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5 Things to Do This Weekend: Apple Fest, Shedd Aquarium House Party

An art walk, film festival and house music party usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

9 Armed Robberies Reported in the Span of an Hour Overnight Across Chicago’s North Side

According to the Chicago Police Department, there were nine separate armed robberies reported between 12:50 a.m. and 2 a.m. Thursday morning. In each incident, victims were approached by multiple armed males who took their belongings and then fled in a dark colored sedan.

Pritzker, Johnson Praise Biden for Allowing Migrants to Work While Seeking Asylum

With approximately 7,400 people taking up every available spot in 20 city shelters, more than 2,100 men, women and children are being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, according to city data.

A Chicago Dance Studio Is Working to Keep Traditional Mexican Folk Dancing Alive

A dance studio on the Northwest Side is working to keep a Mexican tradition alive. And for a group of young dancers, there is joy to be found in every step and turn.

As Delta-8 Cannabis Products Gain Popularity, Chicago and Illinois Officials Debate How to Best Regulate the Substance

Products made from delta-8 promise to deliver a milder marijuana-like high. But unlike marijuana, which is strictly regulated and can only be sold in licensed dispensaries, delta-8 can be sold in convenience stores and cafes, and there are no age minimums for purchase.

Sept. 20, 2023 - Full Show

The fate of a tipped minimum wage in Chicago. The city files suit against Monsanto. Trouble with the bears. The battle between legal marijuana and Delta-8. And a local mom keeps a Mexican tradition alive.

How to Order Free COVID-19 Tests Starting Monday

The tests coming available soon are intended for use through the end of 2023 and will include instructions on how to verify extended expiration dates, HHS said in an announcement Wednesday.

Chicago Sues Monsanto for Polluting City’s Air, Water, Soil with Toxic Chemicals

Representatives of Bayer, which now owns Monsanto, said Chicago's lawsuit was “meritless” because the company never manufactured or disposed PCBs in or near the Chicago area.

Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams Resigns

The Bears confirmed Williams, 53, submitted his resignation Wednesday morning. He had been with the team since February 2022.

Chicago’s Looking for Its Next Official Millennium Park Christmas Tree. Think You’ve Got What It Takes?

The selected tree will serve as the centerpiece of Chicago’s official holiday celebrations in Millennium Park. Here’s how to submit yours for consideration.

CPS Board Set to Approve Expanded Parental Leave Policy for Educators and Employees

“Many educators have been pushing for this for a long time, particularly adoptive parents, so I’m glad that this is moving forward,” board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland said during Wednesday's agenda review committee meeting.

Deal to Phase Out Tipped Minimum Wage in Chicago Passed by Key City Panel

Chicago could join Alaska, California, Guam, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C. in ending the tipped minimum wage.

Maywood Police Investigating If Missing Ex-NFL Player Sergio Brown Posted Videos About Mother’s Death

Sergio Brown, 35, is still considered a missing person, Maywood police spokesperson Carmen Rivera said in an email Tuesday, acknowledging police were aware of the videos and were investigating.

Biden's Democratic Allies Intensify Pressure for Asylum-Seekers to Get Work Permits

Increasingly impatient leaders of President Joe Biden’s party in other cities and states have hammered the same message over the last month, saying the administration must make it easier for migrants to get work authorization quickly, which would allow them to pay for food and housing.

How Brandon Johnson Crafted the Deal to Phase Out Tipped Minimum Wage in Chicago

Chicago is set to join Alaska, California, Guam, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C. in ending the tipped minimum wage.

Ride Along With a Task Force Working to Reduce Car Jackings in Chicago

Get an inside look at how a regional task force is working to apprehend carjackers across Chicago. 

Chicago Explores Possibility of a City-Owned Grocery Store In Effort to Improve Food Access

Mayor Brandon Johnson is pitching the creation of a city-owned grocery store in an effort to reverse historic disinvestment in food access on the South and West sides. This process is starting with a feasibility study alongside the Economic Security Project. 

After Years of Decline, CPS Believes 2023-24 Enrollment Is ‘Relatively Consistent’ With Last Year

Following years and years of declining enrollment, Chicago Public Schools officials believe the number of students currently attending district schools is in line with totals from the same time last year.

Sept. 19, 2023 - Full Show

Riding along with a taskforce working to stop carjackings. What a city-owned grocery store might look like. And Chicago takes another step toward paying tipped workers more.

In Chicago, Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko Talks Putin, Poisoning and the Need to Combat Russian Aggression

In an interview with WTTW News, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko gave an assessment of the challenges Ukraine faces as the war with Russia continues. 

Search for Former NFL Player Sergio Brown Continues After Mother Found Dead in West Suburb. Here’s What’s Known

The search continues for former NFL player Sergio Brown after his mother was found dead with assault injuries near a creek behind her suburban Chicago home, according to the Maywood Police Department.

Union Threatens to Expand Targeted Strike Against Big Three Automakers If There Is No Substantive Progress by Friday

In a video statement late Monday, UAW President Shawn Fain said workers at more factories will join those who are now in the fifth day of a strike at three plants.

Openlands Announces Michael Davidson as CEO, First New Leader at the Conservation Organization in 35 Years

The last time the conservation organization experienced a changing of the leadership guard, the year was 1988, Ronald Reagan was president, Mike Tyson was heavyweight champ, and floppy disks were still a thing.

Mayor Brandon Johnson Denounces Bomb Threats That Closed Chicago-Area Libraries as ‘Attack on Our Democracy’

“There are extremists in this country, right-wing extremists, who want to disrupt our form of democracy and our life,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said. 

After Recent Rains Flooded Ant Colonies, They Formed Their Own Life Rafts

If their nests become waterlogged, ants will evacuate and form a waterproof ball that floats on the surface until the waters recede.

Brookfield Zoo Has More Big News to Celebrate: A Record-Setting $40M Donation

Brookfield Zoo has received a historic $40 million gift from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, the largest single private contribution in the zoo's 89-year history, officials announced Tuesday.
 

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