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Some of the more than $1 million in stolen retail items recovered this week by Illinois law enforcement. (Illinois Attorney General’s Office)

More Than $1M in Stolen Retail Items Recovered in ‘Major’ Seizure: Illinois Attorney General

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Friday said law enforcement recovered “four semitrailers of merchandise” from eight storage units in two Chicago locations Wednesday night that had been stolen from major national retailers.

District Attorney John Chisholm said the release of a man accused of running over holiday parade attendees in Waukesha was the result of “human error” by an early-career prosecutor. (Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal / USA Today Network)

DA Who Released Waukesha Suspect Ahead of Tragedy Says It Was the Result of Human Error

The Milwaukee district attorney whose office allowed for the release of a man accused of running over holiday parade attendees last month said Thursday that his low cash bail amount was the result of “human error” by an early-career prosecutor.

Actor Jussie Smollett raises his fist when asked how he was doing while walking through the Leighton Criminal Courthouse lobby on day four of his trial Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, in Chicago. Smollett is accused of lying to police when he reported he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago nearly three years ago. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)

State Rests Case at Smollett Trial After Star Witnesses

After a three-day presentation of evidence, special prosecutor Dan Webb told the presiding judge Thursday evening that the prosecution was done. The defense began its case immediately, calling, among others, an emergency room physician who saw Jussie Smollett after the purported attack.

Located in the Edgewater community on Chicago’s northside, Andersonville has one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish heritage and is home to a large LGBTQ plus community. (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Andersonville

Located in the Edgewater community on Chicago’s North Side, Andersonville has one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish heritage and is home to a large LGBTQ community. Learn more about the history as well as what the area is doing to adopt eco-friendly initiatives.

This year is set to end without any money dispersed for mortgage assistance, even as $250 million is allotted for the cause. (WTTW News)

COVID-19 Mortgage Assistance Won’t Be Available Until Spring

Illinois, Chicago Opening New Rental Funding Round on Monday

Illinois has dispersed $750 million to help those who fell behind on rent during the coronavirus pandemic. Far less – so far $100 million – has gone to homeowners having trouble keeping up with their bills. And it may be months before homeowners receive funding.

(WTTW News)

December 2, 2021 - Full Show

The latest on the City Council’s ward remap process and what it means for voters. One-on-one with Chicago’s top doctor as COVID-19 cases increase. And live in Andersonville for “In Your Neighborhood.”

(WTTW News graphic)

After Ending Losing Streak, Bears Face Stern Test Against Arizona Cardinals

The drama out of Halas Hall over the rumored departure of head coach Matt Nagy has died down this week — with the Bears coming off a victory over the winless Detroit Lions. But this Sunday a much tougher opponent awaits in the shape of Super Bowl contender the Arizona Cardinals.

The Protecting Moms Who Served Act, introduced by Rep. Lauren Underwood and championed by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to invest in quality maternal care for mothers across the country. (WTTW News)

‘Momnibus’ Bill to Support Moms Who Served in the Military Signed into Law

The Protecting Moms Who Served Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and championed by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to invest in quality maternal care for mothers across the country.

(WTTW News)

Illinois Records More than 11,000 Cases for First Time Since 2020

The number of new COVID-19 infections has been steadily increasing for weeks and on Thursday surpassed 11,000 for the first time in a 24-hour period since December 2020 – when vaccines weren’t available, according to state health officials.

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward) carries the map crafted by the City Council's Latino Caucus into the city clerk's office Thursday, Dec. 2, 2020. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)

‘Let the People of Chicago Decide’: Latino Caucus Moves to Force a Referendum on Ward Maps

By filing the map crafted by the Chicago Latino Caucus with the city clerk’s office, the alderpeople ensured that the June 28 primary election ballot could ask voters to decide what the ward map should look like for the first time in 30 years.

The Seth Warner house. (Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Landmark Status a ‘Slam Dunk’ for Austin Neighborhood’s Oldest House

The Commission on Chicago Landmarks unanimously approved a landmark recommendation for the 152-year-old Seth Warner house, which boasts layers of heritage.

President Joe Biden speaks in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, in Washington. Biden is set to kick of more urgent campaign for Americans to get COVID-19 booster shots on Dec. 2, as he unveils his winter plans to combat the coronavirus. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)

Pushing COVID-19 Boosters, Biden Says ‘We Need to be Ready’

“Experts say the COVID-19 cases will continue to rise in the weeks ahead this winter, so we need to be ready,” President Biden said Thursday during a visit to the National Institutes of Health in suburban Maryland after a briefing with scientific advisers.

