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Analysis: 4 Years of High-Profile Appointments by Lightfoot Did Not Completely Keep Pace with Growth of Latinos in Chicago

Advocates for Latino Chicagoans told WTTW News that they believe Lightfoot failed to fulfill promises to ensure those she chose to lead city departments and to serve on city panels represented the city’s racial and ethnic diversity.

Cook County Correctional Officer Charged After Surveillance Footage Shows Him Repeatedly Hitting a Man in Custody

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office this week released surveillance video of the September 2022 incident, which shows a man speaking to the officer and another guard before the officer, identified by sheriff’s office as 44-year-old Richard Smith, begins punching the man.

April 21, 2023 - Full Show

A new bill aims to push ahead the Bears’ future stadium plans. We meet the owners of a controversial grocery store. And the state’s child welfare agency faces a dwindling headcount.

Week in Review: Downtown Chaos; Johnson Taps Transition Team

Increased security following last weekend’s downtown mayhem. The Bears get a bill boost from Springfield. And as Chicago’s next mayor taps his transition team, Lightfoot and members of City Council bid farewell to City Hall.

How a COVID-19 Exodus Affected Illinois Government Staffing, Salary Spending

WTTW News analyzed state salary data and found some departments got smaller or had a noticeable uptick in employees leaving. Even in agencies that grew, employee churn was evident. We walk you through the numbers. 

It’s Official: Promontory Point Is Now a Chicago Landmark After Decades-Long Preservation Fight

More than 20 years after residents began their fight to save the stair-step limestone wall at Promontory Point on the south lakefront, the Point was declared an official Chicago Landmark during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

How the Owners of Englewood’s New Save A Lot Hope to Win Over Skeptical Community Members

It’s been a year since Whole Foods made the surprise announcement it was shutting down its Englewood location. The store has been the site of controversy since it was announced that Save A Lot operator Yellow Banana was taking over the lease.

New Bill Aims to Jump-Start Bears Stadium Negotiations

One of the key elements of the bill is a $3 per person admission tax on all entertainment and sporting events within what the bill calls the Arlington Megaproject to help pay down debt related to the renovation of Soldier Field.

Supreme Court Preserves Access to Abortion Pill for Now

The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug mifepristone. They are appealing a lower court ruling that would roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone.

This Week in Nature: Lincoln Park Zoo’s 300-Year-Old Tree Will Come Down May 1, But First a Final Hurrah

Crews are scheduled to begin removal of the ancient bur oak on May 1. The zoo is planning Arbor Day events on April 28 to give the tree a celebratory farewell.

Bravura Ballerina Leads a Strange but Stunningly Performed Take on ‘The Little Mermaid’

The ballet, now receiving its Chicago premiere in a grand-scale production by the Joffrey Ballet on the Lyric Opera House stage, is a strange but compelling work inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s enduring classic and features impeccible dancing. 

Chicago Police Officer Who Chased Anthony Alvarez Before He Was Shot in 2021 Should Be Fired for Abusing Girlfriend in 2017, Officials Say

Officer Sammy Encarnacion physically and verbally abused his girlfriend, pointed his department-issued gun at her and was often intoxicated while armed, according to the results of the probe conducted by Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA.

The Lyrids Meteor Shower Might be Viewable This Weekend. Here’s Where to Look

Known as one of the oldest-recorded meteor showers, the Lyrids are expected to produce 10 to 15 meteors per hour for three nights centered around its peak of 8:06 p.m. CST on Saturday, according to EarthSky.

Attorneys General Call for Recall of Easily Stolen Hyundai and Kia Vehicles; 7,000 Stolen in Chicago During 2022

In 2022, there were more than 7,000 Hyundais and Kias stolen in Chicago, a figure that accounts for 10% of all registered Kia vehicles and 7% of all registered Hyundai vehicles in the city, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

US Averaging 1 Mass Shooting Every 6.53 Days This Year, Setting a Record Pace

The carnage has taken 88 lives in 17 mass killings over 111 days. Each time, the killers wielded firearms. Only 2009 was marked by as many such tragedies in the same period of time.