Fran Spielman

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces his run for mayor at an event in Bronzeville on the South Side Sunday.

Joining the Chicago mayor's race, Giannoulias casts himself as a coalition builder

Fran Spielman

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias enters the race as a presumed frontrunner, with a political target on his back after raising $22 million from business leaders and building trade unions.

A renderings of the proposed Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights.

Illinois

Lawmakers sweeten pot to keep Bears in Illinois, with stadium bill linked to statewide property tax relief

Fran Spielman, Tina Sfondeles

The Bears continue to weigh whether to build a stadium in Arlington Heights or Northwest Indiana. A new property tax relief element to a measure that would allow the Bears to renegotiate their property taxes with the northwest suburb is seen as essential in getting support from lawmakers outside of Chicago, including Republicans.

Members of the Texas National Guard assemble at a training center in southwest suburban Elwood Tuesday.

Chicago IL (area)

Texas National Guard members arrive at Chicago area military training facility

Mitchell Armentrout, Tina Sfondeles, Cindy Hernandez, Fran Spielman

Military troops arrived at an Elwood training center after weeks of threats from President Donald Trump’s administration, over the objections of local leaders.