Illinois Congress members on Chicago violence. How more midwives across the state can reduce health care inequities. A suburban fight over a Carvana vending machine. And a Santa shortage.
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Man Charged Months After Lakeview Hit-And-Run That Left Cancer Survivor Dead
Dec 14, 2021 | Matt Masterson
Brett Dimick, 30, has been charged with reckless homicide stemming from the Aug. 14 hit-and-run that left 24-year-old Sophie Allen dead and another woman injured.
Black Juror: Smollett’s Reaction to Noose Makes No Sense
Dec 14, 2021 | Associated Press
The only Black juror on the panel that convicted Jussie Smollett of lying to Chicago police said he couldn't get past what the actor did not do after he claimed attackers looped a noose around his neck: Rip it off and keep it off.
Guaranteed Income Program Might Take Months to Roll Out
Dec 14, 2021 | Paris Schutz
In October, the Chicago City Council approved a $31.5 million plan to send checks to the city’s families most in need, promising immediate assistance. But no assistance has gone out yet.
Wednesday Could See Record High Temps as La Niña Continues To Keep Things Interesting
Dec 14, 2021 | Patty Wetli
A 50-year record could fall Wednesday as the temperature in Chicago is expected to reach the mid- to upper-60s, according to the National Weather Service. The warmest Dec. 15 to date was 64 degrees in 1971.
December 13, 2021 - Full Show
Dec 13, 2021 | WTTW News
Neighbors in Illinois and other states clean up from deadly tornadoes. How contact tracers are doing their jobs nearly two years into the pandemic. Addressing violence in Chicago. And a COVID-19 outbreak for the Bulls.
Crain’s Headlines: Sterling Bay Reveals 4-Year Plan for Lincoln Yards
Dec 13, 2021 | WTTW News
Sterling Bay is set to unveil its plans for the North Side megaproject. Danny Ecker has the details on that story and more.
Federal Hearing on Gun Violence Held in Chicago Amid Crime Surge
Dec 13, 2021 | Amanda Vinicky
In 2014, Chicago saw homicides hit a historic low at 426. The city has exceeded that number every year since and is on pace to again this calendar year by more than 80%, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch.
Thousands Without Heat, Water After Tornadoes Kill Dozens
Dec 13, 2021 | Associated Press
As searches continued for those still missing, efforts also turned to repairing the power grid, sheltering those whose homes were destroyed and delivering drinking water and other supplies.
Aldermen Set to Pay $2.2M to Settle 3 Police Misconduct Cases
Dec 13, 2021 | Heather Cherone
Alderpeople are poised to pay $2.2 million on Wednesday to settle three lawsuits claiming Chicago police officers used excessive force in 2014, before officers were required to wear cameras and record their interactions with Chicagoans.
Amazon, OSHA Promise Review After Tornado Wrecks Warehouse
Dec 13, 2021 | Associated Press
OSHA inspectors, who have been at the site since Saturday, will look into whether workplace safety rules were followed and will have six months to complete the investigation, said spokesperson Scott Allen.
Chicago’s COVID Response Corps ‘Ready for The Next Challenge’ Ahead of Winter, Holiday Gatherings
Dec 13, 2021 | Marissa Nelson
Earlier in the pandemic, the program began by focusing on contact tracing. But it has since expanded to meet other needs – like scheduling vaccine appointments and working the city’s COVID-19 hotline.
Imagining Santa Claus’ Childhood in a Chicago Opera Theater Production
Dec 13, 2021 | Hedy Weiss
Have you ever wondered what Santa Claus’ childhood was like? Or why he’s so driven to take off from the North Pole for an arduous worldwide trip each Christmas Eve? The answers to those questions can be found in the 90-minute opera “Becoming Santa Claus.”
Measure to Allow Sports Betting at Chicago Pro-Sports Arenas Advances
Dec 13, 2021 | Heather Cherone
A full-court press from the owners of the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks on Monday helped push the measure backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot over the goal line.
COVID-19 Issues Prompt NBA to Postpone Bulls’ Next 2 Games
Dec 13, 2021 | Associated Press
The NBA postponed the Chicago Bulls’ next two games on Monday, with 10 of the team’s players in the league’s health and safety protocols.
Provocative Paintings Lampoon Stereotypes at Chicago Cultural Center
Dec 13, 2021 | Marc Vitali
A rare Chicago showing of provocative paintings by an overlooked African American artist at the Chicago Cultural Center.
Do You Like Your Coffee Black? It’s Not About Taste, It’s Genetic, New Study Says
Dec 13, 2021 | Patty Wetli
If the thought of drinking a caramel brownie iced coffee or peppermint mocha latte sounds like a punishment, you might be a coffee snob or, according to a new study, a preference for bitter cups of plain black joe just might be in your DNA.
Chauvin Expected to Plead Guilty in Floyd Civil Rights Case
Dec 13, 2021 | Associated Press
A federal docket entry on Monday showed that a hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday for Derek Chauvin to change his current not-guilty plea in the case. These types of notices indicate a defendant is planning to plead guilty.
One Year of Vaccines: Many Lives Saved, Many Needlessly Lost
Dec 13, 2021 | Associated Press
The nation’s COVID-19 death toll stands at around 800,000 as the anniversary of the U.S. vaccine rollout arrives. A year ago, it stood at 300,000.
Council Committee Endorses Proposal To Pay $2.9M to Anjanette Young To Settle Botched Raid Lawsuit
Dec 13, 2021 | Heather Cherone
On Monday, members of City Council's finance committee unanimously endorsed a recommendation to pay $2.9 million to Anjanette Young to resolve the lawsuit she brought after police officers handcuffed her while she was naked and ignored her pleas for help during a botched raid in February 2019.
Rodgers Throws 4 TD Passes, Packers Defeat Bears 45-30
Dec 13, 2021 | Associated Press
After an extraordinary second quarter in which the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears exchanged body blows, the NFL’s oldest rivalry returned to normal, with Aaron Rodgers once again delivering a knockout punch.
Affordable Housing Showdown Set Amid Federal Probe
Dec 13, 2021 | Heather Cherone
Members of the Chicago City Council have until Friday to respond to 10 questions posed by federal officials probing whether aldermanic prerogative has created a hyper-segregated city rife with racism and gentrification.
Crews Search Rubble After 6 Die at Illinois Amazon Facility
Dec 12, 2021 | Associated Press
The company has not said how many people were in the building not far from St. Louis when the tornado hit at 8:35 p.m. Friday — part of a swarm of twisters across the Midwest and the South that leveled entire communities. Authorities said they didn’t have a full count of employees because it was during a shift change and there were several part-time employees.
Crews Search for the Missing After Devastating Tornadoes
Dec 12, 2021 | Associated Press
Rescuers in an increasingly bleak search picked through the tornado-splintered ruins of homes and businesses Sunday, including a candle factory that was bustling with night-shift employees when it was flattened, as Kentucky’s governor warned the state’s death toll from the outbreak could top 100.
Kentucky Hardest Hit as Storms Leave Dozens Dead in 5 States
Dec 11, 2021 | Associated Press
Tornadoes and severe weather caused catastrophic damage across multiple states late Friday, killing at least six people overnight as a storm system tore through a candle factory in Kentucky, an Amazon facility in Illinois and a nursing home in Arkansas. The Kentucky governor said he feared dozens more could be dead.
Emmett Till Investigation Closed by Justice Department
Dec 11, 2021 | Associated Press
Two white men, Roy Bryant and his half-brother J.W. Milam, were tried on murder charges about a month after Emmett Till was killed, but an all-white Mississippi jury acquitted them.