A new statewide stay at home order could be coming to Illinois if the coronavirus isn’t brought under control, Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday.Pritzker said the state is experiencing a "storm" of the coronavirus with the number of COVID-19 cases now rising exponentially.He said the state has largely run out of options to deal with the virus and may have to take drastic action."We’re run...

Cook County Judge LeRoy Martin Jr., who presides over the busiest felony courthouse in Chicago, has been appointed to a seat on the state’s appellate court.

First-time Republican candidate Mike Buehler declared victory Thursday in the race for McHenry County board chairman, as incumbent Jack Franks conceded the election.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood won her bid for a second term Thursday, narrowly defeating Republican challenger Jim Oberweis in the west and north suburban and exurban 14th Congressional District, The Associated Press declared. The AP’s call of the race came after Underwood’s advantage over Oberweis grew from 3,524 votes to 4,288 votes after an additional 2,910 ballots were reported by Will...

As Mayor Lori Lightfoot works behind the scenes to muster the votes she needs to pass her 2021 city budget, she has delivered a message to City Council members: those who vote against her spending plan should not expect their wards to be prioritized, according to aldermen. In recent weeks, Lightfoot has held a series of meetings with aldermen during which she’s lobbied for their support on her con...

As coronavirus cases in Chicago continue to spike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot will impose a 10-person limit on weddings, birthday parties, funerals and some social events starting Monday morning. While stopping short of issuing a citywide shutdown order, Lightfoot also is urging residents to stay home during the coming weeks. As part of her stay-at-home advisory, Lightfoot is encouraging residents not t...

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Chicago area and the rest of Illinois.

Cook County jail coronavirus update, Sheriff pleas for community's help

Rivian is moving from concept car to reality.The electric truck startup, which has been building out its factory in Normal, will begin taking orders on its inaugural models next week, with deliveries starting in June on a special Launch Edition version.There are three vehicle packages for both the R1T truck and R1S SUV, offered in nine adventurous-sounding colors such as Red Canyon, El Cap Granite...

BRIMFIELD -- Like some other school districts in central Illinois, Brimfield has had to switch to all-remote learning because of COVID-19.Unlike most others, an outbreak among students was not the cause.With about 20 percent of faculty and staff members infected or quarantined, administrators in Brimfield School District 309 decided to halt in-person instruction until Nov. 30.Remote learning for t...

BRIMFIELD -- Like some other school districts in central Illinois, Brimfield has had to switch to all-remote learning because of COVID-19.Unlike most others, an outbreak among students was not the cause.With about 20 percent of faculty and staff members infected or quarantined, administrators in Brimfield School District 309 decided to halt in-person instruction until Nov. 30.Remote learning for t...

Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion after battling an extra-alarm fire that started early Thursday on the 10th floor of a 22-story commercial building in the Loop, officials said.

MACOMB/MOLINE — Western Illinois University announced that the Board of Trustees will meet next week to vote on the selection of Guiyou Huang, one of six candidates to compete for the presidency.The meeting, which will be streamed on the university’s YouTube page, will take place at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, according to WIU News. The press release said that the board met in closed se...

The tax amendment's failure "is so catastrophic for higher ed in the state," one advocate said.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Donald Trump is doing an excellent job creating a fantasy world — let’s call it “the MAGA-verse” — in which he won the 2020 presidential election. But he didn't, and here are some pointed facts to burst Trump's bubble.

Trump might think these displays of loyalty are about him, but Republicans have something else on their mind, Dahleen Glanton writes.

PEORIA — While middle school students in Peoria Public Schools returned to the classroom part-time this week, the rate of positive COVID-19 tests in Peoria County remained at levels that canceled in-school learning three months ago.And, as officials plan a retreat to all-remote learning for all grades in the first two weeks following the winter break, they defend the decision to reopen schoo...

An extra-alarm fire engulfed a Far South Side warehouse Wednesday night but no injures were reported, according to the Chicago Fire Department and Chicago police.

A 25-year-old man was killed and another man was critically injured Wednesday night in a West Side shooting, according to Chicago police.

A 12-year-old boy was shot multiple times Wednesday night on the West Side, according to Chicago police.

Faced with a record number of COVID-19 patients, some Illinois hospitals are returning to strategies similar to those they adopted in the early days of the health crisis, including limiting elective surgeries and adding more beds.

Basketball teams can practice Monday, but whether the season moves forward won't be decided until after Nov. 19, the IHSA said.

As Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden challenged Republican President Donald Trump for the Oval Office in last week’s election, Chicago saw the most voters cast ballots in nearly four decades, officials announced Wednesday.

Freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood extended her slim lead over Republican challenger Jim Oberweis as ballots continue to be counted in the west and northwest suburban and exurban 14th Congressional District.

A new executive order by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb starting this weekend will limit crowd sizes to 20 people in the highest-risk red counties and 50 people in the next-riskiest orange counties.

After receiving city data on COVID-19 infections in Chicago restaurants and bars, the Fulton Market Association is calling for aid and transparency.

More than 500 complaints have been filed against Chicago police officers since late May on allegations that they mistreated protesters during the demonstrations that followed the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, officials said, and eight have been stripped of their police powers.

Welcome to The Spin, the Chicago Tribune's politics newsletter.

Work will continue to identify significant cuts that can be made to the state budget despite cancellation of the General Assembly’s veto session, Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday.Pritzker said he’ll also be working to convince credit rating agencies not to downgrade the state’s bonds to junk status following the failure of the graduated income tax amendment."I’m already conv...