Ratings agency S&P downgraded the city of Chicago’s general obligation debt late Monday, citing structural imbalance in the just-passed 2025 budget, limited options for new revenue down the line, and a lack of willingness among city leadership to cut spending.

Former House Speaker Michael Madigan was grilled at his corruption trial on Tuesday about a comment caught on federal wiretaps, when Madigan said he “put a knife” into then-Senate President John Cullerton during a meeting with Gov.-elect JB Pritzker.

Months of complaints and threats regarding Thornton Township Trustees Chris Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle refusing to attend scheduled meetings led Supervisor Tiffany Henyard to file a lawsuit.

In her bid for a second term as Dolton’s mayor, Tiffany Henyard is operating a self-financed campaign, with state records showing no contributions being recorded for the past year other than loans made by her.

As a caucus approaches Thursday, eight candidates have filed to run for Calumet Township trustee, with the latest application received 30 minutes before the deadline.

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, vowed Tuesday to foster a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon and confronted allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking and questions about his derisive views of women in combat during a heated Senate confirmation hearing.

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of dozens of hostages, two officials involved in the talks said Tuesday. Mediators the United States and Qatar said Israel and the Palestinian group were at the closest point yet to sealing a deal to bring them a step closer to ending 15 months of war.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday ordered that flags at the U.S. Capitol be raised to their full height on Inauguration Day, pausing a 30-day flag-lowering order following the death of former President Jimmy Carter.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will be there.