Paseo Boricua has been the heart and soul of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community for decades. But the area has been impacted in recent years by gentrification and displacement of some longtime residents, as rents rise and luxury buildings sprout up on its borders. 

The legislative session hits the 11th hour in Springfield. A live report from Humboldt Park. The mayor’s new foot pursuit policy. And a new WTTW doc takes us to the glory days of Mister Kelly’s.

Illinois legislators are heading into the holiday weekend with a to-do list that includes a major energy overhaul, ethics package and a new state budget.

With just days left before the General Assembly’s scheduled adjournment on May 31, a lot of legislation is moving in Springfield. But only one constitutional amendment has gained traction.

Tim Mapes, a longtime confidant to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, was federally indicted Wednesday on charges he obstructed justice and lied to a grand jury. Our Spotlight Politics team weighs in on that story and more in this week’s roundtable.

The last 14 months have been incredibly difficult for Chicago’s usually booming hospitality industry. Though many hotels are still grappling with lower occupancy rates and many employees are still laid off, a recent uptick in travel means things are starting to look up.

Opponents of a plan to rename 17 miles of Lake Shore Drive for Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, Chicago’s first permanent non-Indigenous settler, blocked a vote on the measure Wednesday, enraging supporters of the plan, who called the move racist. 

More infighting in Springfield over redistricting. A heated day at City Council — we’ll hear from Chicago aldermen and our own Spotlight Politics team. Plus, a slow comeback for the hotel industry.

Meet the Surabhi Ensemble. Composed of musicians of many races and ethnicities, this global music group that’s based in Chicago has a mission to make cross-cultural connections. 

On the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, a special edition of “Chicago Tonight.” We hear from police officers, community members and other stakeholders about the state of policing in Chicago.

Chicago has been grappling with issues surrounding policing long before the murder of George Floyd. But as it did across the country, Floyd’s killing led to outrage and calls for change, including campaigns to defund the police.

Police reform advocates and progressive aldermen blasted Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to create a seven-member civilian board to oversee the Chicago Police Department, saying Tuesday that it would not help restore trust in the beleaguered department.

Fatal shootings, botched raids and police tactics at protests have all been the subject of criticism, calls for reform and even defunding. But many in law enforcement say they are given too few resources and too many restrictions to do what they believe is a difficult and dangerous job.

Mental health professionals say officer wellness has declined over the past year amid the pandemic, civil unrest and a growing distrust of the police — a job some former officers say is one of today’s most stressful.

The Chicago Police Department has been operating under a consent decree since 2019. The order, which was prompted by the 2014 police murder of Laquan McDonald, is the first consent decree the department has faced. But it’s not the first attempt at police reform in Chicago.