Tina Sfondeles
Chief Political Reporter: Chicago Sun-TimesTina Sfondeles is the chief political reporter, covering all levels of government and politics with a special focus on the Illinois General Assembly, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration and statewide and federal elections. Sfondeles spent much of the pandemic in Washington, D.C. — covering the White House and co-authoring the West Wing Playbook for Politico. She also covered the White House and Democratic politics and policy as a politics correspondent for Insider. Sfondeles joined the Sun-Times in 2007, covering politics, transportation, crime and sports — and returned to the newspaper in 2022.
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The decade-long FBI investigation that led to Madigan’s trial roiled local politics and changed the course of Illinois history. The feds summoned 50 witnesses to a 12th-floor courtroom in a bid to prove Madigan and Michael McClain guilty of “corruption at the highest levels of state government.” -
The funding freeze could affect trillions of dollars and cause widespread disruption in health care research, education programs and other initiatives. Grants that have been awarded but not spent are also halted. -
The ruling marks the first big loss for Trump, three days after taking the oath of office, and the temporary block applies to the entire country. Illinois was one of the states suing to stop the order. -
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s lawsuit claims President Trump’s executive order is unconstitutional. -
Gov. JB Pritzker has presidential ambitions — and his vetting when he was under consideration to serve as Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate and this week’s Democratic National Convention have put a huge spotlight on the second-term governor. -
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker spoke with Kamala Harris’ campaign about the vice presidential role on Wednesday, according to a source with knowledge of the process. -
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who had been on shortlists as a potential replacement for President Joe Biden, said he had spoken to Harris and told her the president’s decision “came as a genuine surprise.” -
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, will take residency on the state’s soon-to-be constructed quantum campus to establish a program where quantum computing prototypes will be tested to bolster national security. -
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's proposed investments would support the creation of a child tax credit, overhaul of the state's pension system, and fund programs for asylum-seekers arriving in Chicago. -
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker will include the $10 million ask in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year to erase $1 billion in Illinoisan's medical debt. The investment would mark the first in a multi-year plan. -
A bill filed on Thursday would allow qualified individuals, not medical professionals, to self-administer a medication to end their lives. There is of course opposition to such measures, specifically from the Catholic and evangelical communities. -
The maps Illinois Democrats approved in 2021 sealed in their political power for a decade — adding one Hispanic-majority blue seat in Congress and forcing two Republicans out of their districts.
