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Leighton Criminal Court Building (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

‘The Need is So Vital’: Cook County Court Clerk Launches New Department Focused on Expungements

Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez on Thursday cut the ribbon on her office’s new Expungement Department, housed at the Leighton Criminal Court Building at 26th Street and California Avenue.

(WTTW News)

City Council Votes 18-32 to Reaffirm Decision to Reject Push to Upend CPD Discipline System

After a spirited debate, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) — once the leading progressive voice on the Chicago City Council — was the only alderperson to change their position since the December vote.

Shedd’s newest rescued sea otter pup explores the aquarium’s otter habitat. (Brenna Hernandez / Shedd Aquarium)

Shedd’s Rescued Sea Otter Pup Makes Public Debut as He Continues to Thrive, Doubling in Size and Cuteness

The still-unnamed pup arrived at Shedd Aquarium in November 2023 and recently made his public debut after acclimating behind the scenes.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker addresses the news media. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

State, County Leaders Agree to Spend Additional $250M to Care for Migrants — But $70M Gap Remains

That cost is on top of the $150 million already set aside in Chicago’s 2024 budget, the $100 million earmarked in Cook County’s budget to care for the migrants, and $160 million in state funds Pritzker agreed to spend to care for the migrants in mid-November, officials said.

(WTTW News)

Ramova Theatre to Celebrate Renovation, Reopening With All-Ages Concert From Chance the Rapper

For more than 35 years, the once bustling Ramova Theatre at 35th and Halsted streets sat vacant, deteriorating in condition. But in 2017, the building was purchased for exactly $1. The goal is to make the theater Bridgeport’s staple entertainment venue.

“A Love Supreme: Norman Teague” exhibit at the Elmhurst Art Museum. (Credit: Siegfried Mueller Photography)

Norman Teague’s Elmhurst Exhibit Uses Jazz and Black Aesthetics to Showcase a Unique Design Sensibility: Review

With musical accompaniment by John Coltrane’s album “A Love Supreme,” which gave the exhibition its name, Teague’s work is a reflection of his Chicago upbringing and classic design technique. 

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Feb. 14, 2024 - Full Show

Concerns over the state’s care of kids awaiting placement with DCFS. How this 120-year-old silent film still says so much. And a sneak peek inside a newly renovated Ramova Theatre.

Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert appears on “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” on Feb. 14, 2024. (WTTW News)

Public Guardian Raises Concerns About DCFS Care for Kids Awaiting Placement: ‘It’s Devastating’

The person who advocates in court for children who’ve been abused or neglected said the state’s Department of Children and Family Services is not only failing to meet the needs of kids in its care — but that the situation is getting worse.

(WTTW News)

South Shore Voters to Weigh Need for Protection From Gentrification Sparked by Obama Presidential Center

Voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward will be asked whether Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson should “support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”

Members of the Teamsters Local 916 union rally Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, outside of the Illinois Department of Transportation building in Springfield. (Alex Abbeduto / Capitol News Illinois)

IDOT Workers Rally for New Contract Amid Negotiations With State

Last week, eight local Teamsters unions representing about 3,800 transportation-related employees authorized strikes amid the ongoing negotiations. A strike can still be avoided despite the authorization votes.

A woman is taken to an ambulance after an incident following the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (Reed Hoffmann / AP Photo)

At Least 8 Children Among 22 Hit by Gunfire at End of Chiefs’ Super Bowl Parade; 1 Person Killed

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S. marred by gun violence, following a shooting last year in downtown Denver after the Nuggets’ winning an NBA championship that injured several people, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade.

A memorial for Monty and Rose, held in 2022, at the site now named in their honor. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Monty and Rose #4Ever. Park District Names Dune Habitat for Piping Plover Lovebirds, On Valentine’s Day No Less

The Park District Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to rename the plovers’ Montrose Beach meeting spot the Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat.

