Aroma Park didn't qualify for FEMA funds after tornadoes, mayor says
CBS News Chicago learned it wasn't White House favoritism or even a rejection by FEMA that led to the decision.
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CBS News Chicago learned it wasn't White House favoritism or even a rejection by FEMA that led to the decision.
As families work to rebuild their lives after tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area and northwest Indiana on Tuesday, questions over whether the federal government will help out will likely be a focal point down the road.
The Department of Homeland Security officially shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday after Congress failed to pass a bill to fund its operations before a stopgap measure lapsed.
Illinois residents who were hit hard by storms last August have once again been denied extra help from the federal government by the Trump administration.
There might be some relief on the way for people whose homes recently flooded during storms in Chicago.
The Southwest Side of Chicago is still recovering from flood damage over the weekend, with homeowners filing reports with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, trying to get money to help rebuild.
FEMA joined state, county, and city officials this week, going door-to-door in parts of Chicago hit hardest by flooding from heavy rain in July.
More than a week after deadly floods struck Central Texas, search and rescue teams are continuing to probe debris for those still missing.
It was not clear to staff whether FEMA's David Richardson meant it literally or as a joke, but current and former employees who spoke with CBS News said the comment flustered many.
Help from FEMA may include grants for temporary housing, basic home repair or replacement, and other disaster-related expenses.
Help from FEMA may include grants for temporary housing, basic home repair or replacement, and other disaster-related expenses.
The agency did not say where the situation happened, but Gov. Ron DeSantis said it occurred in Florida, calling it "targeted discrimination."
President Biden told Floridians his administration would offer support "for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild."
Anyone whose home or business sustained damage from tornadoes in the Chicago area this past summer can now get help with repairs.
The National Weather Service confirmed 41 tornadoes in Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana on the nights of both Sunday, July 14, and Monday, July 15.
A CBS News investigation found numerous examples across the U.S. where emergency officials failed to issue timely alerts to warn the public about safety threats — or never issued an alert at all.
If approved, you could get grant money for home repairs or help for your small business.
A temporary FEMA disaster assistance center opened in Riverdale to serve renters, homeowners and business owners affected by storms and flooding.
"People kept riding through it with the big trucks and every time they would ride through it it would cause a wave, and it would come up more."
FEMA and the FCC launched a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on Wednesday.
FEMA said so far, it has given out more than $150 million in assistance to 42,000 households and more than $32 million in small business disaster loans.
"We were actually getting so much water, that the system that we have, the sewage collection system, the drainage system, the stormwater management system, simply could not take in that much water."
"We've had issues with flooding in our alleys. Our alleys are not paved. Our taxes continue to go up."
The center will help provide recovery assistance to residents in Chatham, Avalon Park, and other surrounding South Side communities.
While many are still recovering from the record heat wave last week, on Monday FEMA continues its Summer Ready campaign with an extreme heat summit.
Azura Stevens scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half, Sydney Taylor added 17 points, and the Chicago Sky beat the Seattle Storm 95-90 on Wednesday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to announce if he'll seek re-election next year, but a new poll reveals he faces a tough road ahead if he does run for another term.
Wednesday's sweltering weather didn't stop nearly 200 Chicago kids from kicking around soccer balls on the South Side, where some lucky young athletes got tips from the pros.
Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo were both shot and killed during traffic stops by ICE agents days apart in Maine and Houston.
Chicago Public Schools officials on Wednesday announced plans to lay off hundreds of teachers and other staff and impose five furlough days to help close a $732 million deficit for next school year.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to announce if he'll seek re-election next year, but a new poll reveals he faces a tough road ahead if he does run for another term.
Chicago Public Schools officials on Wednesday announced plans to lay off hundreds of teachers and other staff and impose five furlough days to help close a $732 million deficit for next school year.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing to lead the Justice Department in a permanent capacity.
The measure also allows states to opt out if they take action before the federal law is enacted.
Of the 162 employees, 82 were from central office positions and the remaining 80 were from those citywide positions, CPS said.
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.
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.
In the four years since Roe v. Wade was overturned and Illinois became a destination for abortion care, Illinois providers and advocates have rebuilt the state's infrastructure to support the tens of thousands of people who travel to the state for abortion services every year.
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.
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.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's summer home in Highland Park reopened after a $70 million gut renovation that redesigned the stage to reduce sound levels harmful to musicians.
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop star best known for singing the chart-topping power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 1983, has died. She was 75.
The nominations for the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, with the final season of HBO Max's "Hacks" setting a new record for the most nominations in a single year for a comedy series.
It'll be a block south of the ballpark, near Clark and Addison. The company says the new location will also include a small indoor dining area.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to announce if he'll seek re-election next year, but a new poll reveals he faces a tough road ahead if he does run for another term.
Last October, a federal judge ordered all agents in Chicago to wear and turn on their cameras. However, the decision was not nationwide.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon is tracking the latest in First Alert Weather.
Wednesday's sweltering weather didn't stop nearly 200 Chicago kids from kicking around soccer balls on the South Side, where some lucky young athletes got tips from the pros.
The district's budget plan calls for laying off 760 teachers, 801 teachers' aides, and 162 central office employees.
An Air Quality Alert for the Chicago area is only being made worse by the arrival of drifting smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.
Riders were forced to climb down a roller coaster that had stalled at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, on Tuesday.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to announce if he'll seek re-election next year, but a new poll reveals he faces a tough road ahead if he does run for another term.
Wednesday's sweltering weather didn't stop nearly 200 Chicago kids from kicking around soccer balls on the South Side, where some lucky young athletes got tips from the pros.
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.
Chicago is bracing for another heat wave, less than two weeks after the last one. This time, the heat comes with air quality concerns.
The university released what it's called a strategy statement about the impact it's already seeing artificial intelligence make on higher education and the legal profession.
New Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke is fighting innocence claims more often than her predecessor, Kim Foxx, and hiring outside counsel to help.
On Tuesday evening, CBS News Chicago reported on wild weeds taking over a property in the South Side's Washington Heights neighborhood, and neighbors who said they spent months trying to get help.
Azura Stevens scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half, Sydney Taylor added 17 points, and the Chicago Sky beat the Seattle Storm 95-90 on Wednesday.
Dylan Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter in a show of pitching dominance that led the American League to a 4-0 win over the National League in the All-Star Game.
The Cliburns are one of 10 sets of twins in MLB history to reach the major leagues.
Paige Bueckers had 22 points and 11 assists, Jessica Shepard added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Dallas Wings beat the Chicago Sky 96-91.
Chicago (50-45) swept the three-game series by outscoring the A's 24-2 after getting swept in three games against Boston.
A judge could decide Wednesday if a man accused of shooting and killing Chicago police Officer John Bartholomew and critically wounding his partner is fit to represent himself at trial.
A woman was arrested in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, Tuesday and charged with the death of her newborn child nearly 25 years ago.
Burglars smashed into a gas station minimart in the south Chicago suburb of Calumet City, Illinois, early Monday.
Armed robbers held up a restaurant in Chicago's Roseland community early Monday morning, police said.
Burglars tried unsuccessfully to take an ATM from a store in Chicago's West Town community early Monday, police said.
