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The Regional Transportation Authority is putting the finishing touches on a sharply critical audit of former Metra CEO Alex Clifford's severance agreement – and says the commuter rail agency could have gotten out of the contract for a fraction of the potential $718,000 cost.
Although the newest appointee to the CTA's governing board suddenly backed out in the past week, the CTA's President says any upcoming agency shakeup should leave his agency out.
Plagued by scandal and a series of resignations, the Metra board met Friday, with barely enough members to get any work done.
After, another resignation from the Metra Board, the head of the Regional Transportation Authority is pleading with suburban official to appoint members to fill all the empty seats. WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore has the story.
Gov. Pat Quinn has appointed former U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald and former CTA Board chair Carole Brown to a panel tasked with recommending reforms for the Chicago area's public transit agencies, in the wake of patronage allegations at Metra.
Another Metra board member may be on the verge of being forced from his seat.
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.
Congressman Bobby Rush is trying to counter what he calls innuendo and lies concerning his dealings with the embattled Metra commuter rail agency, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
Governor Quinn says that in the wake of the patronage and executive director payout scandal at Metra, he wants experts to look at an overhaul of the state's transportation agencies, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
A fourth member of the Metra board has now quit following the blistering criticism that the commuter rail agency has faced over the buyout of its former chief executive officer.
Brad O'Halloran sent his letter of resignation to Cook County board members Thursday afternoon. He was among board members who OK'd a more than $700,000 severance deal with former Metra CEO Alex Clifford.
State Senator Bill Brady says Metra has lost its ability to be effective, reports WBBM's John Cody.
DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin says he's accepted the resignation of Metra Board of Directors member Paul Darley.
A state lawmaker thinks the Metra chairman's violation of a ban on outside government pay should be the last straw for the entire Metra board.
The Ventra card allows riders to use a single card for CTA and Pace transportation, according to a CTA release.
BNSF train No. 1279 struck a pedestrian at Columbia Avenue in Naperville about 6:30 p.m. Friday.
House Speaker Michael Madigan's request to be investigated by the Legislative Ethics Commission is being granted.
Democratic candidate for governor Bill Daley said the Regional Transportation Authority – which oversees the finances of CTA, Pace and Metra – has reached the end of the line, and should be eliminated.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation that prevents transit board members from receiving taxpayer-funded health care and pension benefits after they leave the boards.
A special Metra board meeting to vote on whether to launch an independent investigation into accusations raised by the agency's former director has been canceled.
Metra has asked former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins to conduct an independent investigation of former CEO Alex Clifford's patronage hiring allegations.
Former Metra CEO Alex Clifford said Wednesday he does not believe House Speaker Michael Madigan broke any laws by requesting a pay raise for a political supporter, but believes it was "an ethical and moral character flaw."
Ex-Metra CEO Alex Clifford will testify to the Regional Transportation Authority about how House Speaker Michael Madigan asked him to raise the pay of a Madigan campaign worker and to hire another friend of the powerful Southwest Side Democrat.
Governor Quinn and Lisa Madigan were together today at an event in Melrose Park, but the two had little to say to or about each other, reports WBBM's Regine Schlesinger.
Powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Thursday he asked senior staff at Metra to consider a pay raise for an associate who was employed at the commuter rail agency, but withdrew the recommendation after Metra's then-CEO expressed discomfort over it.
A man stood charged Wednesday with firing a gun at a car and going on to lead Illinois State Police on a chase on I-57 this week.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' bill to crack down on rogue tow truck companies and strengthen oversight has been sent to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Chicago Department of Public Health is taking steps to prevent West Nile virus in the area.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other officials broke ground Wednesday on an office-to-residential conversion project on the Magnificent Mile.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' bill to crack down on rogue tow truck companies and strengthen oversight has been sent to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday signed an executive order to toughen standards for where city departments and sister agencies buy guns, firearm accessories, and ammunition.
Hong's rise in the Wisconsin Democratic primary has exposed a sharp divide, with some voters saying they would cross party lines in November rather than support a DSA-aligned candidate.
Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate to testify on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in answering all questions.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
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.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
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.
A Wisconsin appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had declared Act 10 unconstitutional, keeping the 2011 law limiting public workers' collective bargaining rights in place as unions prepare to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
The changing developments at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave. represent a microcosm of 40 years of changing development priorities on the Clybourn Corridor as a whole, and in Chicago and beyond.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
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.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
Actor William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, recall how they helped each other as they fought Stage 4 cancer side by side.
Carly Simon, the singer known for 1970s hits like "You're So Vain," announced she has Parkinson's disease and also was treated for basal cell carcinoma.
Paramount Skydance on Friday said it would delay the deal until as late as June 2027.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
ComEd crews are working to restore power three days after storms and tornadoes left communities with severe damage.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the extended forecast.
Aurora, Illinois, is celebrating six students who won second place in an international tech competition.
The 11th annual Cradles to Crayons Backpack-A-Thon is back and looking to support Chicago area children from head-to-toe.
Hair care brand "Mielle Organics" is hosting its first-ever pickleball tournament Thursday. The funds from this program will go to support a teen mental health program.
Recovery from the severe weather on Monday has stretched into a third day.
The search has resumed for a second contractor worker swept into a storm sewer Monday in Downers Grove during severe weather, though it has now become a recovery mission.
A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer on charges that he defrauded clients out of more than $100 million.
Lollapalooza 2026 takes over Grant Park Thursday with headlining performances from Lorde, Charli XCX, the Smashing Pumpkins, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae and more.
A man stood charged Wednesday with firing a gun at a car and going on to lead Illinois State Police on a chase on I-57 this week.
Earlier this month, charges were dropped in one case against Weinstein, but he still faces charges in New York and California.
The summer camp serves about 75 kids every year, with the mission to help them heal from a violent loss.
While Mayor Brandon Johnson hasn't announced if he will run for re-election next year, he's boasting about lower vacancy rates for Mag Mile buildings and taking credit for the positive changes.
A Lockport foster parent said he lost his kids, job and home for months after a mix-up that landed his name on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
Happ punctuated an 11-pitch at-bat with a two-run double to get the Cubs' scoring started.
The White Sox have lost four of five, including two consecutive games to New York.
The Chicago Bears hit the field at training camp for the first time on Tuesday, and head coach Ben Johnson is clearly fired up for his second season at the helm after a successful first year.
Alex Bregman had a homer, two doubles and drove in two runs to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.
A man stood charged Wednesday with firing a gun at a car and going on to lead Illinois State Police on a chase on I-57 this week.
A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer on charges that he defrauded clients out of more than $100 million.
Chicago police were searching Wednesday for two men in connection with a shooting that left a man wounded in the Northwest Side's Hermosa neighborhood.
Chicago police on Tuesday warned of a pattern of car thefts from parking garages at O'Hare International Airport.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted what was described as a "cornucopia" of unapproved medications in a shipment at O'Hare International Airport recently.
