May 7, 2024 - Full Show
A big change to the school funding formula — what it could mean for students and teachers. And how Chicago police are responding to pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Says District Underfunded, Needs More Money From State
CPS is anticipating a budget deficit of $391 million for the coming school year as COVID-19 relief funding runs out. That deficit is expected to rise to $700 million the following year.
Noting Campus Protests, Democrats Are Preparing for Intense Action at the DNC in Chicago This Summer
Activists have sued in federal court, alleging First Amendment violations because the city has only offered permits for demonstrations miles from the United Center, where Biden is scheduled to accept the Democratic presidential nomination.
WTTW News Explains: What’s Chicago’s History as a National Political Convention Host?
Chicago is set to host the Democratic National Convention this summer. It will be the city’s 27th time hosting a national political convention. Chicago conventions have been some of the most memorable, raucous and consequential in American history.
Chicago’s First Chief Homelessness Officer Begins Work on Long-Term Plan, Immediate Problems
Chicago native Sendy L. Soto became the city’s first chief homelessness officer. Part of her new role will be to devise a five-year plan to end homelessness.
The Chicago Archaeopteryx, the Field Museum’s Newest Dinosaur, Meets the Public
The Field Museum ushered in a new era of scientific exploration with Monday’s unveiling of the Chicago Archaeopteryx.
May 6, 2024 - Full Show
Meet Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer. Birds are modern-day dinosaurs — the Field Museum says it now has a rare fossil to prove it.
Where in the World is Archaeopteryx?
Only 13 specimens of Archaeopteryx — and one special feather — are known to exist since the first Archaeopteryx fossils were discovered in 1860. Most come from the same deposit of Solnhofen Limestone in Bavaria, Germany.
Birds Are Dinosaurs: How a Family Tree That Spans T. Rex to Pigeons Informs Our Understanding of Life on Earth
Shake any family tree, and a few skeletons are bound to fall out — that’s as true for birds as it is for people. Except that for birds, the wacky cousin lurking in one of those branches is T. Rex.
Meet Jingmai O’Connor, the Punk Rock Paleontologist Who Leads the Field Museum’s Archaeopteryx Team
WTTW News sat down with paleornithologist Jingmai O’Connor and talked about dinosaurs, birds, the Chicago Archaeopteryx, evolution and why studying fossil birds is more important now than ever.
Week in Review: Pro-Palestinian Protests Grow; Pritzker Pushes Back on Bears’ Stadium Proposal
Tensions rise over encampments at local universities. And the mayor’s relationship with the Chicago Police Department, as a manhunt leads to murder charges.
5 Years After Shooting Put Him in a Coma, Chicago Police Officer Reflects on the Road to Recovery: ‘I’ve Learned to Forgive’
Five years ago, Chicago police Officer Derrick Jones Jr. went from responding to calls on the job to becoming a victim of gun violence himself. Now, for the first time publicly, he’s sharing his story about life as a survivor.
Amid Ongoing Campus Protests, Northwestern Students Discuss the Line Between Free Speech and Safety
Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up at college campuses across the U.S. after being inspired by demonstrators at Columbia University. As May commencement ceremonies near, administrators face added pressure to clear protesters.
April 30, 2024 - Full Show
Hundreds rally at local universities to support Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. And our Spotlight Politics team unpacks a plan that would merge the Chicago area’s public transit agencies.
Asian American Advocates Call on Illinois Lawmakers to Address Immigration and Language Services
The Pan-Asian Voter Empowerment Coalition has gathered over 300 members to take part in this year’s Asian American Action Day events to advocate for language and immigration services and education equity, among other causes.