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(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

Should Vaccinated People Mask Up with COVID-19 Cases Rising?

In places where the virus is surging, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that vaccinated people return to wearing masks in public indoor places.

Jackie Wilson responds to a question from the media at a news conference announcing a lawsuit filed on his behalf on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. (WTTW News)

Special Prosecutor Chosen to Investigate Cook County State’s Attorney Handling of Jackie Wilson Case

A Cook County judge has appointed Lawrence Oliver to serve as special prosecutor in the case of Jackie Wilson, who wrongfully spent decades behind bars for a double murder he didn’t commit.

People wearing masks line up for a food drive in Brighton Park on Chicago’s Southwest Side on April 23, 2020. (WTTW News)

Illinois Health Officials Recommend Masks Indoors, Even for Fully Vaccinated

Echoing a masking announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois health officials are recommending that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks indoors in school settings and in areas where COVID-19 is spreading.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, repealed a law criminalizing HIV. (Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images)

Pritzker Repeals HIV Criminalization Law, Expands Infertility Coverage for Same-Sex Couples

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law a legislation package that aims to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals by, among other provisions, expanding infertility health care coverage for same-sex couples and repealing an HIV criminalization law.

Simone Biles, of the United States, waits to perform on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women’s final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. The American gymnastics superstar has withdrawn the all-around competition to focus on her mental well-being. (AP Photo / Gregory Bull)

Olympic Champ Simone Biles Withdraws from All-Around Competition

Simone Biles will not defend her Olympic title. The American gymnastics superstar withdrew from Thursday’s all-around competition to focus on her mental well-being.

The Lincoln Square Farmers Market is one of Chicago’s many street markets that have had to adapt to new health safety protocols in response to COVID-19. (WTTW News)

Local Street Markets Adjust to Pandemic Restrictions

After a challenging year, Chicago’s street markets are adapting to new health and safety standards, and showing signs of recovery.

A photograph of rice plants in a study performed by a team from the University of Chicago. Researchers found that by adding a gene that encodes for a protein called FTO both rice and potato plants increased yields by 50%. (Courtesy of University of Chicago / Yu et. al.)

UChicago-Led Team Discovers Way to Dramatically Boost Crop Production

In a potentially world-changing discovery, scientists led by a team from the University of Chicago have discovered a way to manipulate RNA to dramatically boost crop production. 

(WTTW News)

Chicago Police Defend Use of Gang Database, More than 2 Years After Watchdog Called it ‘Deeply Flawed’

For the first time since a damning 2019 audit was released by the city’s watchdog, police officials defended their continuing use of records that list approximately 135,000 Chicagoans as members of gangs, citing their need for the data to prevent “retaliatory violence.”

(WTTW News)

July 27, 2021 - Full Show

Hearings for the Capitol insurrection probe get underway. Chicago prepares for climate refugees. And has a local scientist found a solution to food insecurity?

(WTTW News via CNN)

How Climate Change Impacts US and Global Migration

As rising sea levels, destructive floods, droughts and wildfires threaten communities in the U.S. and around the globe, some say governments need to prepare for more migration.

Washington Metropolitan Police Department officer Daniel Hodges wipes his eyes during the House select committee hearing on the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik, Pool)

‘This is How I’m Going to Die’: Officers Tell Jan. 6 Stories

Capitol Police Officer Aquilino Gonell told House investigators Tuesday he could feel himself losing oxygen as he was crushed by rioters — supporters of then-President Donald Trump — as he was defending the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

In this Friday, March 5, 2021 file photo, a restaurant worker holds his face mask in Biloxi, Miss. (AP Photo / Rogelio V. Solis)

CDC Changes Course on Indoor Masks in Some Parts of the US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling infection surges.

(WTTW News via CNN)

How Organizations Serving Homeless Are Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy

Fear, uncertainty and misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine can lead to hesitancy in any community. Advocates serving homeless Chicagoans talk about the role trust plays in reaching this vulnerable population.

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of Chicago’s public health department, talks about the rise in COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (WTTW News)

Arwady ‘Hopeful’ Lollapalooza Won’t Turn into Superspreader Event

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said safety protocols in place for the massive four-day festival are sufficient to allow it to go forward despite a surge in COVID-19 cases. “I’m certainly hopeful that we won’t see a significant problem,” she said.

