Retired Chicago political reporters talk about today's polarized country
Mike Flannery, Derrick Blakley, and Craig Dellimore are three of Chicago's most respected journalists.
Watch CBS News
Mike Flannery, Derrick Blakley, and Craig Dellimore are three of Chicago's most respected journalists.
Jim Williams recently sat down for a roundtable discussion with his former CBS News Chicago colleagues Derrick Blakley and Mike Flannery, and the recently retired Craig Dellimore of WBBM Newsradio, to discuss their careers, today's politics in their splintered and hostile state.
Former CBS News Chicago Political reporter Derrick Blakley joins Jim Williams and Marie Saavedra to discuss a new poll placing Vice President Kamala Harris ahead in Iowa, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s race, and other issues in the 2024 election.
Johnson is neck-and-neck with Paul Vallas in the mayoral runoff. CBS 2 Political Analysts Derrick Blakley and Ald. Leslie Hairston have analysis. Meanwhile, Dana Kozlov and Chris Tye are live at Johnson headquarters, while Jim Williams and Marie Saavedra are live at Vallas headquarters.
The race is 50-50 with most of the precincts reporting. CBS 2 Political Analysts Derrick Blakley and Ald. Leslie Hairston have analysis.
CBS 2 Political Analysts Derrick Blakley and Ald. Leslie Hairston have analysis.
CBS 2 Political Analysts Derrick Blakley and Ald. Leslie Hairston join us for analysis in this mayoral runoff election now that the polls have closed.
"When Derrick Blakley was there, you knew the adult was in the room," former co-anchor Mary Ann Childers said.
Two CBS 2 legends received a special honor Friday night.
"I've been really fortunate to receive the support here and the reception I've had, most importantly, from the viewers of Chicago, who have been absolutely wonderful to me for a very, very long time. I hope I have kept their trust and I am grateful to have enjoyed their support."
The next step comes in November 2020. That's when the jail will have an actual, on site voting booth on Election Day. And that will allow the jail to provide same-day voter registration, as well.
The Aviary is being praised by Trump opponents for being part of the resistance. At the same time, it's being vilified by Trump supporters for undue disrespect to the first family,
"I have a work permit and I have to renew every year, but they can deny any year that they want to. Like they can say, we're not gonna renew your work permit any more. So I'm a risk for deportation."
Police confirmed that Anthony Riccio, CPD's First Deputy Superintendent, took a family holiday earlier this month, just after the Memorial Day weekend that resulted in 43 shootings and seven murders.
"Just as March 31 of this year, the program had approximately 1,300 open claims, many of which dated back several decades. Which means we were paying people, taxpayer dollars, without resolving their claims."
In her first city council meeting, Mayor Lori Lightfoot took on indicted Ald. Ed Burke. Wednesday she tangled with an executive of the Fraternal Order of Police.
"We don't know who she is, never seen her at any events on the West Side of Chicago and for her to be representing us a judicial appointment is a slap in the face to residents of the West Side."
President Trump is threatening to impose a 5% tariff, or tax, on all Mexican imports starting Monday, unless Mexico does more to stop Central American migrants from reaching the U.S. Border. But last minute talks continue.
A media war on the issue is expected to cost hundreds of millions in TV and direct mail, because the stakes are so high. To scrap the flat tax, 60% of Illinois voters, not just a simple majority, must approve the change.
"This is a substantial package and this will address a substantial portion of the maintenance needs that we have in this region."
Lightfoot said what makes this indictment extraordinary is the number of instances in which Burke is allegedly using his position to line his pockets.
The indictment also details a rather petty form of extortion by Burke. He allegedly threatened to oppose an admission fee hike for a Chicago museum, unless that museum hired the child of a personal friend for an internship.
With the bang of the gavel, Mayor Lightfoot took control of her first City Council meeting. But it was a verbal confrontation with Ald. Bruke that really showed who's boss.
"They don't just have to look for a police car. They can look for a neighbor."
"Turning and giving us all the evil eye, mean mugging us to try to make it feel like she's trying to intimidate us, was completely uncalled for."
One person was hospitalized early Monday morning after a fire in a strip mall in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood.
A woman was expected to recover after she was shot while driving in Chicago's Englewood community Sunday night.
