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A bald eagle is pictured in a file photo. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Second Pair of Bald Eagle Mates on the Nest in Will County. How Big Will the Eaglet Boom Be?

The Forest Preserve District of Will County confirmed a second pair of eagles are incubating eggs in a newly-built, enormous nest.

(WTTW News)

Judge Allows Police Board Proceedings to Resume Amid Dispute Over CPD Discipline System

A Cook County judge Monday allowed proceedings before the Chicago Police Board to resume as he prepares to rule on an effort backed by the city’s largest police union to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

February Is Going Out on a Wild Note: Record-Breaking Warmth, Wildfire Warnings, Tornadoes and Maybe Snow

The forecast for last week of February has a little something for everyone. Buckle in for a wild ride.

Prairie (or field) thistle on the left, cutleaf teasel on the right. Which is native and which is invasive? (USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab; Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Invasive Dupes, Part 1: Teasel vs. Thistle, Will the Real Native Please Stand Up

In honor of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, we'll be posting daily "dupes" — invasives that can easily be confused with native species. 

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

14-Year-Old Boy Among 3 Killed in Chatham Home Shooting Sunday: Police

According to the Chicago Police Department, four people were killed by gunfire and another 17 people were wounded in separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Chicago police Officer Ella French (@TomAhernCPD / Twitter)

Chicago Police Officer Ella French’s Alleged Killer Set to Go to Trial This Week

Jury selection in the trial of Emonte Morgan is set to begin Monday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building — more than two and a half years after he allegedly shot and killed the 29-year-old police officer.

(WTTW News)

Final Tally: Chicago Taxpayers Spent At Least $74M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits in 2023, Analysis Finds

Wrongful convictions have long been the most expensive kind of police misconduct in Chicago, costing taxpayers $29.25 million in 2024, or nearly 40% of the total amount spent to resolve allegations of police misconduct, according to WTTW News’ analysis.

(WTTW News)

Northwestern, Dartmouth, Rice and Vanderbilt Settle Antitrust Financial Aid Lawsuit

Dartmouth College, and Rice, Vanderbilt and Northwestern universities agreed to pay a total of $166 million to settle claims filed in a 2022 class action lawsuit alleging the schools colluded on the amount of financial aid awarded to students, while favoring applicants from wealthier families. 

Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger waits to hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Sept. 15, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Matt York, file)

Cody Bellinger Returning to the Cubs on an $80 Million, 3-Year Contract, Source Says

The slugger can opt out of the deal after each of the first two seasons, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Sunday because the agreement was pending a physical. 

Maternal mental health disorders such as suicide and opioid overdose are responsible for nearly one in four maternal deaths in the U.S., research shows. (Prasit photo / Moment RF / Getty Images / File via CNN Newsource)

Maternal Mental Health Conditions Drive Climbing Death Rate in US, Research Says

The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is two- to threefold greater than in other high-income countries, and it has only increased in recent years, according to a new evidence review.

FILE - Judge Robert Adrian presides over court on Aug. 26, 2020, in Adams County, Ill. (Jake Shane / Quincy Herald-Whig via AP, File)

Illinois Judge Who Reversed Rape Conviction Removed From Bench After Panel Finds He Circumvented Law

The Illinois Courts Commission said Adams County Judge Robert Adrian “engaged in multiple instances of misconduct” and “abused his position of power to indulge his own sense of justice while circumventing the law.”

Week in Review: Judge Strikes Bring Chicago Home Referendum; White Sox Court Springfield Lawmakers

Chicago’s Board of Education votes to remove police officers from schools. And the White Sox head to Springfield in the hopes of scoring a stadium subsidy.

(WTTW News)

Indiana Resident With Measles Visited 3 Chicago Hospitals While Contagious, Health Officials Say

Local health officials are working to notify people who may have been exposed to measles after a northwest Indiana resident sought medical care last week in Chicago while contagious with the infection.

A homeless encampment in Humboldt Park. (WTTW News)

Judge Orders Proposal to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Properties Off Ballot; City Appeals

The proposal known as Bring Chicago Home will remain on the ballot, but the results will not be tallied and reported unless the judge’s decision is overturned by a state appeals court.

