The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is two- to threefold greater than in other high-income countries, and it has only increased in recent years, according to a new evidence review.
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Illinois Judge Who Reversed Rape Conviction Removed From Bench After Panel Finds He Circumvented Law
Feb 24, 2024 | Associated Press
The Illinois Courts Commission said Adams County Judge Robert Adrian “engaged in multiple instances of misconduct” and “abused his position of power to indulge his own sense of justice while circumventing the law.”
Week in Review: Judge Strikes Bring Chicago Home Referendum; White Sox Court Springfield Lawmakers
Feb 23, 2024 | Paul Caine
Chicago’s Board of Education votes to remove police officers from schools. And the White Sox head to Springfield in the hopes of scoring a stadium subsidy.
Indiana Resident With Measles Visited 3 Chicago Hospitals While Contagious, Health Officials Say
Feb 23, 2024 | Eunice Alpasan
Local health officials are working to notify people who may have been exposed to measles after a northwest Indiana resident sought medical care last week in Chicago while contagious with the infection.
Judge Orders Proposal to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Properties Off Ballot; City Appeals
Feb 23, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The proposal known as Bring Chicago Home will remain on the ballot, but the results will not be tallied and reported unless the judge’s decision is overturned by a state appeals court.
How Do You Say ‘Abracadabra’ in French? Acclaimed Parisian Magician on Chicago Performances, Life in Magic and Fooling Penn & Teller
Feb 23, 2024 | Marc Vitali
Paris-based magician Alexandra Duvivier charms audiences with the art of close-up – or parlor – magic. She’s one of a growing number of women in the profession, and she even performed a trick that fooled famed duo Penn & Teller.
Look at That Face: Brookfield Zoo’s Baby Seal in the Running for Cutest Newcomer
Feb 23, 2024 | Patty Wetli
The grey seal pup was born Feb. 17. He’ll stay behind the scenes for the next month and a half while bonding with his mom.
Historic Odysseus Moon Mission Marks Milestone in Reaching the Lunar Surface: ‘The US Has Returned to the Moon’
Feb 23, 2024 | CNN
Odysseus is expected to operate for up to seven days on the lunar surface before the landing site is plunged into lunar night, with freezing temperatures rending the vehicle inoperable.
EPA Approves Year-Round Sales of Higher Ethanol Blend for Illinois, 7 Other Midwest States
Feb 23, 2024 | Associated Press
The move reflects the importance of ethanol to agriculture. The fuel additive consumes roughly 40% of the nation’s corn crop, so higher sales of ethanol could mean greater profits for corn farmers.
With Democratic National Convention Coming to Chicago, CPS Board OKs Delayed Start Date For 2024-25 School Year
Feb 23, 2024 | Matt Masterson
The DNC is scheduled to run from Aug. 19-22 at the United Center. Classes this fall for CPS students are now slated to begin Aug. 26 and run until June 12, 2025.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Feb. 22, 2024 - Full Show
Feb 22, 2024 | WTTW News
Chicago officials are closing four migrant shelters. State lawmakers weigh in on Pritzker’s budget proposal. And a local group’s effort to diversify figure skating.
Chicago Group Gets Kids on the Ice With ‘Figure Skating on Your Block’
Feb 22, 2024 | Emily Soto
The Chicago Youth Foundation offers a new program to introduce figure skating to diverse neighborhoods across the city.
Exhibit Explores Impact of Evictions With Help From People With Lived Experience
Feb 22, 2024 | Brandis Friedman
The exhibit at the National Public Housing Museum in River North is inspired by the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Evicted” by Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond.
CPS Board Approves Plan to Remove Resource Officers From Schools
Feb 22, 2024 | Matt Masterson
The seven-member board unanimously approved the resolution, which directs CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to implement a new whole school safety policy, which “must make explicit that the use of SROs within District schools will end by the start of the 2024-2025 school year.”
Chicago Closes 4 Shelters as Number of Migrants in City Facilities Drops 17% Since Mid-December
Feb 22, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Closing the four shelters will allow the city to avoid paying $19 million to lease the facilities, staff them and provide food and laundry services, officials said.
US Department of Education Opens Civil Rights Investigation Into Chicago Public Schools, Area Universities Over Gaza Protests
Feb 22, 2024 | Paris Schutz
Neither CPS officials nor a spokesperson with the Department of Education would comment on the nature of the investigation, but a CPS source says the probe stems from complaints of antisemitism filed with the DOE’s Office of Civil Rights leading up to a Jan. 30 student walkout.
Justin Fields Says He Wants to Stay a Chicago Bear, Explains Unfollowing Team on Social Media: ‘I’m Tired of Hearing the Talk’
Feb 22, 2024 | CNN
The 24-year-old set social media alight when he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram, fueling speculation that he could be on his way out of Illinois.
A Fight Between Pro-Trump Factions in Michigan Undercuts Republicans in a Key 2024 State
Feb 22, 2024 | Associated Press
The finances of the Michigan Republican Party are so dire that the current leader has sued former party leaders so she can get permission to sell the organization’s headquarters.
White House Weighing Executive Actions on the Border — With Immigration Powers Used by Trump
Feb 22, 2024 | Associated Press
The administration, stymied by Republican lawmakers who rejected a negotiated border bill earlier this month, has been exploring options that President Joe Biden could deploy on his own without congressional approval.
Krishnamoorthi Co-Leads Congress Members in Trip Praising Taiwan’s Democracy; Visit Certain to Draw China’s Scrutiny
Feb 22, 2024 | Associated Press
In a meeting Thursday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, highlighted the bipartisan support for the U.S.-Taiwan partnership, which he described as “stronger and more rock-solid than ever now.”
Massive AT&T Outage Reported, Disrupting Phone Service Across the Country
Feb 22, 2024 | CNN
AT&T’s network went down for many of its customers across the United States Thursday morning, leaving customers unable to place calls, text or access the internet.
Rapper and Activist Vic Mensa on His Chicago Roots, Work to Support South Side Neighborhoods
Feb 22, 2024 | Emily Soto
Vic Mensa has taken on many different roles over the years — rapper, organizer, actor and more. Most recently, he partnered with the “Feed the Block, Warm the Block” initiative to bring food and clothing to the city’s unhoused population.
Pritzker’s $52.7B Budget Proposal Funds Migrant Care and Early Childhood Education, Angers Business Community
Feb 21, 2024 | Amanda Vinicky
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday unveiled a $52.7 billion budget that he described as filled with “hard choices.” The plan builds on priorities like funding preschool, supporting Black residents, funding the neediest schools and caring for asylum seekers.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Feb. 21, 2024 - Full Show
Feb 21, 2024 | WTTW News
Highlights of the governor’s new budget plan. A crackdown on new dollar stores in Chicago. And rapper Vic Mensa on his effort to help asylum seekers.
Auction House Puts Chicago Art on the Block: A Preview of ‘Elevated’ Artwork
Feb 21, 2024 | Marc Vitali
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers will devote an entire sale to Chicago artwork from the past 100+ years. The auction is titled “Elevated: Art Via Chicago.”
US Department of Education Under Fire as New FAFSA Rollout Beset by Delays
Feb 21, 2024 | Paul Caine
The first major overhaul of the FAFSA form since the Reagan era was supposed to make the process simpler and quicker. So far, that’s not been the case.