Will Illinois Get Snubbed By Trump White House? Not Necessarily, Observer Says
The BGA's Andy Shaw says key Illinois Republicans, like businessman—and fundraiser—Ron Gidwitz and some members of Congress are close to President Trump.
Andy Shaw
Retired Suburban Schools Chief Draws More Than $300,000 A Year
Lawrence Wyllie, who ran the Lincoln-Way High School District, has the largest pension in the Illinois Teachers Retirement System.
2 Investigators: Chicago Cop Lied, Stays On The Job
Why did Cook County prosecutors decline to pursue a perjury case against Officer Allyson Bogdalek? CBS 2's Pam Zekman reports.
Chicago Police Should Create 'Early Warning System' To Detect Bad Cops, Watchdog Says
Jason Van Dyke, the white police officer who shot and killed black teen Laquan McDonald in October 2014, has 18 complaints against him and yet no disciplinary action.
BGA Sues Cook County To Release "Clout Logs"
A government watchdog group has filed a lawsuit against Cook County, to get access to records about potential patronage in county hiring.
2 Investigators, BGA: Does Chicago Have An Ambulance Shortage?
CBS 2's Pam Zekman and the Better Government Association investigate claims by some paramedics that response time is too slow.
BGA: Overhaul Transit Boards To Change 'Culture Of Corruption'
A government watchdog group said Wednesday that the resignations of two Regional Transportation Authority board members this week pointed to larger, troubling issues for the Chicago area's transit agencies.
BGA Questions $750K 'Golden Parachute' For Former Metra Boss
A government watchdog group wants the Regional Transportation Authority to look into why former Metra executive director got a severance package worth up to $750,000 when he stepped down, even though he apparently wasn't legally entitled to any severance pay.
BGA, 2 Investigators: Ambulance Breakdowns Could Prove Deadly
It could have been a matter of life or death last month when a city ambulance broke down while rushing a gunshot victim to a hospital for emergency care. How could that happen? Pam Zekman and the Better Government Association investigate.
BGA, 2 Investigators: Taverns Give Campaign Cash To Mayors Who Regulate Them
At least 50 mayors who double as liquor commissioners have taken campaign contributions totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the same bars they watch over. CBS 2's Pam Zekman reports.
BGA Urging Open Process For Any Deal To Privatize Midway
The Better Government Association has been putting pressure on the Chicago City Council as city officials weigh possible privatization of Midway International Airport, in an effort to make sure it won't turn out like the disastrous parking meter lease deal.
School Investigator: Widespread Fraud Pervades Chicago School Lunch Program
CBS 2 and the Better Government Association first disclosed how Chicago Public School employees were gaming the $175 million program meant for poor children.
Cost To Repair Brown Line Rehab Mistakes Swells To $5.7M
CTA fares are going up so that desperately needed infrastructure improvements can be paid for; all while the final fixes are underway to correct costly mistakes made on the CTA's $580 million Brown Line reconstruction project.
BGA President: Jackson's District May Not Have Congressman For Several More Months
Constituents in Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s district have gone without representation on Capitol Hill for more than five months, and the head of the Better Government Association said Wednesday that they might have go go without a congressman for several more months, thanks to Jackson's ongoing health and legal problems.
Jackson Jr.'s Four-Month Absence 'Troubling' For Government, BGA Says
The head of the Better Government Association says the continued absence of Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. is troubling. and certainly not good government.
Dozen High-Ranking Educators Accused Of Scamming School Lunch Program
A dozen principals and assistant principals have been removed for allegedly scheming to obtain free or reduced-price school lunches for their own children.
BGA's Shaw: Rep. Jackson Owes Everyone A Better Explanation
Better Government Association president Andy Shaw says U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-Ill.) owes the public more answers than he has provided.
BGA Praises End Of Controversial Sick Day Policy At City Colleges
The head of the Better Government Association is giving the Emanuel administration high marks for changing a controversial sick day policy at the City Colleges of Chicago.
BGA Blasts Pension Sweeteners For Daley, Aldermen
The Better Government Association is denouncing the latest examples of alleged government pension manipulation, uncovered by a Chicago Tribune investigation.
BGA Fights For Special Prosecutor In Case Involving Daley Nephew
The Better Government Association is urging the appointment of a special prosecutor to reinvestigate the case of David Koschman, who died after being punched by a nephew of retired Mayor Richard M. Daley.
BGA Probe: Ex-City Colleges Boss Got Sweetheart Retirement Deal
He could be the king of double-dipping in Chicago. The Better Government Association says what's happening with Chicago State University President Wayne Watson proves the public pension system is broken.
Evanston Residents Vote In Favor Of Abolishing Township
Voters in Evanston on Tuesday cast their ballots in favor of abolishing the township form of government.
Study: Tax Levies In Cook County Rose 48 Percent In 10 Years
A new study shows how far and how fast taxes have been going up in various municipalities in Cook County.
BGA Launches Petition To End Legislative Scholarships
The Better Government Association has set up an online petition to eliminate the state's legislative scholarship program, with state Rep. Robert Rita (D-Blue Island) now accused of granting a scholarship to a political ally's daughter.
