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After the abduction and lynching of her son in 1955, Till-Mobley became a teacher and civil rights activist. Now her life and influence are the focus of a new limited series. (Courtesy  Chicago Sun-Times Collection, Chicago History Museum)

New ABC Series Tells Life of Mamie Till-Mobley

After the abduction and lynching of her son in 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley became a teacher and civil rights activist. Now her life and influence are the focus of a new limited series.
A unique collaboration is bringing Black art to a popular Chicago building. (WTTW News)

Showcase of African and African American Artists Comes to Prudential Plaza

The exhibit titled “African Diaspora: Chicago” features 20 collage and acrylic mixed media pieces, all related to Chicago.  It opened in May, and a new collection of pieces just went up in November.  The current exhibit will run until May 22.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Teachers Call For Temporary Remote Learning, Drop Universal Testing Demand in Latest Offer to City

The Chicago Teachers Union on Saturday sent a new proposal to the city hoping to resolve its ongoing labor action in which its members have refused to work in schools in-person during a spike in COVID-19 cases

A sign supporting the Chicago Teachers Union during its car caravan rally on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. (WTTW News)

Chicago Parents Suing CTU in Push to Get Kids Back in Their Classrooms

In the lawsuit, parents claim the union’s action is actually an “illegal strike” — language that’s also been used by Mayor Lori Lightfoot. They want a judge to order teachers to return to their schools and resume in-person learning.

A new Chicago ward map is set to take effect in time for the 2023 municipal elections. (WTTW News via Google Maps)

Racially Polarized Debate Over Chicago Ward Map Spills into 2022 With Raucous Hearing

Any hope that a holiday break could reset the raging dispute over the map that will shape Chicago politics for the next decade and determine the balance of power between Black, Latino and Asian Chicagoans was extinguished Friday as members of the City Council clashed during the first of four public hearings scheduled this month.

(WTTW News)

The Week in Review: CPS Teachers Buck In-Person Learning with Omicron Surge

Chicago schools shut down in a dispute between teachers and administrators. Arne Duncan teases a potential mayoral run. Remembering Jan. 6. And Lightfoot vows a reset on crime in 2022.

This artist sketch depicts lawyer Scott Keller standing to argue on behalf of more than two dozen business groups seeking an immediate order from the Supreme Court to halt a Biden administration order to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, is seated at right. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Supreme Court Skeptical of Biden’s Workplace Vaccine Rule

Fully vaccinated and mostly masked, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared skeptical Friday of the Biden administration’s authority to impose a vaccine-or-testing requirement on the nation’s large employers. 

This photo combo shows, from left, Travis McMichael, William “Roddie” Bryan, and Gregory McMichael during their trial at the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga. (Pool, file)

Arbery Killers Get Life in Prison; No Parole for Father, Son

Three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced Friday to life in prison, with a judge denying any chance of parole for the father and son who armed themselves and initiated the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man.

One of Carvana's auto vending machines. (Courtesy of Carvana)

Carvana Tower Wins Key Commission Vote in Skokie, But Mitigations for Birds Fail To Impress Critics

In response to concerns about putting a see-through glass tower in the path of migrating birds, Carvana revised its plan to incorporate bird-friendly components. Critics called the proposed mitigations “woefully inadequate.” 

Pharmacist Kenni Clark prepares a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at City of Lawrence’s “The Center,” which serves seniors, families and the community, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Lawrence, Mass. (AP Photo / Charles Krupa, File)

FDA Shortens Timing of Moderna Booster to 5 Months

U.S. regulators on Friday shortened the time that people who received Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine have to wait for a booster — to five months rather than six.

(WTTW News)

Baby It’s Cold Outside! Chiberia Notches First Sub-Zero Temp in Nearly a Year

Chicagoans woke up Friday to sub-zero temperatures, the first time in nearly a year the mercury has dipped into the negatives. In anticipation of the cold snap, officials issued reminders and tips.

Chicago public schools are closed for a second day as city school officials and the teachers union remain at odds over whether it’s safe to return to the classroom, and pictured, a sign is displayed at the entrance of the headquarters for Chicago Public Schools on Jan. 5, in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

Chicago Principals Say They Were Blindsided by Announcement Some Schools Might Offer In-Person Learning Friday

The Chicago Principals and Administrators Association said it was “blindsided” by the announcement. “Principals don’t determine the resources and conditions that leave some schools ready to open and others unable to,” it said. 

