Pedestrian fatally struck by freight train in western suburbs

A pedestrian was fatally struck by a freight train late Wednesday on railroad tracks used by Metra, delaying two late night commuter trains,...

City Hall fights parking ticket

As profits soar for the company running Chicago's metered parking spaces, so are the multimillion-dollar bills the outfit is asking...

Boys, 14 and 15, shot in Marquette Park neighborhood

A pair of gunmen opened fire on two teenage boys, seriously injuring them Wednesday night in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the...

Thousands of teachers rally in Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel bore the brunt of criticism from angry teachers who filled the Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday to make clear their...

Police warn of North Side robberies

A community alert released tonight warns of a series of robberies in May at businesses in the Near North police district.

Panhandlers harassed on Mag Mile, suit claims

Two civil rights attorneys filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the City of Chicago saying the Police Department is unlawfully intimidating...

BP agrees to spend $400 million to reduce pollution at Whiting refinery

BP will spend more than $400 million to significantly reduce noxious air pollution from its massive refinery in northwest Indiana, the...

Cops catch 2 armed robbery suspects in Hyde Park

Two people are in custody, including a juvenile, and are facing armed robbery charges after police arrested them early this morning...

House passes 'quick-take' bill for proposed Illiana tollway

The Illinois House today passed legislation giving the state so-called quick-take power to acquire private property for the proposed Illiana...

Head of Will County Forest Preserve reprimanded

Will County Forest Preserve District Executive Director Marcella "Marcy" DeMauro will serve a one-day suspension Friday for failing to...

GPS leads cops to bank robbery suspect's sock: 'You got me.'

A Chicago man charged with robbing a South Loop bank on Tuesday was arrested minutes later after police followed a GPS tracking device...

Illinois House approves major gambling expansion

SPRINGFIELD — Shunting aside Gov. Pat Quinn’s concerns, the Illinois House today approved a major expansion of gambling in...

Sheriff: Vehicle full of teens was going nearly 100 mph

A vehicle full of teens was speeding more than 40 mph over the limit in McHenry County when it was stopped early this morning, which might...

Panel picks former Stroger aide to run against indicted state lawmaker

West Side Democratic leaders today picked a onetime aide to former Cook County Board President Todd Stroger to run against indicted state...

$18.5 million settlement in Transformers 3 accident

An $18.5 million settlement has been reached with a woman who was seriously injured while working as an extra for the third Transformers...

Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus found in DuPage

Mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile virus were found in five DuPage County communities this month, the county health department...

Police: Aurora man held in 'peeping Tom' incident worked with children

A 24-year-old Aurora man arrested last weekend and facing various charges works with children at a Naperville YMCA, according to police, who...

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald stepping down June 30

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who oversaw the prosecutions of governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, announced today he is...

Fitzgerald: 10 years of major cases

Patrick Fitzgerald has overseen thousands of criminal prosecutions and high-profile cases. He took on public corruption, international...

Lawyer: Threat to blow up overpass may have been drunken bluster

A Chicago man accused of threatening to blow up a train overpass during the NATO summit may have been drunk and just running his mouth,...

Prosecutors: Woman smoked pot day of crash that killed Skokie boy

Investigators say a woman with a previous drug possession conviction was smoking pot the morning that the vehicle she was driving struck...

New Oak Park principal named in wake of testing problems

Oak Park School District 97 appointed Sam LeDeaux as the new principal of Horace Mann Elementary, where the current principal is stepping...

Police ready for Memorial Day crackdown

Memorial Day weekend should be sunny and hot — with an increased chance of getting stopped by police.

School reform groups urge no strike for Chicago

Stand for Children, an Oregon-based education reform group that helped pass legislation last year that makes it harder for the Chicago...

Alderman's girlfriend among finalists to challenge indicted lawmaker

West Side Democratic leaders were unable to reach consensus Tuesday on a challenger to indicted Rep. Derrick Smith, but among the three...

Oprah puts one of her Chicago condos on market for $2.8M

Media giant and former talk-show host Oprah Winfrey placed her eight-room, 4,607-square-foot  Streeterville co-op unit on the market on...

Man found in Blue Island home died from heart disease

A body described as "mummified" has been discovered inside a home in south suburban Blue Island, officials said.

Chicago Teachers Union staging downtown rally today

The Chicago Teachers Union expects thousands of teachers to show up Wednesday for a downtown rally staged to fire up its members and serve...

Watchdog Update: Pressure grows for limits on flame retardants

In New York state, lawmakers are moving to ban a cancer-causing flame retardant from children's products.

$4.1 million settlement for pregnant inmates who say they were shackled

A federal judge today granted preliminary approval to a $4.1 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of a group of...