Lobbyists Drawing Lucrative Pensions Partially Paid By Taxpayers
They aren't government employees. They are in effect lobbyists, but their salaries and pensions are funded in part by your tax dollars.
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Two women in critical condition after boating accident at Chicago's 'Playpen'
A rental boat operated by a licensed captain suffered an equipment malfunction and as the captain was trying to reverse, he backed over a raft with the two women inside.
Woman, 19, shot in back while sitting inside vehicle in River North
This shooting is an part of a larger trend -- an uptick in crime in River North.
Bud Billiken Parade encourages children to return to school as fall approaches
Organizers described the parade as the largest African American parade in the country.
Chicago First Alert Weather: Evening showers, storms to be followed by quiet conditions
The severe threat is low, but not zero. Expect stormed between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m.
$15,000 reward offered in CTA Red Line murder case
Cook County Crime Stoppers passed out a flyer showing the two men who shot and killed Diunte Moon.
Vaughn hits tiebreaking single, White Sox beat Tigers 6-4
Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning for the second consecutive night, AJ Pollock homered in the eighth and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Saturday night.
Happ leads homer barrage, Cubs power past struggling Reds
Ian Happ, Willson Contreras and Franmil Reyes homered, and the Chicago Cubs beat the stumbling Cincinnati Reds 7-2 on Saturday night.
NFL players union president blasts Soldier Field conditions
The president of the NFL Players Association blasted the conditions at Soldier Field on Saturday, and he didn't exactly get an argument from the Chicago Bears or Kansas City Chiefs after their preseason game.
Mahomes has TD, safety Reid kicks PAT, Chiefs lose to Bears
Patrick Mahomes sure looked like he was ready to go. The one-time MVP, Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowler made it look easy in his short time on the field.
Latest News
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Two women in critical condition after boating accident at Chicago's 'Playpen'
A rental boat operated by a licensed captain suffered an equipment malfunction and as the captain was trying to reverse, he backed over a raft with the two women inside.
Woman, 19, shot in back while sitting inside vehicle in River North
This shooting is an part of a larger trend -- an uptick in crime in River North.
Bud Billiken Parade encourages children to return to school as fall approaches
Organizers described the parade as the largest African American parade in the country.
Chicago First Alert Weather: Evening showers, storms to be followed by quiet conditions
The severe threat is low, but not zero. Expect stormed between 7 p.m. and 12 a.m.
$15,000 reward offered in CTA Red Line murder case
Cook County Crime Stoppers passed out a flyer showing the two men who shot and killed Diunte Moon.
CBS 2 Investigators
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Offer to buy timeshare for over $1 million turns out to be elaborate scam
The timeshare owner says the business sent him elaborate emails and documentation, but the requests for money went on and on – until he was out more than $300,000.
$33.5 million verdict ordered against Village of Dolton in deadly 2016 crash involving police
Attorneys say it all started with a driver rolling through a stop sign.
New motion in R. Kelly case claims deceptive practices by former lead prosecutor
With the Chicago federal trial for R. Kelly and two of his associates set to begin in less than two weeks, attorneys for one of the defendants – Derrell McDavid – filed a bizarre motion in court Wednesday.
Englewood building residents go for 12 days without water service
That length of time made for a rough situation for people living in the building, and raised questions about why it took so long.
How did a driver end up going the wrong way on I-90, causing crash that killed six?
The Illinois Secretary of State's office said the women, Jennifer Fernandez of Carpentersville, had a valid driver's license and no offenses on her record.
Politics
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CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller on Mar-a-Lago search: an arrest warrant doesn't necessarily follow a search warrant
"Getting a search warrant is the first step toward gathering evidence," Miller said. "There might not be any crime committed and the document just sits in a file and that's the end of the story."
Mar-a-Lago search warrant released, reveals FBI seized top-secret classified documents
The Justice Department is investigating the former president for potential Espionage Act violations.
Trump lawyers agree to public release of Mar-a-Lago search warrant
The Justice Department asked a federal court to unseal the warrant, citing public interest in the case, and Trump said he encouraged its release.
DOJ moves to unseal search warrant used to seize docs from Trump's home
Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed he "personally approved" the extraordinary decision to seek the warrant.
Trump team mulls releasing Mar-a-Lago warrant, inventory, video, photos
The Justice Department asked a judge to unseal the search warrant and inventory, but Trump lawyers are considering releasing material prior to a ruling.
Consumer News
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Thefts of Kias and Hyundais are skyrocketing, up 767% this summer in Cook County
In light of the crime trend, law enforcement wants everyone to know what's going on and how best to protect themselves and their cars.
Judge finds Walgreens contributed to San Francisco's opioid crisis
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said, for more than a decade, Walgreens pharmacies in San Francisco dispensed hundreds of thousands of opioid prescriptions without performing enough due diligence.
Illinois AG warns of scam using phony websites to target banking customers
The scammers make the websites look real as they trick customers to enter their information to create a bank account.