(WTTW News)

Cicero Man Arrested, Charged With Arson of Chicago Walgreens Last Summer

Federal authorities on Tuesday announced that Jose Valdovinos had been arrested earlier this week after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with maliciously damaging and destroying a building in June 2020.

Simone Biles, of the United States, watches gymnasts perform after an apparent injury, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. Biles withdrew from the team finals. (AP Photo / Ashley Landis)

Simone Biles Withdraws from Gymnastics Final to Protect Team, Self

Simone Biles came to Tokyo as the star of the U.S. Olympic movement and perhaps the Games themselves. It all came to a stunning halt in the women’s gymnastics final on Tuesday night with an uncertain vault.

A screenshot from the “Black Voices” community conversation on Monday, July 26, 2021. (WTTW News)

‘Black Voices’ Community Conversation: Pandemic’s Impact on Chicago Art Scene

Angel Idowu and a panel of guests discuss the coronavirus pandemic through the lens of Chicago’s arts community. Watch the discussion now.

(WTTW News)

University of Chicago Examines Connection Between Poverty and Child Welfare

Families living in poverty are more likely to be involved with the child welfare system, according to a recent brief from the University of Chicago. As part of our “Firsthand: Living in Poverty” series, we look at the barriers facing families that need financial assistance.

President Joe Biden, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., center, and Vice President Kamala Harris, right, share a laugh after the president signed H.R. 1652, the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 22, 2021. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)

Infrastructure Talks Hit Snags as Senate Time Pressure Rises

Senators ran into new problems Monday as they raced to seal a bipartisan infrastructure deal, with pressure mounting on all sides to show progress on President Joe Biden’s top priority.

Bill Clements, head trainer at Tempel Farms. (WTTW News)

How the Lipizzan Stallions Learn to Dance

At a farm just north of the city, trainers are working to preserve an art form on display at the Tokyo Olympics. We visit Tempel Farms to see the Lipizzan stallions they’re teaching to dance.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady appears on “Chicago Tonight” via Zoom on Monday, July 26, 2021. (WTTW News)

Dr. Arwady on Lollapalooza: ‘We’re Not in a Place to be Shutting Things Down Yet’

The four-day music festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Grant Park, and many are concerned it could become a “superspreader” event. But city officials say it will go on as planned. 

In this Saturday, July 24, 2021, file photo a firefighter passes a burning home as the Dixie Fire flares in Plumas County, Calif. (AP Photo / Noah Berge, File)

Winds Stoke California’s Largest Fire as Blazes Scorch West

Erratic winds and the potential for dry lightning added to the challenges facing firefighters battling California’s largest wildfire, one of numerous blazes burning Monday across the U.S. West.

Lollapalooza will return to Chicago at full capacity from July 29 to Aug. 1, 2021. (WTTW News)

Lightfoot: ‘No Second Thoughts’ on Lollapalooza Amid Confusion Over Testing Rules

More than 100,000 fans are expected to attend the massive four-day music festival that starts Thursday. “We’ve been having large-scale events all over the city since June without major problems or issues," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

The Aon Center in Chicago. (WTTW News)

Crain’s Headlines: Aon, Willis Towers Watson Scrap $30B Merger Deal

A merger that would have created the world’s largest insurance brokerage falls through. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann Dwyer takes us behind the headline of that story and more business news.

President Joe Biden marked the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Monday, July 26, 2021. (Samuel Corum / Getty Images)

Biden Administration Announces Resources to Support People With Long COVID

On the 31st anniversary of the ADA, the Biden administration released guidance and resources to support people experiencing long-term effects of COVID-19, known as “long COVID,” as the condition shapes up to be a major, long-term public health issue.

(WTTW News)

Police Officers to Get Back Pay, Face New Accountability Rules Under Proposed 8-Year Deal: Lightfoot

The mayor announced Monday that negotiators had reached an eight-year deal that offers more than 11,000 Chicago police officers annual average raises of approximately 2.5% — while imposing new rules on officers suspected of misconduct.