Local leaders and housing advocates on Monday will call on Chicago's City Hall to push back on a so-called FAIR Ordinance, which would scale back some of the plans in Mayor Brandon Johnson's Protect Renters Ordinance.
A man was shot and killed in a fight in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Sunday night.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has extended an air pollution action day through Monday night.
Local leaders and housing advocates on Monday will call on Chicago's City Hall to push back on a so-called FAIR Ordinance, which would scale back some of the plans in Mayor Brandon Johnson's Protect Renters Ordinance.
This is the first time in more than 150 years that a vice president's family had a child while in office.
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her Democratic primary campaign for Wisconsin governor Friday, citing financial problems she said would distract from an election Democrats need to win.
President Trump delivered a speech on election security Thursday night at the White House. Here are the facts behind some of his claims.
State Rep. Carol Ammons is charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, making false statements and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, is also accused of aiding in attempts to cover up the alleged crimes.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
Environmental and community groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to act on a petition challenging U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit renewal.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is the first film shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras, and Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge is 1 of roughly 30 theaters nationwide equipped to show it that way.
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
The actor's agent said he was providing more information following news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
The 46th Taste of Chicago is cashless for the first time, accepting only credit cards, with a drone and fireworks show scheduled for approximately 9:15 p.m. Friday near Buckingham Fountain.
A Minnesota woman has her beloved cat, Fridge, back after she was lost in the Colorado wilderness for more than a month.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initially linked the explosive diarrhea-causing outbreak to lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms, but now it turns out it was all a false positive. Lauren Victory reports.
A woman was expected to recover after she was shot while driving in Chicago’s Englewood community Sunday night.
Local leaders and housing advocates on Monday will call on Chicago’s City Hall to push back on a so-called FAIR Ordinance, which would scale back some of the plans in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Protect Renters Ordinance.
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has your 5 a.m. First Alert Weather forecast for Monday, July 20, 2026.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has extended an air pollution action day through Monday night.
A man was shot and killed in a fight in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Sunday night.
The FDA said that as of Sunday, it had not found any "confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora."
One person was hospitalized early Monday morning after a fire in a strip mall in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood.
A woman was expected to recover after she was shot while driving in Chicago's Englewood community Sunday night.
Neighbors in the Avalon Park neighborhood said their community has been plagued by squatters, weeds, rats, and water leaks – all thanks to an abandoned home that's been sitting vacant for years.
Chicago has been feeling the heat this week, with highs in the 90s the past five days, but officials are making moves to cool off some of the hottest parts of the city, specifically Chicago Park District fieldhouses where many turn to keep cool.
Gene Rush survived throat cancer, but he didn't survive a trip to the Porter County Jail over 4th of July weekend. His family said jail staff failed to provide lifesaving medical care.
Haze from Canadian wildfire smoke that has settled in Chicago on Thursday is directly connected to climate change, according to experts, who said days like this could be more problematic moving forward.
A pair of jewelry importers have been charged in federal court in Chicago with smuggling millions of dollars in gold jewelry into the U.S. to avoid taxes, schemes uncovered by a federal task force that has surpassed $1 billion in recoveries and penalties over the past year.
Spain topped Argentina in extra time, one-nil, after playing scoreless for 90 minutes at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Braden Montgomery had two hits and an RBI as the White Sox bounced back from Saturday's 1-0 loss to take two of three from the Blue Jays. Toronto scored five total runs in the series.
Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the first and Imanaga (6-8) took over from there, allowing six hits with one walk before leaving after 99 pitches.
Spain dominated the match, outshooting Argentina 20-3, but couldn't manage a goal in regulation — finally scoring in the second period of extra time.
The Toronto Blue Jays beat the White Sox 1-0 on Saturday to snap Chicago's four-game winning streak.
A woman was expected to recover after she was shot while driving in Chicago's Englewood community Sunday night.
A man was shot and killed in a fight in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood Sunday night.
A man was stabbed to death in North Chicago, Illinois, early Sunday morning.
Minneapolis police are investigating after a mass shooting seriously injured two people and wounded seven others outside a nightclub in the Uptown neighborhood early Sunday morning.
A man was left in critical condition after being stabbed during a fight in Chicago's Gold Coast Saturday night.
