Olga Bautista, the executive director of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, lauded Mayor Brandon Johnson's proposal. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)
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“The time to act on environmental justice is now,”  Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

Activists protest plans for a metal scrapper on Chicago's Southeast Side at City Hall on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)
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Leaders of Chicago's environmental justice movement are confident Mayor Brandon Johnson has their backs – and they won’t have to fight City Hall as well as the businesses that they blame causing high rates of cancer, heart disease, respiratory ailments and asthma by polluting the air they breathe.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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The 94-page report obtained by the city's former inspector general details lapses by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Department of Buildings. Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined repeated calls to make it public. 

Christkindlmarket Aurora. (Credit: Eric James Walsh)

German-inspired outdoor markets, festive trains and buses, carols and Latino dishes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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A summary of the results of the probe conducted by former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson was released in January, as required by city law. However, Lightfoot has rejected calls from Little Village residents and environmental justice organizations to release the full results of the investigation into the implosion at the former Crawford coal power plant, which sent a plume of dust over six blocks of homes in April 2020.

Pitchfork Music Festival (Credit: Alexa Viscius)

Music festivals, beefy burgers, colorful creatures and tasty tacos usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Credit: South Chicago Dance Theatre)

Fancy footwork, art fairs, cultural celebrations and chocolate usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

“Que La Libertad Nos Bese En Los Labios Siempre” is a new mural in Little Village by Yollocalli Arts Reach artists. (WTTW News)

A new mural near 30th and Ridgeway in Little Village depicts the figures behind a pivotal moment in Chicago’s labor history: the Haymarket Affair.

(WTTW News)

COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black and Latino Chicagoans prompted state and local officials to prioritize hardest hit communities. But a new report finds that despite efforts to address racial inequities, vulnerable communities’ needs remained unmet. 

(WTTW News)
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The fatal shooting of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega in Little Village is putting a spotlight on the city’s troubling gun violence. Despite a swift arrest, some community groups say their calls for more resources to address violence have gone unheard.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not respond to a question from WTTW News about whether she thought it was appropriate for her appointees to reject the inspector general’s recommendation to fire an employee of the Chicago Department of Public Health and punish two other employees of the Department of Buildings responsible for approving and overseeing the implosion of the smokestack.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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The first report from interim Inspector General William Marback disclosed that Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration declined to fire an employee of the Chicago Department of Public Health or punish two other employees of the Department of Buildings responsible for approving and overseeing the implosion of the smokestack.

(Photo by True Shot Studios)

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.

(Courtesy of Jurassic Quest)

Dinosaurs, a hot chocolate run, film festival and bike ride usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A still image from a video taken of the demolition of the Crawford Coal Plant smokestack, April 11, 2020. (Alejandro Reyes / YouTube)
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The final report from former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson did not detail why he concluded that the three employees should be disciplined, or whether city leaders would follow his recommendations.

Workers, community members, and labor organization Arise Chicago rally at the 26th Street headquarters, Sept. 30, 2021. (WTTW News).

Worker walkouts amid calls for improved conditions continue at the El Milagro tortilla plant in Little Village. We get an update on the situation from Jorge Mújica, a strategic organizer for the community labor advocate organization Arise Chicago.