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U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., looks down at his notes as he announces he will not be seeking a 16th term in the U.S. House of Representatives during a news conference at Roberts Temple Church Of God In Christ in Chicago, Ill., Tuesday morning, Jan. 4, 2022. Rush, 75, a former Black Panther and an ex-Chicago alderman and minister, was first elected to Congress in 1992. (Ashlee Rezin / Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Rep. Bobby Rush Formally Announces He Won’t Seek Reelection

The former Black Panther who first won election in 1992 said in a speech at a Chicago church that he isn’t retiring from public service. 

(WTTW News)

Sun-Times Report Finds Sexual Assault Reports Nearing Pre-Pandemic Levels

Reports of sexual assault in Chicago appear to be returning to pre-pandemic levels, and the Near North police district — which includes River North — reached a 20-year high, according to a recent report in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Stephen Sondheim (Photo by Bernard Gotfryd via Wikimedia Commons)

WFMT Honors the Musical Legacy of Stephen Sondheim

Both traditional and groundbreaking, Stephen Sondheim was a one-man era of musical theater. A new appreciation of his music and artistry from WFMT.

(Alexandra Marta / Unsplash)

Northwestern’s New Longevity Institute Aims to Decode the Mysteries of Aging

While some people seem to just stay young longer, others age prematurely. Your chronological age of course can’t be changed, but research suggests the biological processes that drive aging may in fact be malleable.

Students at Chicago Public Schools walk along a hallway in this file photo. (WTTW News)

CPS to Cancel Wednesday Classes if Teachers Union Votes to Work Remotely

The Chicago Teachers Union is set to vote Tuesday evening on a labor action that would see its 25,000 members work fully remotely beginning Wednesday. If that measure is approved, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said he’ll have no choice but to cancel classes.

January 4, 2022 - Full Show

Chicago Public Schools parents brace for a potential cancellation of classes Wednesday. The city’s top doc on surging COVID-19 numbers. A long-serving congressman announces his next move.

(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

Why Are So Many Vaccinated People Getting COVID-19 Lately?

A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant. Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places.

President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with the White House COVID-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the omicron variant in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)

Biden Urges Concern, Not Alarm as Omicron Surges

The president emphasized that vaccines, booster shots and therapeutic drugs have mitigated the danger for the overwhelming majority of Americans who are fully vaccinated.

A hiring sign is shown at a booth for Jameson's Irish Pub during a job fair on Sept. 22, 2021, in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

A Record 4.5 Million Americans Quit Their Jobs in November

The Labor Department also reported Tuesday that employers posted 10.6 million job openings in November, down from 11.1 million in October but still high by historical standards.

(Lisa Fotios / Pexels)

Time To Undeck the Halls. Chicago’s Christmas Tree Recycling Kicks Off Saturday

Chicago’s Christmas tree recycling event kicks off Saturday and runs through Jan. 22 at 26 parks. The program keeps hundreds of thousands of pounds of trees out of landfills.

(WTTW News)

Crain’s Headlines: Workers at Starbucks in the Loop Move to Unionize

Starbucks workers at a location in the Loop make moves to unionize. Ann Dwyer has details on that story and more.

(WTTW News)

Local Doctor on Omicron Variant, Booster Eligibility and More

Dr. David Slade, associate medical director of infection prevention control at Loyola Medicine, discusses the latest research on the COVID-19 omicron variant, FDA’s authorization of boosters for teens and more.

(WTTW News)

CPS CEO Commits to School Specific COVID-19 Closing Metrics

In the face of a potential walkout by Chicago Teachers Union members, Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said he is committed to putting in place COVID-19 cases metrics for closing schools and classrooms.

