April 8, 2021 - Full Show
Charges filed in the shooting of a 21-month-old. Live at Sox opening day. Fermilab discoveries that could alter our understanding of the universe. And should the U.S. boycott the Beijing Olympics?
Mayor Lightfoot Demands CPD Change Foot Chase Policy After Shooting of 13-Year-Old
Chicago police have yet to release footage of the March 29 police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, but his death has spurred calls for changes to the Chicago Police Department’s policy on foot pursuits like the one during which Toledo was shot. We get reaction from the Fraternal Order of Police.
April 7, 2021 - Full Show
Plans to get CPS high school students back to class stall. A study on who the January 6th Capitol rioters are. Why COVID-19 vaccines may not be as effective for immunocompromised individuals and more.
Spotlight Politics: Vaccination Rollout Speeding Up
President Joe Biden said all adults in the U.S. should be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by April 19. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will follow suit. Our politics team takes on that story and more in this week’s roundtable.
Pandemic Takes Toll on Children’s Emotional and Mental Health, Survey Finds
The mental and emotional health of Chicago children has been hit hard by the pandemic, according to researchers at Lurie Children’s Hospital, who surveyed more than 1,500 parents across the city—including all 77 community areas—about the impact of the pandemic on their child’s behavior.
For the Immunocompromised, Vaccines Alone Won’t Bring ‘Normal’ Back
A preliminary study from Johns Hopkins University finds that fewer than 20% of organ transplant patients generated an antibody response to their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The research raises questions about vaccine protection for those patients and others with weakened immune systems.
Who Stormed the US Capitol? New Report Digs Into Demographics of Those Arrested
A new analysis from the University of Chicago looked at the demographics of the 377 individuals arrested for the Jan. 6 attack. The study’s author said he had expected to discover something about the economic conditions of the rioters but was surprised that the data told a very different story.
Teachers Union Asks CPS to Push Back Return Date for High School Students by a Week
The Chicago Teachers Union is asking Chicago Public Schools to delay its target reopening date for high schools by one week in order to allow more time to learn about coronavirus variants and current transmission rates.
April 6, 2021 - Full Show
Vice President Harris in town, getting vaccine equity, Congress members on the fate of the infrastructure bill, the future of public transit, and the redevelopment of the Michael Reese Hospital site.
All Chicagoans to Be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine April 19: Lightfoot
Chicago will make all residents ages 16 and older eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 19, meeting a deadline announced Tuesday by President Joe Biden, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced hours later. The city needs more vaccine to meet the sky-high demand for the life-saving shots, Lightfoot said.
Biden Boosted by Senate Rules as GOP Bucks Infrastructure
With an appeal to think big, President Joe Biden is promoting his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan directly to Americans, summoning public support to push past the Republicans lining up against the massive effort they sum up as big taxes, big spending and big government.
Waste Management Out of Blue Cart Recycling Program, City Awards New Contract to Lakeshore Recycling
The Department of Streets and Sanitation is turning a page on its beleaguered Blue Cart recycling program, issuing the first new collection contract in nearly a decade. Recycling advocates are cautiously optimistic about the change.
Team Overhauling Former Michael Reese Site Aims for Community Connections
The Chicago Plan Commission approved a $3.8 billion effort earlier this year to overhaul the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville, just west of the lakefront on 31st Street. The team behind the development is thinking big and working toward community buy-in.
As Vaccine Eligibility Expands In Illinois, Equity Hurdles Remain
In recent months, the percentage of Black and Latino Chicagoans who have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine has increased significantly, in part through the city’s priority zip code program. But hurdles remain in getting shots to every community, especially as COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise.
Federal Funds Seen as Key to Reviving Public Transit
The coronavirus pandemic and mitigation measures to control it have led to a huge drop in ridership on public transit. As more and more people get vaccinated and the economy reopens, are riders going to come back?