A state audit acknowledged some improvement but flagged continued trouble spots for the Department of Children and Family Services under Gov. JB Pritzker.

Striking Cook County Forest Preserve maintenance, conservation and programming workers reached a deal with management Wednesday.

Apple has relabeled Lake Ontario to “Lake America” for U.S. users of its Maps app.

Iran fired on U.S. allies in the Gulf early Wednesday following a night of American bombardment that Iranian officials say included a deadly strike on a wedding party.

The murder case against the Utah man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year is headed for trial, and the defendant could face the death penalty if he’s convicted.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the Trump administration Tuesday to “stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough,” as he pushed back against a fresh wave of attacks from Washington.

The U.S. military hit targets in Iran on Tuesday and Tehran fired missiles and drones in response as hostilities flare once again in an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. One U.S. strike hit a home hosting a wedding, killing two people and wounding dozens, local officials said.

The House passed a short-term measure Tuesday to fund the federal government into early December, a move designed to avoid a chaotic shutdown as lawmakers campaign for reelection.

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, introduced legislation that would prohibit corporations with lockouts from working with the federal government.

Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday condemned the weekend’s mass shooting in Washington Park, saying the city must continue his administration’s crime-fighting efforts.