(Courtesy of Alexandra Duvivier)

How Do You Say ‘Abracadabra’ in French? Acclaimed Parisian Magician on Chicago Performances, Life in Magic and Fooling Penn & Teller

Paris-based magician Alexandra Duvivier charms audiences with the art of close-up – or parlor – magic. She’s one of a growing number of women in the profession, and she even performed a trick that fooled famed duo Penn & Teller.

Brookfield Zoo’s grey seal pup is just one week old and already a charmer. (Courtesy Brookfield Zoo)

Look at That Face: Brookfield Zoo’s Baby Seal in the Running for Cutest Newcomer

The grey seal pup was born Feb. 17. He’ll stay behind the scenes for the next month and a half while bonding with his mom.

Odysseus passes over the near side of the moon following lunar orbit insertion on Feb. 21, 2024. (Credit: Intuitive Machines / NASA / X via CNN Newsource)

Historic Odysseus Moon Mission Marks Milestone in Reaching the Lunar Surface: ‘The US Has Returned to the Moon’

Odysseus is expected to operate for up to seven days on the lunar surface before the landing site is plunged into lunar night, with freezing temperatures rending the vehicle inoperable.

An American Ethanol label is shown on a NASCAR race car gas tank at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo / Randy Holt, File)

EPA Approves Year-Round Sales of Higher Ethanol Blend for Illinois, 7 Other Midwest States

The move reflects the importance of ethanol to agriculture. The fuel additive consumes roughly 40% of the nation’s corn crop, so higher sales of ethanol could mean greater profits for corn farmers.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

With Democratic National Convention Coming to Chicago, CPS Board OKs Delayed Start Date For 2024-25 School Year

The DNC is scheduled to run from Aug. 19-22 at the United Center. Classes this fall for CPS students are now slated to begin Aug. 26 and run until June 12, 2025.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Feb. 22, 2024 - Full Show

Chicago officials are closing four migrant shelters. State lawmakers weigh in on Pritzker’s budget proposal. And a local group’s effort to diversify figure skating.

Kids learn ice skating techniques at a “Figure Skating on Your Block” class. (Courtesy of Chicago Youth Foundation)

Chicago Group Gets Kids on the Ice With ‘Figure Skating on Your Block’

The Chicago Youth Foundation offers a new program to introduce figure skating to diverse neighborhoods across the city.

The “Evicted” exhibit runs through March 10 at the National Public Housing Museum. (WTTW News)

Exhibit Explores Impact of Evictions With Help From People With Lived Experience

The exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum in River North is inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Evicted” by Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond.

Demonstrators march in Chicago on Wednesday, June 24, 2020 to show their support for removing police officers from schools. (WTTW News)

CPS Board Approves Plan to Remove Resource Officers From Schools

The seven-member board unanimously approved the resolution, which directs CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to implement a new whole school safety policy, which “must make explicit that the use of SROs within District schools will end by the start of the 2024-2025 school year.”

A migrant shelter located at 2241 S. Halsted St. (WTTW News)

Chicago Closes 4 Shelters as Number of Migrants in City Facilities Drops 17% Since Mid-December

Closing the four shelters will allow the city to avoid paying $19 million to lease the facilities, staff them and provide food and laundry services, officials said.

Students at Lane Tech High School staged a walkout on Jan. 30, 2024, in support of a cease-fire in Gaza. (Paris Schutz / WTTW News)

US Department of Education Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into Chicago Public Schools, Area Universities Over Gaza Protests

Neither CPS officials nor a spokesperson with the Department of Education would comment on the nature of the investigation, but a CPS source says the probe stems from complaints of antisemitism filed with the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights leading up to a Jan. 30 student walkout.

Justin Fields looks on prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on September 10, 2023. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Justin Fields Says He Wants to Stay a Chicago Bear, Explains Unfollowing Team on Social Media: ‘I’m Tired of Hearing the Talk’

The 24-year-old set social media alight when he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram, fueling speculation that he could be on his way out of Illinois.