In the latest in our “A Safer City” series, we meet teens working to change the narrative around gun violence and hear from local organizations empowering youth.
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How Teens Are Using Social Media to Try to Change the Cultural Narrative Around Guns
Apr 23, 2024 | Joanna Hernandez
People can spend hours scrolling through social media. An organization called Project Unloaded is helping teens educate their peers on the risks of owning a gun by empowering youth to become social media influencers for change.
Chicago Teens Talk Safety, Making a Positive Impact Through Community Involvement
Apr 23, 2024 | Andrea Guthmann
According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the average age for Chicagoans to witness a shooting is 14. Research also shows that exposure to violence can lead to long-lasting mental health issues.
Hyde Park Art Center Transitions to Contribute-What-You-Can Model for All Art Classes
Apr 23, 2024 | Eunice Alpasan
The center will now offer all its art classes on a contribution-based model in order to ensure more equitable access to artmaking, education and community engagement.
Providers Should Consider Giving Kids 2nd Dose of Measles Vaccine Sooner as Chicago Sees New Cases, Health Officials Say
Apr 23, 2024 | Eunice Alpasan
Measles cases in Chicago account for more than half of reported cases in the U.S. so far this year. More than half of the measles cases in the city were in children ages 4 or younger.
Chicago Bears Call a Reverse, Prepare to Unveil Plan for New Domed Stadium on Lakefront
Apr 23, 2024 | Heather Cherone
The news that the Bears now want to remain the Chicago Bears in more than just name is the latest twist in the team’s high-profile search for their forever home that faces at least two major obstacles: the need for millions of dollars from taxpayers to subsidize the new stadium and an all-but-certain legal challenge.
College Students, Inmates and a Nun: A Unique Book Club Meets at Cook County Jail
Apr 23, 2024 | Associated Press
The student-led volunteer effort started years ago as an offshoot of a DePaul University program offering college credit classes at the jail on the city’s Southwest Side for students and detainees.
5 CPS Schools Listed Among Top 100 High Schools in US News Rankings
Apr 23, 2024 | Matt Masterson
Walter Payton College Prep checked in at No. 5 in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of top high schools in the country.
Minnesota, Illinois and Other Democratic-Led States Lead Pushback on Book Bans
Apr 23, 2024 | Associated Press
Minnesota is one of several Democratic-leaning states where lawmakers are now pursuing bans on book bans. The Washington and Maryland legislatures have already passed them this year, while Illinois did so last year.
Chicago Police Seeking to ID Man in Connection to Fatal Shooting of Officer Luis Huesca
Apr 23, 2024 | Matt Masterson
The CPD released multiple surveillance footage clips of a man, who can be seen entering a pair of convenience stores. Investigators believe that man is connected to Huesca’s death.
April 22, 2024 - Full Show
Apr 22, 2024 | WTTW News
How much are taxpayers spending to settle lawsuits alleging police misconduct from the 2020 protests? Safety concerns over a swimming event in the Chicago River. And protesters blocking roadways could soon be charged with a felony.
Would You Swim in the Chicago River? Navigating Safety Concerns Ahead of Open Water Swim Event
Apr 22, 2024 | Shelby Hawkins
The nonprofit A Long Swim is planning an open water swim event in the Chicago River this fall. Proceeds will support ALS research and Learn to Swim, a program that teaches children in underserved communities how to swim.
New Bill Would Make It a Felony for Protesters to Block Major Roads in Illinois
Apr 22, 2024 | Emily Soto
The bill comes on the heels of recent pro-Palestinian protests that blocked traffic on I-190 near Chicago O’Hare International Airport, causing many travelers to pull their luggage along the freeway to catch their flights.
Taxpayers Spent at Least $5.6M to Settle, Defend Lawsuits Accusing CPD Officers of Misconduct During Protests, Unrest in 2020: Analysis
Apr 22, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Nearly $2 million of that toll went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers from late May until mid-August 2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in Chicago history, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Illinois Sees Lowest Presidential Primary Voter Turnout in Decades: State Election Officials
Apr 22, 2024 | Eunice Alpasan
Voter turnout for the March 19 Illinois primary election was 19.07%, the lowest in at least the last 50 years, according to official vote totals certified Friday by state election officials.
The Enduring Spirit of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Review
Apr 22, 2024 | Hedy Weiss
For WTTW News theater critic Hedy Weiss, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s recent Chicago run brought back vivid memories. She first saw the company in New York City in 1972.
Get Ready to Clean Out the Garage. Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site Coming to South Suburbs
Apr 22, 2024 | Patty Wetli
For the second year in a row, the Cook County government has celebrated Earth Day by announcing a new south suburban recycling facility aimed at taking some of the nastiest garbage out of the waste stream.
‘Vigilance’ Showcases Diverse Environmental Leaders With Work From Local, National Artists
Apr 22, 2024 | Angel Idowu
“Vigilance: Learning From the Legacies of BIPOC Environmental Leaders” is inspired by the work of Hazel Johnson, a Black Chicagoan known as the mother of the environmental justice movement.
Police Union Appeals Ruling Requiring Serious CPD Discipline Hearings to Take Place in Public
Apr 22, 2024 | Heather Cherone
Judge Michael Mullen’s decision upheld the effort backed by the city’s largest police union to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers for serious misconduct, but “split the baby,” said Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara.
Trump Tried to ‘Corrupt’ the 2016 Election, Prosecutor Alleges as Hush Money Trial Gets Underway
Apr 22, 2024 | Associated Press
The commencement of the proceedings set the stage for weeks of unsavory and salacious testimony about Trump's personal life and placed his legal troubles at the center of his closely contested campaign against President Joe Biden.
‘Our City is Grieving’: Off-Duty Police Officer Among at Least 3 Killed by Gunfire Across Chicago Over Weekend
Apr 22, 2024 | Matt Masterson
Chicago police Officer Luis M. Huesca, who was fatally shot as he returned to his Gage Park home following his shift early Sunday, was among three people killed by gunfire across Chicago over the weekend.
‘Kids Need to Breathe Just Like Adults Do’: $35 Price Caps Don’t Apply to Asthma Meds Young Children Need, Doctors Say
Apr 20, 2024 | CNN
Asthma drugs can be pricy, so much so that the U.S. Senate health committee opened an investigation into the situation in January. Shortly afterward, three of the biggest makers of asthma inhalers pledged to cap out-of-pocket costs for some U.S. patients at $35.
Pritzker’s Health Insurance Reforms Clear House, Move to Senate
Apr 20, 2024 | Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s initiative targets many of the “utilization management” practices insurance companies use to hold down costs by either denying claims or steering patients toward lower-cost options.
Pritzker Says State ‘Obviously’ Needs to Change 2010 Law That Shrunk Pension Benefits
Apr 20, 2024 | Hannah Meisel — Capitol News Illinois
With a month and a half left in the General Assembly’s spring session, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration is readying its proposal to address Illinois’ chronically underfunded pension system.
The EPA is Again Allowing Summer Sales of Higher Ethanol Gasoline Blend, Citing Global Conflicts
Apr 19, 2024 | Associated Press
Gasoline with 10% ethanol is already sold nationwide, but the higher blend has been prohibited in the summer because of concerns it could worsen smog during warm weather.
Week in Review: Pritzker Calls for CTA Changes; City Council Approves $70M More for Migrant Care
Apr 19, 2024 | Blair Paddock
Gov. J.B. Pritzker puts his foot on the gas pedal calling for changes at the CTA. And what’s in store for the Chicago Sky as WNBA ticket sales soar.