Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s FY2027 budget would merge Illinois’ Gaming and Racing boards into one agency, prompting debate over whether public oversight of licenses and enforcement will shrink. The move centers on how the state balances revenue and transparency.

A 2‑11 alarm sent extra crews to a church on Chicago’s Far South Side Tuesday; Chicago Fire Media posted photos from the scene.

Chicago’s latest infrastructure tally shows 170+ miles resurfaced, thousands of repaired sidewalks and new bikeways across neighborhoods.

Cool morning, warm afternoon: scattered storms expected after 3 p.m. Gusts to 30 mph and small‑craft advisories on Lake Michigan.

Deputies say a 25-year-old was removed from the CTA Red Line after being seen smoking; they recovered a loaded handgun and charged him with unlawful possession.

DNA testing confirmed the skull found in an Amazon box on the Near West Side belonged to Andre McDaniel after his family used Cook County’s Missing Persons Day. The match answered one question while leaving others unresolved.

A multi‑agency April sweep on the South Side netted nine firearms, suspected narcotics, stolen goods and more than $280,000 in cash.

A 22-year-old Bensenville man is being held after prosecutors say he drove the wrong way on Route 83 with a .253 BAC, causing a head-on crash that killed a passenger.

Club Studio signed a roughly 32,000‑sq‑ft lease at the Newberry on the Triangle, converting the long‑vacant Morton’s footprint into a multi‑level fitness club in the Gold Coast.

Certified March primary tallies in DuPage and suburban Cook show Juliana Stratton leading the Senate field, Pritzker unopposed for governor, and local measures passing in Naperville and Wood Dale. The results now shift attention to November and local implementation steps.

A large blaze on Chicago’s West Side engulfed multiple homes in West Garfield Park Monday; aerial footage showed a partial collapse but officials reported no injuries.

Fern Hill’s latest filing for 23 S. Sangamon pulls a promised community center and instead proposes a 70‑unit condo building with four public restrooms and park storage.

Pilsen parents and community leaders are opposing a CPS–CTU agreement to make May 1 a ‘day of civic action,’ saying it threatens instruction and strains family supports.