Stories by Associated Press

Senate Agrees to Hear Trump Case, Rejecting GOP Arguments

Plus: Congress members react to impeachment trial on ‘Chicago Tonight’

Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial opened Tuesday with graphic video showing the former president whipping up a rally crowd to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” against his reelection defeat, followed by images of the deadly attack on Congress  that came soon after.

Which COVID-19 Tests Are Required for International Travel?

The short answer: It depends on where you’re going. In an effort to limit the spread of new coronavirus variants, many countries are requiring incoming travelers to show a recent negative test.

WHO Team: Coronavirus Unlikely to Have Leaked from China Lab

The coronavirus most likely first appeared in humans after jumping from an animal, a team of international and Chinese scientists looking for the origins of COVID-19 said Tuesday, dismissing as unlikely an alternate theory that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab. 

Nothing to Sneeze at: Global Warming Triggers Earlier Pollen

Across the United States and Canada, pollen season is starting 20 days earlier and pollen loads are 21% higher since 1990 and a huge chunk of that is because of global warming, a new study found in Monday’s journal the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.

Trump Lawyers Blast Impeachment Trial as ‘Political Theater’

Plus: Previewing the trial on ‘Chicago Tonight’

Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday blasted the impeachment case against him as an act of “political theater” and accused House Democrats on the eve of the former president’s trial of exploiting the chaos and trauma of last month’s Capitol riot for their party’s gain.

Vaccine Drive Gains Speed, But Maskless Fans Fuel Worries

The sight of fans, many without masks, celebrating the Super Bowl in the streets, in sports bars and at game-watching parties has sparked worries of new outbreaks.

New Variants Raise Worry About COVID-19 Virus Reinfections

How long immunity lasts from natural infection is one of the big questions in the pandemic. Scientists still think reinfections are fairly rare and usually less serious than initial ones, but recent developments around the world have raised concerns.

1 Dead, Several Injured in Hotel Shooting in Chicago Suburb

A shooting early Saturday during a large gathering at the Indian Lakes Hotel in Bloomingdale left one man dead and several other people wounded, police said.

Officials Plead: Don’t Let Super Bowl Become Superspreader

The nation’s top health officials sounded the alarm this week about the Super Bowl being a potential superspreader event, and they urged people to gather with friends over Zoom, not in crowds.

5 Key Questions for Trump’s Senate Impeachment Trial

Arguments begin Tuesday in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 

$22,000 Flute Lost on Chicago Train Turns Up in Pawn Shop

Anyone who’s left so much as a hat on a Chicago Transit Authority train knows that whatever leaves the station without its owner often is gone forever. Except, apparently, a $22,000 gold and silver flute.

Judge Sets Bail Hearing for Kyle Rittenhouse Next Week

A Wisconsin judge will hold a hearing next week on whether to arrest or increase bail for an Illinois teen accused of opening fire during a police brutality protest in Wisconsin last summer after he allegedly failed to update his address with the court.

Biden Seeks To Go Big, Fast and Alone on COVID-19 Relief

The stakes for the country and economy were amplified on Friday morning by the release of the government’s jobs report for January, which showed that hiring had stalled to a pace that could hinder a return to full employment for several years. 

A Sexy Alexa, Dan Levy’s M&M Habit: Super Bowl Ads to Watch

Each year advertisers pull out all the stops to entertain the crowd of 100 million viewers expected to tune in to the CBS broadcast on Sunday. This year there are more than 20 newcomers as well as old favorites. 

Coronavirus Cases Drop at US Homes for Elderly and Infirm

More than 153,000 residents of the country’s nursing homes and assisted living centers have died of COVID-19, accounting for 36% of the U.S. pandemic death toll, according to the COVID Tracking Project. 

US Employers Add Just 49K Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 6.3%

The tepid increase followed a decline of 227,000 jobs in December, the first loss since April. The unemployment rate for January fell sharply from 6.7% to 6.3%, the Labor Department said Friday.

J&J Asks US Regulators to OK Its One-shot COVID-19 Vaccine

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. 

Durham, First Black US Women’s Gymnastics Champion, Dies

Dianne Durham, the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship, died Thursday in Chicago following a short illness, her husband said. She was 52.

Democrats Ask Trump to Testify Under Oath in Senate Trial

The request from House impeachment managers does not require Donald Trump to appear — though the Senate could later subpoena him — but it does warn that any refusal to testify could be used at trial to support arguments for a conviction. 

Immigrants in Sanctuary in Churches Hope Biden Offers Relief

Those who have taken sanctuary have enlisted lawmakers to ask President Joe Biden for relief, pushing to cancel deportation orders and reviving the use of private bills — measures to protect a person or group.

US Unemployment Claims Fall to 779,000 but Job Cuts Grind on

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits declined to 779,000 last week, a still-historically high total that shows that a sizable number of people keep losing jobs to the viral pandemic.

Rennie Davis, ‘Chicago Seven’ Activist, Dies at 80

Rennie Davis, one of the “Chicago Seven” activists who was tried for organizing an anti-Vietnam War protest outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago in which thousands clashed with police in a bloody confrontation that horrified a nation watching live on television, has died.

Wisconsin Prosecutors Seek Rittenhouse Arrest, Higher Bond

Prosecutors asked a judge Wednesday for a new arrest warrant for an Illinois teen charged with shooting three people, killing two of them, during a protest over police brutality in Wisconsin after he apparently violated his bail conditions.

Young Reader’s Edition of Michelle Obama’s Book Out in March

The young readers edition is for ages 10 and up and includes a new introduction from Michelle Obama.

Biden Meets Republicans on Virus Aid, But No Quick Deal

Plus: Local Congress members weigh in on ‘Chicago Tonight’

President Joe Biden told Republican senators during a two-hour meeting Monday night he’s unwilling to settle on an insufficient coronavirus aid package after they pitched their slimmed down $618 billion proposal that’s a fraction of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking.

Pressure Builds on Schools to Reopen During Pandemic

Pressure is building on school systems around the U.S. to reopen classrooms to students who have been learning online for nearly a year, pitting politicians against teachers who have yet to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
 

Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors