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A memorial is on display at the funeral of Chicago police Officer Ella French on Aug. 19, 2021. (WTTW News)

Emonte Morgan Convicted of Murder in Fatal 2021 Shooting of Chicago Police Officer Ella French

Officer Ella French was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Aug. 7, 2021. Emonte Morgan, 23, is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

March 5, 2024 - Full Show

Advocates weigh in on the controversial IVF ruling in Alabama. And early voting is underway in Illinois as former president Donald Trump survives a ballot challenge — our Spotlight Politics team on that and more.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s longtime chief of staff Tim Mapes exits the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in downtown Chicago on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, after he was sentenced to 30 months in prison for perjury and attempted obstruction of justice. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Judges, Ex-Lawmakers, Lobbyists Wrote to Support Convicted Ex-Madigan Aide Tim Mapes

Tim Mapes was sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison, though U.S. District Judge John Kness told Mapes he had “zero hesitation in agreeing, wholeheartedly, that you are a good man,” after reading dozens of letters written to the court on Mapes’ behalf.

Former Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat from Chicago, is pictured at a state Capitol news conference Tuesday, March 5, 2024, to promote ethics reforms. He and Republican Rep. Ryan Spain, of Peoria, spoke in favor of a constitutional amendment that would allow citizens to propose ethics-related constitutional amendments on the ballot through petitions. (Peter Hancock / Capitol News Illinois)

Former Gov. Pat Quinn Backs GOP-Sponsored Ethics Amendment

A Republican proposal that would give citizens the ability to propose ethics-related constitutional amendments on the ballot received a bipartisan boost Tuesday when former Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn endorsed it.

Eileen O’Neill Burke and Clayton Harris III are running for the Democratic nomination in the race for Cook County state’s attorney. (Photos provided)

Eileen O’Neill Burke is ‘Not Related to THAT Burke’ — But He Backed Her Appellate Court Bid

For Eileen O’Neill Burke, locked in a fierce fight for the Democratic nomination for Cook County state’s attorney against Clayton Harris III, her last name has turned out to be a double-edged sword.

(WTTW News)

How an Illinois Law Protects IVF Access, Reproductive Health Care Rights

A recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling is raising questions about IVF. In Illinois, the Reproductive Health Act protects the increasingly popular path to parenthood while establishing people’s right to make decisions about their own reproductive health.

Four active eagle nests being monitored this winter in the Forest Preserve District of Will County. (Forest Preserve District of Will County / Chad Merda)

Number of Active Eagle Nests Now Up to 4 in Will County

It's the first time four active nests have all been located on Will County forest preserve property.

Lurie Children's Hospital logo is seen at the hospital, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, in Skokie, Ill. Doctors and nurses at the premier Chicago children's hospital can again access patients' electronic medical records, more than a month after a cyberattack forced Lurie Children's Hospital to take its networks offline. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

A Month After Cyberattack, Lurie Children’s Hospital Says Some Systems Are Back Online

Officials had previously blamed the attack on a “known criminal threat actor” and said the hospital shut down its own systems for phone, email and medical records once the breach was discovered on Jan. 31.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

3 Killed by Gunfire Over Holiday Weekend Across Chicago: Police

According to Chicago Police Department data, 29 people were shot in 24 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday.

March 4, 2024 - Full Show

The Supreme Court restores Donald Trump to the ballot. A push to eliminate the road test for seniors in Illinois. And looking at Chicago’s lofty place in the history of the skyscraper.

(WTTW News)

New Bill Aims to Eliminate the Road Test for Seniors in Illinois

Illinois is the only state in the country to require behind-the-wheel road tests for seniors renewing their licenses. Proposed legislation in Springfield is looking to eliminate that mandate despite conflicting research from some national safety groups.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker delivers his state of the state and budget address before the General Assembly at the Illinois State Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (WTTW News)

State Lawmakers Debate Top Takeaways From Pritzker’s Proposed Budget

More money for migrants, increased access to preschool, a break on grocery bills and a prescription for how the state could wipe out medical debt — those are some of the spending plans in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s nearly $53 billion state budget.

Brigitte Calls Me Baby performs at Schubas Tavern on March 2, 2024. (Marc Vitali / WTTW News)

Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Breakout Chicago Rock Band, Meets the Moment With Electrifying Show at Schubas: Review

There was a charge in the air at Schubas Tavern on Saturday night. Maybe it was the singer with the electric chair tattooed on his chest. Brigitte Calls Me Baby played its first sold-out hometown show.

Demolition began Monday, March 4, 2024, on an illegal building in Humboldt Park that has been at the center of controversy since 2022, when it began rising on park grounds with no prior notice to the community. (WTTW News)

Demolition Begins on Illegal Building in Humboldt Park

The illegal building, intended as an archive for the neighboring landmarked National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, has been at the center of controversy since 2022.

Robert Crimo Jr., left, pleaded guilty to seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Pool / Chicago Tribune / AP via CNN Newsource)

Who is Accountable for a Mass Shooting? It’s No Longer Only the Person Who Pulled the Trigger

Prosecutors over the past few years have been slowly, but steadily, expanding the notion of who can be held accountable for a mass shooting.

This image provided by Perrigo Company shows boxes of Opill, the first over-the-counter birth control pill available later this month in the United States. (Perrigo Company via AP)

First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill in US Begins Shipping to Stores

The drug’s approval came despite some concerns by FDA scientists about the company’s results, including whether women with certain medical conditions would understand that they shouldn’t take the drug.

FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures at a campaign rally, March 2, 2024, in Richmond, Va. (Steve Helber / AP Photo, File)

Supreme Court Restores Trump to Ballot, Rejecting State Attempts to Ban Him Over Capitol Attack

The justices ruled a day before the Super Tuesday primaries that states, without action from Congress first, cannot invoke a post-Civil War constitutional provision to keep presidential candidates from appearing on ballots.

The exterior of the Illinois State Capitol is pictured in Springfield. In 2024, nearly 90% of Statehouse primaries feature either one candidate or none at all. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Nearly 9 in 10 State-Level Primaries Give Illinois Voters No Choice in Candidates

Statewide, 88% of judicial and state legislative primaries feature either a single candidate or no one running at all. This is the highest number of uncompetitive primaries for those seats in at least 20 years, according to a Capitol News Illinois analysis of data going back to 2004.

(WTTW News)

Gov. Pritzker Seeking to Eliminate State Grocery Tax, But Some Municipalities Could Push Back

Illinois shoppers would save a dollar when they buy $100 worth of groceries under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate a state sales tax on groceries.

Graphic that says “Chicago's Skyscrapers.” (WTTW News)

WTTW News Explains: Where Does Chicago Stand in Skyscraper History?

Chicago is a city of firsts — everything from the first Ferris wheel to the first brownie and the world’s very first skyscraper. WTTW News explains.

Chicago Police Department Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

5 Years After Chicago’s Consent Decree Took Effect, Little Urgency Surrounds Reform Push

The Chicago Police Department has fully met just 6% of the consent decree’s requirements, according to the most recent report by the team monitoring CPD’s progress.

(WTTW News)

Early Voting Expands Across Chicago for March 19 Illinois Primary

Starting Monday, voters in Chicago will have more places to cast their ballots ahead of the Illinois primary election on March 19.

Brian Beals, 57, sits in his sister’s home in January, one month after being released from prison after serving 35 years for a wrongful conviction. Beals was studying at Southern Illinois University when he was arrested for a murder he did not commit in 1988. (Dilpreet Raju / Capitol News Illinois)

His Conviction Was Overturned After 35 Years Wrongfully Served. State Law Caps His Compensation at 14 Years

A new bill in the General Assembly would seek to remove the roughly $200,000 cap on payments to exonerees that maxes out at the 14-year mark, replacing it with a payout of $50,000 per year, capped at just over $2 million.

Ronnie Preston dances in the Illinois Capitol in February 2024 as part of the Native American Summit organized by the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Native Tribe Seeks Return of Ancestral Land in DeKalb County

A bill pending in the General Assembly would give back roughly 1,500 acres of park land in DeKalb County to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. That tribe once occupied much of the Great Lakes region but was forcibly removed in the 19th century.

Tammy McCann performs at the Driehaus Museum on Feb. 27, 2024. (Angel Idowu / WTTW News)

Chicago Jazz Vocalist Takes Listeners on Musical Journey in ‘75 Years of Mahalia Jackson’: Review

Tammy McCann recently previewed a one-woman show dedicated to the life and work of gospel legend Mahalia Jackson. McCann will soon head to New York to once again pay homage to the queen of gospel.

The cast of “Message in a Bottle.” (Lynn Theisen)

The Chilling Power and Uncanny Timeliness of ‘Message in a Bottle’: Review

“Message in a Bottle,” which runs through Sunday at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, is simply a phenomenal production that should not be missed, writes WTTW News theater critic Hedy Weiss.