Katy Sullivan stars in a production of “Richard III” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. (Credit: Liz Lauren)

She Plays Richard III on Stage, Competed in the Paralympic Games and Worked With Phillip Seymour Hoffman — Meet Multitalented Actor Katy Sullivan

Actor and Paralympic athlete Katy Sullivan portrays the ruthless Richard III at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

FILE - Lurie Children’s Hospital sign is seen at the hospital as patients walk in, Feb. 5, 2024, in Skokie, Ill. (Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo, File)

Cyberattacks on Hospitals Are Likely to Increase, Putting Lives at Risk, Experts Warn

Hospitals have shifted their use of online technology to support everything from telehealth to medical devices to patient records. Today, they are a favorite target for internet thieves who hold systems’ data and networks hostage for hefty ransoms.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Public Schools Set to Cut Ties With Aramark Cleaning Management Company

The Board of Education next week will vote on whether to replace Aramark with seven other vendor companies to provide custodial and professional services for district schools.

Feb. 13, 2024 - Full Show

As questions about age resurface in the presidential race, what you should know about brain health. Johnson moves to end the city’s controversial ShotSpotter contract. And a Chicago-area baker shows us how she makes hundreds of paczki at home.

(WTTW News)

Presidential Election Sheds Light on Brain Health as We Age, Portrayals of Aging in Media

“Aging is not a uniform phenomenon that happens equally,” said Jay Olshansky, professor of public health at the University of Illinois Chicago.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas listens during a news conference about security for NFL’s Super Bowl 58 football game, in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Alex Brandon / AP Photo)

GOP-Led House Impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Over Border Management

The evening roll call proved tight, with Speaker Mike Johnson’s threadbare GOP majority unable to handle many defectors or absences in the face of staunch Democratic opposition to impeaching Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the first Cabinet secretary facing charges in nearly 150 years.

(WTTW News)

Mayor Brandon Johnson Cancels ShotSpotter Contract, Fulfilling Major Campaign Promise

Chicago will stop using the ShotSpotter technology by Sept. 22 — one month after the Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago and after the summer months that are often the most violent period of the year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced.

(WTTW News)

Illinois Finalizes Rules for Assault Weapon Registration, as New Lawsuit Seeks to Strike Law Completely

Illinois’ assault weapons ban passed after a July 4, 2022, mass shooting in suburban Highland Park. The law banned the sale of AR-15s and scores of other guns beginning in January 2023. People who previously owned guns subject to the law are allowed to keep them, but the weapons must be registered.

Flight attendants and supporters protest at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh)

Flight Attendants Hold Airport Rallies to Protest Lack of New Contracts and Pay Raises

The unions are calling Tuesday’s protests a national day of action. It is not a strike — federal law makes it difficult for airline unions to conduct legal strikes.

File photo of an at-home COVID-19 test. (Annie Spratt / Unsplash)

Millions of People Have Long COVID, Including Children and Pregnant People, Studies Show

Millions of people deal with COVID-19 symptoms long after their initial infections. Two new studies give a better look at the burden from this health problem that doctors say often goes under the radar.

Baby leatherback sea turtles head to the sea at sunset on Indonesia’s Lhoknga Beach in February 2023. (Chaideer Mahyuddin / AFP / Getty Images)

Humans Have Altered the Earth So Much That Many Migratory Animals Are Facing Extinction

Of the 1,189 creatures listed by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, more than one in five are threatened. They include species from all sorts of animal groups — whales, sharks, elephants, wild cats, raptors, birds and insects, among others.

(WTTW News)

The Northwestern Hazing Scandal: A Timeline of Allegations, Investigations and Lawsuits

Examining the rapidly unfolding hazing scandal that led to the firing of Northwestern head football coach Pat Fitzgerald and threw the university into turmoil.

Northwestern University football coach Pat Fitzgerald appears on “Chicago Tonight” in a file photo. (WTTW News)

Intent on Coaching Again, Pat Fitzgerald Pushing for December Trial Date in Lawsuit Against Northwestern

During a hearing Tuesday, Fitzgerald’s attorney Dan Webb argued that the case would have to go to trial later this year in order for Fitzgerald to have any chance of getting a job during the next coaching cycle ahead of the 2025 college football season.

“The Polish Luther” paczki creation. (Credit: Jonathan Surratt)

It’s Been 10 Years Since ‘The Polish Luther’ Was Created. Chicago, How Will You Take Your Paczki This Fat Tuesday?

The paczki many Polish Americans grew up eating, made with plum, rose or raspberry fillings, aren’t the only kind available these days. We take a look at the Fat Tuesday tradition.