Investigations

Families who’ve lost loved ones in nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic, patient advocates and attorneys are blasting an executive order issued by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that they said protect an industry with a long history of issues. “Families deserve answers. Families deserve to know what happened with their loved ones,” said Steve L...

All voters who participated in recent elections will now be sent an application for a mail ballot, thanks to a bill that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law this week. Coronavirus concerns have pushed to the forefront how officials will carry out elections safely in November. “Whether or not there’s a vaccine, there’s going to be a vote. A...

As Chicago moves closer to phase four of reopening and city life slowly rebounds, the question remains: Will the masses return to mass transportation? NBC 5 Investigates’ Katie Kim reports.

Hate groups in America are looking to the internet to try and increase membership, according to one group that monitors them.   The Anti-Defamation League says it has seen an uptick in online hate fueled by the killing of George Floyd and the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re seeing an increase in hate online that’s playing out,” s...

As thousands march in peaceful protests against police brutality, activists have denounced rioters and looters who they said are hijacking their message. Now, federal authorities and other officials are looking into whether far-right and far-left extremist groups are taking advantage of the moment. “When you destroy people’s businesses, what you’re...

Imagine standing in Chicago, and firing at a foot-square target in Seattle. That’s the precision with which scientists at Lemont’s Argonne National Laboratory are attacking the coronavirus on a daily basis. “So people don’t think of the Department of Energy as working in human health and biology,” says the lab’s ...

As states ramp up their contact tracing efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, so too are scammers who are preying on consumers’ fears, experts said. “Scammers love pandemics. They are having a field day,” said Steve Bernas, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, serving Chicago and Northern Illinois. Bernas said 90 percent of com...

A group of federal workers is speaking out about plans for them to return to the office, saying that they are being targeted because of the agency that they work for. NBC 5 Investigates’ Phil Rogers has the story.

The vibrancy of Chicago’s famed Loop, dotted with restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment, hinges on the return of tourists and employees whose companies occupy downtown office buildings. The coronavirus has left once bustling streets nearly empty. On a warm spring Friday around mid-day, only essential employees could be seen on sidewalks. A lon...

For weeks now, Los Angeles County has been posting locations online which have seen five cases or more of coronavirus — everything from a Domino’s Pizza with four cases, to a Ralph’s grocery with 22 and a sheriff’s station where 13 people have tested positive for the virus. Wyandotte County in Kansas, which includes Kansas C...

While most stay home to stay safe, doctors are scared for children whose homes are not havens.

All four of Illinois’ health regions are trending in the right direction as the state inches closer to its next phase of reopening, data shows. As of Tuesday, 11 days remained in the statewide stay-at-home order, but regions can begin entering phase three of reopening in as early as 10 days – if they meet the required metrics. Illinois&...

Support for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order varies wildly between towns and counties, and tonight NBC 5 Investigates is taking a look at what the numbers are telling us about which areas are set to reopen more quickly than others. Phil Rogers has more.