Earned Wage Access apps extend small short-term loans to workers in between paychecks so they can pay bills and meet everyday needs. On payday, the user repays the money out of their wages. Between 2018 and 2020, transaction volume tripled from $3.2 billion to $9.5 billion.
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Biden Just Signed a Potential TikTok Ban Into Law. Here’s What Happens Next
President Joe Biden signed a bill Wednesday that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban, escalating a massive threat to the company’s U.S. operations. Here’s what we know and how it could affect you.
Biden Signs $95 Billion War Aid Measure With Assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
President Joe Biden signed into law on Wednesday a $95 billion war aid measure that includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and that also has a provision that would force social media site TikTok to be sold or be banned in the U.S.
Biden Nominates April Perry to Become Federal Judge After Delays Derailed Bid to Become Chicago’s First Female U.S. Attorney
Officials are back to square one in the search for Chicago’s next U.S. attorney as President Joe Biden has nominated April Perry — the presumptive pick to succeed John Lausch — to instead become a federal judge.
April 23, 2024 - Full Show
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.
How Teens Are Using Social Media to Try to Change the Cultural Narrative Around Guns
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
“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
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
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
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.
