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(WTTW News)

December 29, 2021 - Full Show

New laws take effect at the start of the new year. One-on-one with the city's public health commissioner. A report on public transit ridership during the pandemic. Our Spotlight Politics and more.

Broadcaster and former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden poses with his bust after enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006, in Canton, Ohio.  (AP Photo / Mark Duncan, File)

John Madden, Hall of Fame Coach and Broadcaster, Dies at 85

Madden gained fame in a decade-long stint as the coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super Bowl following the 1976 season. He compiled a 103-32-7 regular-season record, and his .759 winning percentage is the best among NFL coaches with more than 100 games.

COVID is surging across the country and public officials warn residents to be cautious during New Year’s celebrations. (WTTW News)

Spotlight Politics: CDC Director Explains Altered Isolation Guidelines

COVID-19 is surging across the country and here in Illinois as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention faces criticisms for changing its isolation guidelines. Our Spotlight Politics team has that and more.

The Urban Institute found that while downtown ridership decreased, neighborhoods with more Black and Latino residents saw more sustained ridership. (WTTW News)

How COVID-19 Has Impacted CTA Ridership

In Chicago, neighborhoods with higher shares of residents of color retained far more ridership than predominantly white communities—and that trend was similar in other cities. 

Officials are urging the public to get vaccinated and get tested — but many people are reporting challenges in finding tests. (WTTW News)

Chicago’s Top Doctor On How to Prepare for a Winter COVID-19 Surge

Officials are urging the public to get vaccinated and get tested — but many people are reporting challenges in finding tests.

People wait on line to get tested for COVID-19 on Dec. 21, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo / Brittainy Newman, File)

New COVID-19 Cases in US Soar to Highest Levels on Record

The fast-spreading mutant version of the virus has cast a pall over Christmas and New Year’s, forcing communities to scale back or call off their festivities just weeks after it seemed as if Americans were about to enjoy an almost normal holiday season. 

Lion Air's Boeing 737 Max 8 sits on the tarmac at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, April 13, 2019. (AP Photo Nicole Evatt, File)

Indonesia to Let Boeing 737 Max Fly Again After 2018 Crash

The Transportation Ministry said in a statement Wednesday that the aircraft will be permitted to fly in Indonesia, but only after airlines carry out airworthiness directives.

Chicago Sky's Candace Parker celebrates after her team defeated the Phoenix Mercury in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals to become champions Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo / Paul Beaty, File)

Candace Parker Voted AP Female Athlete of Year for 2nd Time

Candace Parker helped the Chicago Sky win the franchise’s first WNBA championship and capped off 2021 by being named The Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year for a second time.

(WTTW News)

December 28, 2021 - Full Show

Confusion surrounds the CPS return to school COVID-19 testing protocols. Restaurants push back against the vaccine mandate. COVID-19 cases explode in jails. And inside the life of photographer Vivian Maier.

Vivian Maier, was a North Shore nanny who quietly pursued another endeavor – in her spare time she took extraordinary photographs. (Courtesy The Vivian Maier Estate and the Maloof Collection)

New Book Reveals Secrets of the Chicago Nanny Who Was a World-Class Photographer

There has always been an air of mystery surrounding the life of Vivian Maier. Maier, was a North Shore nanny who quietly pursued another endeavor – in her spare time she took extraordinary photographs. Author Ann Marks joins us.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced Tuesday that his office — which covers the courts and the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center — will impose COVID vaccine mandates.  (WTTW News)

Cook County Chief Judge Will Now Impose Vaccine Mandate for Employees

Chief Judge Timothy Evans announced Tuesday that his office — which covers the courts and the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center — will impose COVID vaccine mandates. This after the Chief Judge was criticized for previously not mandating the vaccine for all employees.

Kim DiPofi, daughter of the owner of Pompei, a family owned Italian restaurant located on the city’s Near West Side says she is concerned about staff as well as customers coming into the restaurant. (WTTW News)

Chicago Restaurant Owners Ask for More Time Before Requiring Proof of Vaccines

Some Chicago restaurant owners are asking for more time before the city’s proof of vaccine requirement takes effect at local restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment venues Jan. 3. A coalition of about 30 restaurants is saying there hasn’t been enough time to adjust operations amid the holidays.

