As Permanent Chicago Police Board Takes Office, Reform Advocates Push to Expand Its Power With Ballot Measure
Before the newly confirmed members can be sworn in to serve four-year terms on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, reform advocates introduced a proposal to expand the board’s power through a binding ballot measure.
Taxpayers Spend Another $1.3M to Settle Lawsuits Accusing CPD Officers of Misconduct During Protests, Unrest in 2020
In all, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $6.8 million to defend and settle lawsuits alleging Chicago police officers committed a wide range of misconduct during the protests and unrest during the summer of 2020, according to an analysis by WTTW News.
Chicago Taxpayers to Pay $1.75M to Family of Woman Who Died in Police Holding Cell
Irene Chavez died while in police custody on Dec. 18, 2021. Eleven officers are set to be disciplined for failing to prevent her death, as first reported by WTTW News.
Biden Administration Canceling Student Loans for Another 160,000 Borrowers
With the latest action, the administration said it has canceled $167 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million Americans through several programs.
Daily Marijuana Use Outpaces Daily Drinking in the US, a New Study Says
Alcohol is still more widely used, but 2022 was the first time this intensive level of marijuana use overtook daily and near-daily drinking, said the study’s author.
Bill That Would Expand Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation’s Reservation Advances in Illinois House
The bill would authorize the state to hand over what is now Shabbona Lake and State Park to the tribe for $1. It also allows the tribe and the Department of Natural Resources to enter into a land management agreement under which the land would remain open to the public for recreational use for an unspecified period.
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink Have Already Been a Huge Boon for WNBA With High Attendance and Ratings
Ratings have been historic. ESPN’s broadcast of Clark’s opening night game when the Indiana Fever played the Connecticut Sun had the highest viewership for a WNBA game on the network. ESPN picked up the Chicago-Indiana game on June 1 that will feature the first meeting between Reese and Clark.
Effort to Eliminate Subminimum Wage for Tipped Employees in Illinois Falls Short, Advocates Vow to Continue the Push
Advocates who have been pushing to eliminate statewide what is called the subminimum wage acknowledged Tuesday that their efforts to pass the measure during the General Assembly’s spring session won’t move forward.
Would-Be Union of Legislative Staffers Accuses House Speaker of Undermining Organizing Effort
Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish.
May 21, 2024 - Full Show
Reaction to dramatic changes in how Chicago will fund its public schools going forward. And our Spotlight Politics team on the looming deadline to pass a state budget.
Local School Council Members React to CPS Funding Changes
Chicago’s school funding model is changing. Instead of basing school funding on student enrollment as the district has done for the past decade, Chicago Public Schools is now taking a needs-based approach.
Cicadas Have a Clever Way of Counting Years, But Climate Change is Throwing a Wrench in the System
Periodical cicadas use trees’ lifecycles to “count” years. But when trees get duped by climate change, so do the insects. Could it lead to new broods?
As Legislative Session Adjournment Looms, a Rush to Regulate Carbon Capture Industry
Carbon capture and sequestration technology is used to take carbon dioxide — a powerful greenhouse gas — and move it through pipelines before storing it deep underground. Several groups are pushing for a bill that would regulate the emerging technology at the same time some companies are pitching pipeline projects to state regulators.
EPA Warns Cyberattacks Against Water Supplies Are Rising, Says Utilities Need to Do More to Stop Them
Attempts by private groups or individuals to get into a water provider’s network and take down or deface websites aren’t new. More recently, however, attackers haven’t just gone after websites, they’ve targeted utilities’ operations instead.
Nursing Home Industry Unlikely to See Much Help From Springfield in Tough Budget Year
The nursing home industry is still reeling from COVID-19, which exacerbated pre-existing challenges in long-term care — difficulties hiring and retaining staff and a population more reliant on government-funded care chief among them.