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Utility Giants Agree to Stop Selling Data to ICE But Some Loopholes Remain
Dec 16, 2021 | Acacia Hernandez
Multiple Downtown Stores Hit With Retail Theft Crimes
Dec 16, 2021 | Leslie Hurtado
Multiple in-store thefts have been reported recently on the Magnificent Mile amounting to millions of dollars in stolen merchandise. But retailers say it’s not just about lost revenue — it’s about safety — and they’re calling for city officials to put more protections in place for businesses.
Chicago Casino Developers Show Their Cards
Dec 16, 2021 | Amanda Vinicky
At an hourslong hearing Thursday, the public got a look at what a Chicago casino might look like and where it would go.
Biden Calls for Chicago’s Lead Pipes to be Removed Within 10 Years, As Slow Roll Out Continues in Chicago
Dec 16, 2021 | Heather Cherone
The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill includes $15 billion to fund lead service replacement efforts, and $3 billion will flow to states and cities in 2022, officials announced.
Illinois Records Nearly 12,000 COVID-19 Cases in a Day
Dec 16, 2021 | Kristen Thometz
The number of new COVID-19 infections reported Thursday – 11,858 – is the highest total reported in a 24-hour period in all of 2021, according to data from state health officials.
Chicago Vaccine Mandate Upheld for Most City Employees, Firefighters
Dec 16, 2021 | Heather Cherone
The ruling gives the unions’ employees until Dec. 31 to get their first shot of one of the three approved COVID-19 vaccines, and until Jan. 31 to get the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer BioNtech vaccines.
Can Your Pet Get COVID-19?
Dec 16, 2021 | Associated Press
Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, otters, hyenas and white-tailed deer are among the animals that have tested positive, in most cases after contracting it from infected people.
It’s ‘Agave Watch’ Time at Garfield Park Conservatory as Plant Begins Its Death Bloom
Dec 16, 2021 | Patty Wetli
Visitors to the Garfield Park Conservatory have a rare and exciting opportunity to witness a plant in its spectacular death bloom as an agave prepares to flower for its first and last time.
Chicago’s Top Doc ‘Confident’ CPS Won’t Return to Remote Learning Citywide
Dec 16, 2021 | Matt Masterson
“We’re gonna have to see what happens with omicron, but I do not expect that we will be making plans to move entirely remotely and certainly not for extended periods, even if that were a thing,” Dr. Allison Arwady said Thursday.
Retired Judge Picked by Mayor to Probe Botched Raid Finds No Wrongdoing by Lightfoot
Dec 16, 2021 | Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not purposefully conceal information about the handling of the February 2019 raid that left Anjanette Young handcuffed while naked and pleading for help, according to the results of a probe ordered by the mayor released Thursday.
Ousted McDonald’s CEO Returns $105M After Misconduct
Dec 16, 2021 | Associated Press
“During my tenure as CEO, I failed at times to uphold McDonald’s values and fulfill certain of my responsibilities as a leader of the company,” Steve Easterbrook said in a prepared statement issued Thursday by McDonald’s.
How Wild Was the Weather? 74-MPH Winds, Record High Temps and Smoke Blowing in From Kansas
Dec 16, 2021 | Patty Wetli
Wednesday saw record high temperatures across the region, wind gusts above 60 miles per hour and even the smell of smoke, which rode in on winds all the way from brush fires in Kansas.
Chicago Blackhawks Settle Lawsuit With Kyle Beach
Dec 16, 2021 | Associated Press
The confidential settlement was announced after the sides met Wednesday with a mediator for the first time.
Photographer Tells Story of Immigration Through Lens of Small Business Owners
Dec 15, 2021 | Marc Vitali
Many immigrants dream of owning and operating a small business. A Chicago-based photographer has a personal understanding of immigration, and he has spent years documenting small businesses. He calls his project “Immigrant Owned,” and it’s about to be expanded in a big way.
December 15, 2021 - Full Show
Dec 15, 2021 | WTTW News
A dramatic day at City Council. The latest from City Hall. Our Spotlight politics team breaks it all down. We’re learning more about the omicron variant. And a new effort to reduce opioid overdoses.
Chicago Public Health Department Distributing Fentanyl Tests
Dec 15, 2021 | Blair Paddock
The city’s public health department has been distributing the tests since October to try and reduce the number of deaths due to the drug. The city has distributed somewhere between 14-1500 kits.
Chicago to Pay $2.9M to Anjanette Young To Settle Botched Raid Lawsuit
Dec 15, 2021 | Heather Cherone
The Chicago City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $2.9 million to resolve the lawsuit brought by Anjanette Young after police officers handcuffed her while she was naked and ignored her pleas for help during a botched raid in February 2019.
Yearlong BGA Investigation Reveals City’s Failed Promises in Cabrini-Green
Dec 15, 2021 | Acacia Hernandez
Cabrini-Green residents were promised jobs and housing after its demolition. A new investigation from the Better Government Association reveals how those promises fell short.
Data Indicate Omicron is Milder, Better at Evading Vaccines
Dec 15, 2021 | Associated Press
The findings released Tuesday are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed — the gold standard in scientific research — but they line up with other early data about omicron's behavior, including that it seems to be more easily transmitted.
As Lightfoot Decries Segregation, City Council Defies Aldermanic Prerogative to Approve Apartments
Dec 15, 2021 | Heather Cherone
The proposal from Glenstar at 8535 W. Higgins Road will build the 41st Ward’s first affordable housing in decades amid a cluster of hotels and office mid-rises along the Kennedy Expressway near O’Hare Airport and steps away from the CTA Blue Line.
City Council Green Lights Sports Betting at Chicago’s Pro-Sports Arenas
Dec 15, 2021 | Heather Cherone
A full-court press from the owners of the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks helped the measure backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot hit the jackpot despite the opposition of Chicago billionaire and Rivers Casino Des Plaines operator Neil Bluhm.
The $850 Million Question: Who Can Pay for Invasive Carp Defense Project?
Great Lakes Governors Say, ‘Not Us’
Dec 15, 2021 | Patty Wetli
Great Lakes governors are asking the federal government to fund costs of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project on the Des Plaines River, designed to block the incursion of invasive carp into the lakes.
Indicted Ald. Carrie Austin Collapses During City Council Meeting
Dec 15, 2021 | Heather Cherone
Indicted Ald. Carrie Austin (34th Ward) collapsed during Wednesday’s City Council meeting and was treated by former firefighter Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) before reviving and being taken out of the Council Chambers on a stretcher.
Board Approves $9M Settlement for Fired Black CPS Teachers, Staff
Dec 15, 2021 | Matt Masterson
Chicago education officials approved a settlement Wednesday that will put an end to years of litigation with the Chicago Teachers Union over a series of layoffs that disparately impacted hundreds of Black teachers and paraprofessionals.
US Faces a Double Coronavirus Surge as Omicron Advances
Dec 15, 2021 | Associated Press
The White House on Wednesday insisted there is no need for a lockdown because vaccines are widely available and appear to offer protection against the worst consequences of the virus.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Dec. 16-19
Dec 15, 2021 | Kristen Thometz
Christmas tubas, seasonal concerts, a craft fair and a reimagined “A Christmas Carol” usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.