(WTTW News)

Cook County Officials, Faith Leaders Urge COVID-19 Vaccinations, Boosters

“We’re coming together with one simple message: the time to get your shot is now,” said Dr. Claudia Fegan, chief medical officer of Cook County Health.

(Chicago Police Department)

Chicago Police Release Footage of Suspect in Fatal Lincoln Square Shooting

The Chicago Police Department released surveillance footage showing the moments before 59-year-old Rae Park was shot and killed by a male suspect at around 7 a.m. Wednesday in the 2600 block of West Catalpa Avenue.

Airbnb is renting out the “Home Alone” house for one hijinks-filled night. (Sarah Crowley / Airbnb)

The ‘Home Alone’ House Could Be Yours for One Night Only

Calling all filthy animals: Airbnb is renting out the “Home Alone” house this month for one hijinks-filled night.

(WTTW News)

December 1, 2021 - Full Show

City remap deadline comes and goes. Plus, the Supreme Court hears a major abortion case, how Chicagoans are marking World AIDS day, and Geoffrey Baer’s new special goes above and beyond Chicago.

The Mississippi River from the air, as seen in Geoffrey Baer’s new special, “Beyond Chicago from the Air.” (WTTW News)

‘Beyond Chicago from the Air’ Premieres on WTTW

Geoffrey Baer’s latest special, “Beyond Chicago from the Air,” explores Illinois’ landscape and landmarks from the air — using drone footage to take viewers across the state.

Actor Jussie Smollett, center, arrives with his mother Janet, left, and other family members at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse for day three of his trial in Chicago on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. Smollett is accused of lying to police when he reported he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago nearly three years ago. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)

Man Testifies Smollett Recruited Him, Brother to Fake Attack

Abimbola Osundairo said Jussie Smollett detailed how Osundairo and his brother should carry out the Jan. 29, 2019, hoax. Smollett planned a “dry run” and gave him a $100 bill to buy supplies, Osundairo testified.

Allen Siders, an anti-abortion activist, center, calls out to speakers at an abortion rights rally in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. A small group of anti-abortion activists attempted to disrupt the gathering of participants from various abortion rights groups. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday heard a Mississippi case that directly challenges the constitutional right to an abortion established nearly 50 years ago. (AP Photo / Rogelio V. Solis)

Mississippi Abortion Activists Protest as Justices Weigh Ban

The Supreme Court has never allowed states to ban abortion before viability, the point at roughly 24 weeks when a fetus can survive outside the womb. But the court’s conservative majority may overturn a nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years under the court’s Roe v. Wade decision.

The AIDS garden is set to open this spring along the lakeshore just south of Belmont Ave. (WTTW News)

A Look at Progress and Challenges in Handling the AIDS Epidemic

It has been 40 years since the first cases of what’s now recognized as HIV/AIDS were reported. Today, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago estimates that 45,000 people are living in Illinois with HIV or AIDS, 28,000 of whom reside in Chicago.

(Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Busted Holiday Lights Are the Worst, Especially When They Wind Up in Landfills. Here’s a Way To Recycle

A group of North Side alderpeople and community organizations are teaming up to recycle non-working holiday lights, which, it should be emphasized, cannot and should not be placed in regular recycling bins.

(WTTW News)

City Drops Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandate Against Police Union: Lightfoot

Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a statement Wednesday night saying the city had dropped its lawsuit at her discretion following an increase in compliance among Chicago police officers with the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

(Photo by True Shot Studios)

10 Things to Do This Weekend: Dec. 2-5

Holiday markets, international music, ice carving and a fairy tale play usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A couple stands outside the security control section inside a terminal of the Barcelona Airport, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (AP Photo / Joan Mateu Parra)

US Reports 1st Case of Omicron Variant in Returning Traveler

The infected person was identified as a traveler who had returned from South Africa on Nov. 22, developed mild symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 Monday.

A proposed Chicago Ward Map from the Chicago City Council's Black Caucus. (Provided)

City Council Misses Deadline to Approve New Ward Map as Black Caucus Unveils Proposal

The City Council met briefly Wednesday afternoon, allowing Rules Committee Chair Ald. Michelle Harris (8th Ward) an opportunity to unveil the map drawn behind closed doors and supported by the City Council’s Black Caucus.

River Park, in Lincoln Square. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Chicago Park District Board OKs $600k Budget for New Accountability Office, Will That Be Enough?

The Park District board OK’d a $600,000 budget for the new Office of Prevention and Accountability, which is being established to prevent misconduct and hold wrongdoers accountable. Commissioners questioned whether the amount dedicated to the new office was adequate enough for the task at hand.