President Donald Trump speaks during a rally protesting the electoral college certification of Joe Biden as President in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci, File)

Trump, Ivanka, Don Jr. Subpoenaed in New York AG’s Probe

Attorney General Letitia James’ office said in a court filing that it recently issued subpoenas seeking testimony and documents from the Trumps as part of a yearslong civil probe involving matters including “the valuation of properties owned or controlled” by Trump and his company.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Area Housing Market Soared in 2021 But May Slow in 2022

Realtors sold more homes than ever, while prices rose at rates not seen since the housing boom of the early 2000s. 

Members of the House of Representatives gather in the chamber to vote on creation of a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, at the Capitol in Washington, on June 30, 2021. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Jan. 6 Committee Prepares to Go Public as Findings Mount

In the coming months, members of the panel will start to reveal their findings against the backdrop of the former president and his allies’ persistent efforts to whitewash the riots and reject suggestions that he helped instigate them.

(WTTW News)

Watchdog Report Sheds Light on Pandemic Spending Issues in CPS

Charter schools taking tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary loans, security workers cutting hours to apply for enhanced public benefits and bus companies who pocketed payments while laying off employees were among the issues highlighted in a new report.

(WTTW News)

Confused About Chicago’s Proof of Vaccination Policy? Here’s an Explainer

Local business owners discuss implementing the policy

A public health order requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 took effect Monday in Chicago. Let’s walk through who needs to show what, and where.

(WTTW News)

As Hospitalizations Reach Record Highs in Illinois, Gov. Pritzker Says He Fears Worst is to Come

“I fear the climb will continue” with the surge accelerated by post-holiday gathering infections, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday.

(WTTW News)

January 3, 2022 - Full Show

Confusion and threats of a CTU work stoppage as CPS kids return to school. COVID-19 hospitalizations are at an all-time high. Day one of Chicago’s indoor vaccine mandate. And what 2022 holds in store for the housing market.

(WTTW News)

As COVID Surges, How Do You Know When It’s Time to Go to the Hospital?

Overwhelmed by an influx of patients suffering from COVID-19, hospital administrators offered guidance on when people should head to the emergency room.

Lucas Kittikamron-Mora, 13, holds a sign in support of COVID-19 vaccinations as he receives his first Pfizer vaccination at the Cook County Public Health Department, May 13, 2021 in Des Plaines, Ill. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar, file)

FDA Expands Pfizer Boosters for More Teens as Omicron Surges

Boosters already are recommended for everyone 16 and older, and federal regulators on Monday decided they’re also warranted for 12- to 15-year-olds once enough time has passed since their last dose.

(WTTW News)

CTU Members to Consider Walkout This Week as COVID-19 Cases Spike

“I am so pissed off that we have to continuously fight for the basic necessities, the basic mitigations … this makes no sense,” CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates said Monday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, wears a face mask during the White House COVID-19 Response Team's regular call with the National Governors Association in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus, Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster)

Fauci: CDC Mulling COVID Test Requirement for Asymptomatic

The Food and Drug Administration last week said preliminary research indicates at-home rapid tests detect omicron, but may have reduced sensitivity. The agency noted it’s still studying how the tests perform with the variant, which was first detected in late November.

University of Chicago men's rugby team players practice on the Midway Plaisance near the campus in Chicago, May 6, 2021. The University of Chicago is delaying its new term and holding the first two weeks online. (AP Photo / Shafkat Anowar, File)

Taking a Step Back: US Colleges Returning to Online Classes

Harvard is moving classes online for the first three weeks of the new year, with a return to campus scheduled for late January, “conditions permitting.” The University of Chicago is delaying the beginning of its new term and holding the first two weeks online. 

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, air travelers wear masks at Love Field in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. Flight cancellations surged again on the last day of 2021, with airlines blaming it on crew shortages related to the spike in COVID-19 infections. (AP Photo / LM Otero)

New Year Brings More Canceled Flights for Air Travelers

Saturday’s disruptions weren’t just due to the virus, however. Wintry weather made Chicago — where forecasts called for 9 inches of snow — the worst place in the country for travelers. More than 800 flights were scrubbed at O’Hare Airport and more than 250 at Midway Airport.