In this file photo, members of Congress and others shelter in the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

‘We Were Trapped’: Trauma of Jan. 6 Insurrection Lingers for Lawmakers

Interviewed before this week’s anniversary of the attack, 10 of the House members who were in the gallery talked of being deeply shaken by their experience, recalling viscerally the sights and sounds amid the chaos.

(WTTW News)

January 6, 2022 - Full Show

One-on-one with Mayor Lightfoot as classes are canceled for a second day. Will there be school tomorrow? Local members of congress and observers reflect on one year since the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

A sign supporting the Chicago Teachers Union during its car caravan rally on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. (WTTW News)

No CPS Classes Friday as City, Teachers Union Still Without Safety Agreement

While a few school buildings may be open to students, Chicago Public Schools has once again canceled classes as negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union continue. 

The Clearing community on the Southwest side of Chicago is home to many city employees and families and the southern portion of Midway airport.  (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Clearing

The Clearing community on the Southwest Side of Chicago is home to many city employees and families and the southern portion of Midway Airport. We spent the day talking to people about how the neighborhood is adapting to all the changes throughout the pandemic.

(WTTW News graphic)

Bears Face Vikings in What Many Expect to Be Nagy’s Last Game In Charge

The Chicago Bears aim to end a disappointing season on a high note by beating the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in what could be Matt Nagy’s last game as the team’s head coach.

 A study from the Chicago Project on Security and Threats shows 21 million Americans — some 8% of adults in the country — support the idea that the 2020 election was stolen and the Biden presidency is illegitimate.  (WTTW News)

How Far Right Extremism Has Shifted Since Last Year

The ideas that contributed to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol one year ago are still alive and well, according to experts and recent polling. A year after the violent riot, some reports show that many of these ideas have become more mainstream and the far right has gained supporters.

This undated photo shows special education teacher Jennifer Graves, at Dr. Reginald Mayo Early Childhood School, in New Haven, Conn. When her classroom aide didn't show up for work and no substitutes were available for the day because staffing levels have been decimated by the surge in COVID-19 infections, she borrowed paraprofessionals from other classrooms for short stretches to get through. (Courtesy Jennifer Graves via AP)

Schools Sticking With In-Person Learning Scramble for Subs

Staff absences and the omicron variant-driven surge have led some big districts including Atlanta, Detroit and Milwaukee to switch temporarily to virtual learning. Where schools are holding the line on in-person learning, getting through the day has required an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Perry, Ga., on Sept. 25, 2021. (AP Photo / Ben Gray, File)

Trump Maintains Grip on GOP Despite Violent Insurrection

One year after the violent insurrection, Donald Trump is hardly a leader in exile. Instead, he is the undisputed leader of the Republican Party and a leading contender for the 2024 presidential nomination.

President Joe Biden takes off his face mask as he speaks from Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol to mark the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol by supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump, Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, in Washington. (Greg Nash / Pool via AP)

Biden and Congress Mark a Year Since Violent Insurrection

“For the first time in our history, a president not just lost an election, he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol,” President Joe Biden said. “But they failed.”

Knowing that most teachers wouldn’t show, even with the warning that they would therefore not be paid, CPS canceled class for Wednesday, and now Thursday too. (WTTW News)

COVID-19, Political Standoff Disrupt School

Knowing that most teachers wouldn’t show, even with the warning that they would therefore not be paid, CPS canceled class for Wednesday, and now Thursday too.

(WTTW News)

Rush Hospital CEO on Criteria for Delaying Surgeries Amid Bed Shortage

Illinois is setting record highs for the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalization rates with more than 6,800 now in hospitals due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, hospitals across the state are working to maintain the ability to take patients, and are delaying certain procedures amid a bed shortage.

(WTTW News)

Spotlight Politics: Omicron Variant Pits CTU Against Mayor, Schools CEO

What’s the political fallout of the standoff between the teachers union and the city? The race for the 1st Congressional District heats up after Bobby Rush announces he's stepping down. And U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger decides his future on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot anniversary.

(WTTW News)

How the Omicron Variant is Affecting Young People

COVID-19 hospitalizations for children have reached a record high in Chicago. The city is currently seeing a daily average of about seven hospitalizations. Despite these numbers, some data suggest the omicron variant is causing a milder illness in kids.

(WTTW News)

CPS Cancels Classes Thursday as Negotiations With Teachers Continue

Chicago Public Schools students will stay at home for a second consecutive day Thursday, as the district has once again canceled classes after the Chicago Teachers Union voted to begin working remotely.