Mar 17 100 years ago this week, nearly 700 people were killed in the deadliest U.S. tornado By John O'Connor, Associated Press The Tri-State Tornado touched down in southeastern Missouri on March 18, 1925. It tore through Missouri, Illinois and into Indiana with a mile-wide funnel, killing 695 people. Continue reading
Feb 28 Illinois landlord found guilty of murder, hate crime in 2023 attack on Palestinian American boy By Sophia Tareen, Melissa Perez Winder, Associated Press Joseph Czuba, 73, was charged in the fatal stabbing of Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of his mother, Hanan Shaheen. Continue reading
Nov 21 Court overturns Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges he staged attack on himself By John O'Connor, Sophia Tareen, Associated Press The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges that he staged a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lied to Chicago police. Continue reading
Nov 13 Watch 8:37 Democratic governors say they are leading state-level efforts to ‘protect democracy’ By Amna Nawaz, Stephanie Kotuby, Alexa Gold Donald Trump isn’t the only one preparing for his return to the White House. Several Democratic governors are uniting, they say, to protect democracy at the state level during Trump’s second term in office. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Colorado… Continue watching
Aug 21 ‘Hitting kids should never be allowed’: Illinois bans corporal punishment in all schools By John O'Connor, Associated Press Legislation that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law this month bans physical punishment in private schools while reiterating a prohibition on the practice in public schools, first implemented 30 years ago. Continue reading
Aug 16 Watch 7:00 How Chicago residents feel about the city’s response to a migrant surge By Laura Barrón-López, Sam Weber, Ryan Connelly Holmes Chicago, the city hosting the Democratic National Convention next week, has been at the center of the national conversation around U.S. immigration policy. Laura Barrón-López reports. Continue watching
Aug 16 WATCH: Biden designates 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Ill. By Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, Associated Press In August 1908, mobs of white residents tore through Illinois' capital city under the pretext of meting out judgment against two Black men. Two innocent Black men were hanged, dozens of homes and businesses in Springfield's majority-Black neighborhoods were burned… Continue reading
Jul 25 Wind power can be a major source of tax revenue, but officials struggle to get communities invested By Melina Walling, Mary Katherine Wildeman, Associated Press An Associated Press analysis of county tax data from local governments in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska found wind companies rank among the biggest taxpayers in many rural communities, with their total tax bills at times outstripping that of large farms,… Continue reading
Jul 23 Watch 4:42 Activists demand reform and justice after deputy shoots and kills Sonya Massey in her home By William Brangham, Courtney Norris, Jackson Hudgins The Justice Department opened an investigation into the killing of a Black woman by an Illinois sheriff's deputy who shot her inside her home earlier this month. The probe comes after body camera footage was released, sparking protests and calls… Continue watching
Jul 18 Illinois sheriff’s deputy charged with murder shot Black woman in face after she called police for help By Melissa Perez Winder, Ed White, John O'Connor, Associated Press Sonya Massey was killed at her home in Springfield after Grayson and another Sangamon County deputy responded to her 911 call early July 6. Continue reading