Are we in a recession? An expert says yes, but there's a sliver of good news about falling prices
The GDP a measure of total spending on goods and services across the economy, fell at an annual rate of 0.9 percent, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
Inflation is at 40-year high, and one expert says cost of living is even worse than numbers say
The Consumer Price Index reports the price of gas skyrocketed nearly 60 percent over the last year – and it's of course far from the only commodity affected.
Health
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After he and his partner had monkeypox, fitness trainer warns 'how much of a joke this isn't'
The pain was so excruciating that a prescribed opioid didn't even help – that was Carson Twitchell's experience after he contracted monkeypox last month.
Chicago expecting 20,000 more monkeypox doses in coming weeks.
Chicago's top health official says the rush is on to get more monkeypox vaccine doses to those who need them, as infections continue to rise.
Chicago launches public health plan for monkeypox
The United States now counts more infections from the virus than any other country in the world. Since May, cases have grown from zero to 6,617.
U.S. declares monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency
The declaration could help the federal government respond as the number of cases grows and demand for the vaccine far exceeds supply around the country.
Are "Novids" special or just lucky at avoiding COVID-19?
It's estimated that more than 70% of Americans have had COVID, but we all know someone who says they've never had it.
Business
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Hyde Park native to open Illinois' first Black-owned cannabis company
The artist is launching "93 Boyz" this weekend.
Neighbors push back against proposal for gun shop, shooting range in Long Grove
The Long Grove village manager said he has received hundreds of emails about the proposal for a Range USA shop
Groupon lays off 500 employees
The departments affected include technology and sales.
Camp Aramoni brings boutique camping experience to site less than two hours away from Chicago
In the town of Tonica – less than two hours away from Chicago and right next to Starved Rock State Park – a hidden treasure sits on 96 acres of preserved land.
New 'first class' theatre at Wheeling Town Center hopes to draw back in-person crowds
Operators of the new theatre hope enhancing the experience will draw back crowds not since since before the pandemic.
Sports
More SportsVaughn hits tiebreaking single, White Sox beat Tigers 6-4
Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning for the second consecutive night, AJ Pollock homered in the eighth and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Saturday night.
Happ leads homer barrage, Cubs power past struggling Reds
Ian Happ, Willson Contreras and Franmil Reyes homered, and the Chicago Cubs beat the stumbling Cincinnati Reds 7-2 on Saturday night.
NFL players union president blasts Soldier Field conditions
The president of the NFL Players Association blasted the conditions at Soldier Field on Saturday, and he didn't exactly get an argument from the Chicago Bears or Kansas City Chiefs after their preseason game.
Mahomes has TD, safety Reid kicks PAT, Chiefs lose to Bears
Patrick Mahomes sure looked like he was ready to go. The one-time MVP, Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowler made it look easy in his short time on the field.
Kopech Ks 11, Vaughn hits 2-run single as Sox beat Tigers
Kopech was lifted despite blanking the Tigers on 85 pitches throught six innings.
Weather
Entertainment
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Actor Anne Heche 'not expected to survive' after crashing into Mar Vista home, rep says
Actor Anne Heche was placed in a medically induced coma a few days after crashing her car into a Mar Vista home last Friday.
Olivia Newton-John, beloved singer and actress, dies at 73
Her husband John Easterling announced her passing on her Facebook page.
Elton John stops to see preview of Broadway In Chicago's 'The Devil Wears Prada'
A preview performance of Broadway in Chicago's new show "The Devil Wears Prada" had a very special guest in attendance this week.
Ambulance transports, arrests at Lollapalooza down this year compared with last
The Office of Emergency Management and Communications said 68 people were transported by ambulance from Lollapalooza this year, compared with 102 last year.
Lightfoot announces 10-year deal extension to host Lollapalooza in Chicago
Lightfoot's office said the deal comes with an "estimated future financial impact of nearly $4 billion for the Chicago economy."
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Bud Billiken Parade encourages children to return to school
Organizers described the parade as the largest African American parade in the country.
Man, 62, dies after being shot in head at stop sign in Englewood
A 62-year-old man is dead following a shooting in the Englewood neighborhood Friday night.
Two women in critical condition after boating accident at Chicago's 'Playpen'
A rental boat operated by a licensed captain suffered an equipment malfunction and as the captain was trying to reverse, he backed over a raft with the two women inside.
Chicago First Alert Weather: Evening showers, storms to be followed by quiet conditions
CBS 2 Meteorologist Robb Ellis has the 5 p.m. forecast for Saturday, August 13, 2022.
$15,000 reward offered in CTA Red Line murder case
Cook County Crime Stoppers passed out a flyer showing the two men who shot and killed Diunte Moon.
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62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards Red Carpet Gallery
The best looks from the 62nd annual GRAMMY Awards on CBS.
Apollo 11: 'The Eagle Has Landed'
2019 GRAMMY Awards Red Carpet Gallery
Red carpet looks from the 61st annual GRAMMY Awards on CBS.
2018 Grammy Nominations
Check out some of the exceptional nominees for the 2018 GRAMMYs, only on CBS!
Bears After Dark With Cody Whitehair
