Chicago students are set to return to their classrooms this week after several days at home as the city and Chicago Teachers Union have reached a compromise on new COVID-19 mitigations inside schools.
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Students Set to Return to Classroom as Chicago Teachers Suspend Labor Action
Jan 10, 2022 | Matt Masterson
January 10, 2022 - Full Show
Jan 10, 2022 | WTTW News
The latest on the standoff over in-person learning at Chicago Public Schools. Will there be school this week? The Bears chart a path forward. What local leaders plan to do about homelessness during the winter months.
Illinois’ Top Doc on Omicron Spike, In-Person Learning Debate
Jan 10, 2022 | Blair Paddock
Dr. Ngozi Ezike breaks down the latest Illinois COVID-19 numbers and says the debate over the safety of in-person learning is nuanced.
Nonprofit Aims to Address Homelessness as Housing Insecurity Grows During COVID-19
Jan 10, 2022 | Acacia Hernandez
The leader of a Chicago nonprofit focused on homelessness says the demand for their services has skyrocketed. "We are getting inundated with calls, emails and walk-ins from people that never imagined they would ever need help like this before.”
Doctor Offers Tips for Regaining Sense of Smell After COVID-19 Infection
Jan 10, 2022 | Leslie Hurtado
A common indicator of COVID-19 is the loss of taste and smell, which can last for months after infection, according to recent research.
Much to Fix in the Offseason As Bears Begin Search for New GM and Coach
Jan 10, 2022 | Paul Caine
The Bears’ head coach and general manager are out. James “Big Cat” Williams, former offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, gives us his thoughts on the offseason challenges the team and the incoming new coach and general manager face.
Home COVID Tests to be Covered by Insurers Starting Saturday
Jan 10, 2022 | Associated Press
Starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for people on their plans.
Paying Homage to an Artistic Collaborator in Hershey Felder’s ‘Mozart and Figaro in Vienna’
Jan 10, 2022 | Hedy Weiss
The “musical film” is a fascinating look at the creation of “The Marriage of Figaro,” the first of the composer’s three major operas in Italian.
Man Who Bought Gun for Kyle Rittenhouse Pleads No Contest
Jan 10, 2022 | Associated Press
The man who bought an AR-15-style rifle for Kyle Rittenhouse pleaded no contest Monday to a reduced charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in a deal with prosecutors that allows him to avoid prison.
December’s Tornadoes Among 2021’s 20 Devastating Billion-Dollar Climate Disasters: Report
Jan 10, 2022 | Patty Wetli
According to a federal report released Monday, the U.S. experienced 20 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2021, including hurricanes, wildfires and out-of-season December tornadoes.
Buckthorn Is Highly Invasive, But What Does it Even Look Like? Here’s an ID Hack
Jan 10, 2022 | Patty Wetli
It can be hard to tell one tree from another in winter, but there's a simple trick to identifying invasive buckthorn.
Bears Opt to Make Sweeping Changes, Fire GM Pace, Coach Nagy
Jan 10, 2022 | Associated Press
Matt Nagy's fate seemed sealed as the Bears struggled through a 6-11 season that ended with a loss at Minnesota on Sunday. But it was not clear if Ryan Pace also would be let go or retained in either his current role or a different capacity.
Lightfoot Taps Longtime Police Reform Advocate to Lead Oversight Board
Jan 10, 2022 | Heather Cherone
Adam Gross will help launch the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability after serving as the director of the police accountability program area for BPI, a public interest law firm.
Monday Classes Canceled As CPS-CTU Standoff Drags On
Jan 9, 2022 | Matt Masterson
“Although we have been negotiating hard throughout the day, there has not been sufficient progress for us to predict a return to class tomorrow,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted Sunday.
Chicago's COVID-19 Fight With CPS Teachers Hangs Over a 2nd Week as Talks Resume Sunday
Jan 9, 2022 | Associated Press
Talks between Chicago school leaders and the teachers' union resumed Sunday amid a standoff over remote learning and other COVID-19 safety measures that canceled three days of classes.
The Battle Against Buckthorn: A Look at How Local Volunteers Fight Back Against the Invasive Species
Jan 9, 2022 | Patty Wetli
Skokie Lagoons may look like an oasis of green but a lot of that lush vegetation is actually an invasive species called European buckthorn. WTTW News tagged along as a group of volunteers charged into the thicket and tackled this enemy.
Biden’s Low Profile on Guantanamo Rankles as Prison Turns 20
Jan 9, 2022 | Associated Press
Advocates for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center were optimistic when President Joe Biden took office. Many are now increasingly impatient.
Illinois Social Workers’ Field Safety Remains Concern After Killing
Jan 9, 2022 | Associated Press
Illinois officials are seeking answers after the killing last week of a state child welfare worker during a home visit — the second such tragedy to occur in less than five years.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, January 8, 2022 - Full Show
Jan 8, 2022 | WTTW News
The standoff between CPS and the teachers union leaves parents in the lurch. Plus, contracts for domestic workers. And meet a local man turning his pandemic hobby into a business.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, January 8, 2022 - Full Show
Jan 8, 2022 | WTTW News
Parents react to this week’s shutdown of Chicago Public Schools. The story of civil rights legend Mamie Till Mobley gets told on the small screen. Plus, a downtown office building partners with a Black-owned art gallery.
CPS Parents on School COVID-19 Safety Standoff
Jan 8, 2022 | Erica Gunderson
Students briefly returned to class for the first two days of this week, but since Wednesday, classes have been outright canceled as teachers refused to work in person and CPS refuses to go remote, leaving families in limbo once again.
Nonprofit Serves Up Mental Health Resources to Hospitality Workers
Jan 8, 2022 | Erica Gunderson
The pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on the physical, emotional, and financial health of restaurant workers, especially those in the Latino community. Three years ago, a group of hospitality workers created a nonprofit aimed at getting mental health care for struggling workers.
New Law for 2022 Requires Contracts for Home Workers
Jan 8, 2022 | Erica Gunderson
The Chicago Domestic Workers Contract Mandate covers jobs like nannies, home care workers, and home cleaners. It requires their employers to give them a written contract with mutually agreed-upon terms.
East Side Man Starts Small Business Using Tuft Love
Jan 8, 2022 | Erica Gunderson
In the early days of the pandemic, many Chicagoans used social media to learn new skills and hobbies. One of them is Juan Lopez, a lifelong East Sider who used TikTok videos to teach himself a new skill that he turned into a small business last summer.
Parents Frustrated as Teachers Refuse to Work In-Person, District Cancels Classes
Jan 8, 2022 | Aida Mogos
Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union have been battling all week over whether it’s safe to have kids in the classroom as COVID-19 cases rise. The dispute has led to classes being canceled for three days as teachers refuse to work in-person, and the district refuses to go remote.
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush Announces Retirement
Jan 8, 2022 | Aida Mogos
In a major announcement this week, longtime Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush announced he will not be seeking another term.