Daily Chicagoan: Pritzker’s Push to Defend Reproductive Health Care in Illinois

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: Happy Monday. Tune in tonight at 5:30 and 10 p.m. for a WTTW News special that’s the latest in our series on policing in Chicago.  Gov. JB Pritzker signs bills aimed at further protecting reproductive rights in Illinois, on Aug 22, 2025, at the University YMCA in Champaign, Illinois. (Courtesy of State of Illinois live stream) Two bills aimed at further protecting reproductive rights in Illinois were signed by Gov.

Daily Chicagoan: Wondering About the WNDR Museum?

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: Happy Friday. Kick off your weekend with a column from our science and nature reporter Patty Wetli. Plus, more from WTTW News. Water lily at Chicago Botanic Garden. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News) Patty Wetli: I tell you, I might be psychic. Last weekend, I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden and took a ridiculous number of photos of water lilies.

Daily Chicagoan: What Happens During a Prison Lockdown? We Asked Incarcerated People

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: This Thursday, read a story from investigative reporter Blair Paddock on the conditions for incarcerated people in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Plus, more from WTTW news. (txking / iStock) About three years into his incarceration, Calvin Merritte said he saw Menard Correctional Center’s cafeteria for the first time this summer. Up until then, he’d only received food in his cell.

Daily Chicagoan: Data Centers Could Drain Water Supplies in Great Lakes Region

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: It’s already the middle of the week. Time flies when you’re staying up to date on your city with WTTW News.  (FierceAbin / iStock) The Great Lakes, a water-rich region, hold 20% of the planet's surface freshwater. However, that doesn't mean cities across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New York couldn't become the next Phoenix.

Daily Chicagoan: Did an Illinois Sheriff Break State Law to Work With ICE?

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: It’s Tuesday. Check out these stories from WTTW News on the TRUST Act, Chicago Public Schools’ first day of classes and local stationery recommendations from science and nature reporter Patty Wetli.  Federal immigration agents in Chicago in a file photo. (WTTW News via CNN) When it comes to Illinois laws aimed at protecting immigrants, Adams County Sheriff Tony Grootens has made his views clear.

Daily Chicagoan: New ICE Detention Facility Worries Lawmakers

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: It's a new week, Chicago. Start it off strong with these stories from WTTW News.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security logo pictured in a file photo. (memoriesarecaptured / iStock) A  new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, detention center is in the works in Indiana, dubbed the “Speedway Slammer.” Similar in size to Florida’s so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” facility, the Indiana center will triple the amount of beds ICE has in the Chicago region.

Daily Chicagoan: Texas Democrats Plot Return After Sheltering in Illinois

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: Happy Friday. End your week with a new column from science and nature reporter Patty Wetli and more stories from WTTW News.   A bulldozer slices through Bell Bowl Prairie, March 9, 2023. (Courtesy of Jessie Mermel) Patty Wetli: This week, we received an update on the status of Bell Bowl Prairie. If you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t Rockford Airport plow under that ancient prairie back in 2023?”, you have a good memory. Yes, the fight to save the prairie failed.

Daily Chicagoan: Summer Festival Season Is the Best

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: It’s Thursday and the weekend awaits. Get prepped with our Summer Festival Guide and the latest stories about your city from WTTW News.  (WTTW News) Chicago Public Schools officials are planning to rely on non-classroom cuts, additional revenue streams and a contingency that puts off a $175 million pension payment in order to close a budget gap of more than $700 million.

Daily Chicagoan: Hundreds of Jobs Tasked With Implementing Police Reforms Are Empty. Why?

Today’s Daily Chicagoan is brought to you, in part, by: Today, WTTW News has stories on stalled police reform, meteor showers and delicious local recommendations from “Chicago Tonight” host Brandis Friedman.  (WTTW News) More than 200 positions charged with implementing a court order that requires the Chicago Police Department to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional rights are vacant, with another 226 positions unaccounted for, according to records obtained by WTTW News.

 

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