City records and federal trackers show roughly $80–95 million in unspent pandemic grants. Officials call it responsible budgeting while critics warn of lost programs.

At a University of Chicago event, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended her 'you can't earn a billion dollars' line and tied it to market power, tax and antitrust reforms.

District 204 approved a four-year teachers contract that includes early pay bumps, a higher starting salary and CPI-linked raises for later years.

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee told CNBC that April’s payrolls show the job market is holding, but sticky inflation keeps the Fed cautious about cuts.

Federal regulators and the DOJ are probing hundreds of millions in well‑timed oil bets placed minutes before major Iran‑related announcements, data show.

After a widely publicized 2019 raid and a $2.9M settlement, Anjanette Young has moved closer to a seat on Chicago’s police oversight commission. Her appointment exposes lingering divisions over warrant policies at City Hall.

The License Committee advanced a ban on sweepstakes gambling machines, setting escalating fines and license suspensions and sending the measure to City Council on May 20.

Illinois lawmakers are weighing rival AI bills: one would limit liability for frontier labs if they publish safety plans, the other would force audits, reporting and child-protection rules.

George Cardenas has formed an exploratory committee to test a Chicago mayoral bid after a narrow Board of Review win. His role on the tax appeals board could make property values a campaign issue.

Stephen Colbert sat down with Barack Obama at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park as the Late Show winds down; the interview doubled as a preview of the museum ahead of its June 19 opening.

Voters across Northwest Indiana head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether Rep. Frank Mrvan wins renomination and which Republican will challenge him this fall. Coverage will track returns after polls close at 6 p.m.

A surprise bump in tax receipts has given Springfield short‑term budget breathing room, but state forecasts warn FY27 could be tighter.

Mayor Brandon Johnson will join suburban leaders in Springfield this week to press lawmakers to reverse a proposed change to the LGDF that the city says would cost about $12.7M. Officials warn the tweak would freeze growth in a key state-to-local revenue stream.