The Latest Breaking News from Ashlee Rezin

Ald. Jim Gardiner faces five contenders in the Northwest Side ward — and a string of scandals. While the first term incumbent has name recognition, it’s not necessarily the kind of recognition a candidate wants among potential voters.

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Ald. Roberto Maldonado’s decision earlier this year not to seek reelection in the 26th Ward and Ald. Ariel Reboyras’s announcement in the 30th last year prompted a push for new ideas to address crime and other issues in the Northwest Side wards.

The leap in vote-by-mail ballots could push overall turnout past 40%, which the city hasn’t seen in a municipal election in over a decade.

Johnson proposed, among other things, that all residents, regardless of citizenship status, be able to vote for Chicago Board of Education members — a concept also embraced by one of his mayoral rivals, U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.

A WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times analysis shows that 2022 brought a spike in fatal shootings among teens in the after-school hours in Chicago.

Copper has been preparing for this new role since she joined the Sky in 2017 in the trade that sent Elena Delle Donne to the Mystics for her and Stefanie Dolson.

Chicago mayoral candidates campaign, kids try out for the Jesse White Tumblers and more in our best photos of the last few weeks.

Kelly is set to be sentenced in Chicago on Feb. 23. But the big question is whether the judge adds to the 30-year sentence Kelly is already serving for his racketeering conviction in New York. That sentence is likely to keep Kelly behind bars until his late 70s.

Washington Federal Bank for Savings’ failure was at the periphery of Thompson’s trial but will be centerstage when Robert M. Kowalski, who got millions of dollars in loans the feds say didn’t have to be repaid, goes on trial Monday.

As they prepare to elect their next mayor, city voters chose crime and public safety as the top issue guiding their decisions — and a whopping 63% of them don’t feel safe, a Sun-Times/WBEZ/Telemundo Chicago/NBC5 Poll found. But differences of opinions emerged among voters of different racial…