The New York Stock Exchange operates during normal business hours in the Financial District, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo / John Minchillo, File)

Stocks End Mixed, Breaking 4-Day Winning Streak for S&P 500

Stock indexes are mixed on Wall Street in afternoon trading Tuesday, placing the market within striking distance of another record high as investors close out their positions for 2021.

Frame Chicago shows us how they’re pushing the envelope in how collectors preserve their art.  (WTTW News)

Local Business Highlights Chicago Art Scene Through Custom Framing

For the last 40 years, a family business has been committed to preserving Chicago’s art scene, whether it be through engraving pieces or framing them. Now they’ve taken a turn in how they’re enhancing artwork through a custom framing process.

Students at Chicago Public Schools walk along a hallway in this file photo. (WTTW News)

CPS ‘Strongly’ Encouraging Students, Staff to Get COVID Test Before Coming Back to Class Next Week

“By getting tested before returning from break, we can have a successful and healthy start to the new year,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a statement.

People wait in a long line to get tested for COVID-19 in Times Square, New York, Dec. 20, 2021. (AP Photo / Seth Wenig, file)

US Move to Shorten COVID-19 Isolation Stirs Confusion, Doubt

The guidance has raised questions about how it was crafted and why it was changed now, in the middle of another wintertime spike in cases, this one driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.

(Pexels / Madison Inouye)

Chicago Sets New Mark For Latest First Snowfall of Season

The National Weather Service on Tuesday said that as of 12:10 p.m., one-tenth of an inch of snow had been recorded at O’Hare Airport — Chicago’s official weather site — making the first measurable snowfall in 287 days.

People attend the Women's March ATX rally, Saturday, Oct., 2, 2021, at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman, File)

State Legislatures in US Poised to Act on Abortion Rights

State legislatures across the country will be responding to the possibility of seismic change to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion across the U.S.

A local woman sees a new image of her father through his long-lost street photography. (Courtesy Joan Tortorici Ruppert)

Local Woman Reconnects With Departed Father Through Rediscovered Photos

Local television producer and writer Joan Tortorici Ruppert lost her father as a young child. But through a collection of rediscovered photo negatives, she’s getting to know who he was before he was her father and getting a glimpse into Chicago history too. 

(WTTW News)

December 27, 2021 - Full Show

Spiking omicron cases and major headaches with air travel. The region approaches a record snow drought. A halt on student debt payments. And remembering the late Lincoln Park Zoo chief Lester Fisher.

Students walk on the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa., Oct. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Pause on Student Loan Payments is Extended Through May 1

President Joe Biden said financial recovery from the pandemic will take longer than job recovery, especially for those with student loans.

(Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Wintry Forecast Puts Quest for Snow-Free Record in Jeopardy

The National Weather Service is forecasting a "burst of wet snow" on Tuesday and a chance of light snow on Wednesday, which could bring Chicago's snow-free streak to an end.

Travelers queue up at the Southwest Airlines curbside check-in area at Denver International Airport Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, in Denver. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to COVID-19 to extend the nation's travel problems beyond Christmas. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Flight Cancellations Continue Due to Bad Weather, Sick Crews

Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday, with major U.S. airlines each canceling dozens of flights.

A face mask hangs from a decorated Christmas tree. (Skitterphoto / Pixabay)

‘Delta and Omicron Are Coming to Your Party’: Officials Plead With Illinoisans To Get Vaccinated, Mask Up

With cases of COVID-19 skyrocketing and hospitalizations surging in Illinois, officials are pleading with unvaccinated residents to change their minds about receiving shots.

 Jake Siswick, the show’s 13-year-old star - and an actor-dancer of impressive skill and a remarkably natural stage presence - was able to grab the audience’s heart from start to finish. (Credit: Brett Beiner)

While Plagued by Sound Problems, Dance Became the Most Audible Element in Music Theater Works’ ‘Billy Elliot’

From almost the very first note it was apparent that something was very wrong with the sound system and miking, and much of the dialogue and singing, all along the way, was either inaudible or garbled. In fact, the only clear sound came from the orchestra, seated in the pit and led by Michael McBride.

(Heiko Stein / Pixabay)

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Will Be Chicago’s Largest Ever. Is That a Good Idea?

Chicago will ring in 2022 with a 1.5-mile-long fireworks display on New Year’s Eve, the largest in the city’s history, officials announced.