller should not serve in the House

By Mary Clare Jalonick

August 2, 2026 at 7:57 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno said his former son-in-law, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, should not be...

The sun sets behind the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Senate leaders reach funding deal to avoid shutdown during campaign season

By Kevin Freking

August 2, 2026 at 5:35 p.m.

Key senators unveiled a short-term spending bill on Sunday that would keep federal agencies funded...

President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Friday, July 31, 2026, after a trip to Camp David, the presidential retreat. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Trump says he will order halt to Iran strikes after parameters reached for deal to end war

By Samy Magdy

August 2, 2026 at 10:40 a.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will order American forces to hold off on new...

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, holding one of his four daughters, announces his campaign to be the next mayor of Chicago on August 2, 2026, in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 134 hall. (Arthur Maiorella/baiduhai)

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces run for Chicago mayor

By Jake Sheridan

August 2, 2026 at 3:31 p.m.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Sunday he will run for mayor of Chicago,...

Sen. Dick Durbin cheers with dreamers on July 22, 2026, at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill in Washington during a mock graduation event to commemorate Durbin’s long advocacy for the Dream Act, a path to citizenship for undocumented people brought to the U.S. as children. Tereza Lee, right, was his inspiration for the legislation. (Brian Cassella/baiduhai)

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin sees DREAM Act slipping away: ‘We’ve been on this bill for 25 years’

By Daniel C. Vock

August 2, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

With less than six months left in his legislative career, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is...

Employees extract early voting ballots at the Cook County Clerk’s Election Operation Center in Cicero on March 12, 2026, where thousands of pieces of voting equipment are stored, tested and distributed. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

Judge rules Illinois not required to turn over voter rolls to Feds

By Allison Kiehl

August 2, 2026 at 2:09 p.m.

Seven months after the lawsuit was filed by the Trump administration’s Department of Justice to...

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is seen from the Washington Monument, Friday, July 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Jeanine Pirro refutes President Donald Trump’s claim that Reflecting Pool was damaged by vandals

By The New York Times News Service Syndicate

August 1, 2026 at 7:07 p.m.

President Donald Trump on Saturday sharply criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's assessment that damage to...

Chicago Teachers Union members and Chicago Public Schools lunchroom workers rally as the Chicago Board of Education holds a meeting about the budget on July 30, 2026. (Antonio Perez/baiduhai)

CPS is counting on $150 million more from Springfield. Will it deliver?

By Kate Armanini

August 2, 2026 at 9:00 p.m.

While the Chicago Board of Education agrees that schools need more funding, there’s far less...

Hilario Dominguez, right, joins Chicago Teachers Union members and their allies in a protest outside Chicago Public Schools headquarters on July 20, 2026, before a meeting of the Board of Education. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Six overruled objections to Chicago School Board ballots petitioned for judicial review

By Tess Kenny

July 31, 2026 at 8:19 p.m.

New filings in Cook County Circuit Court ask that recently overruled ballot objections to six...

Then-state Rep. Harry Benton sits at his desk in the House chamber during the spring legislative session at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on May 27, 2026. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

An ex-staffer and the Illinois speaker: 2 differing responses to the Harry Benton harassment report

By Rick Pearson

July 31, 2026 at 8:01 p.m.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch continues to face scrutiny after the Friday release of...