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Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 15, 2023 - Full Show

After months of fighting in the courts, Illinois is set to eliminate cash bail. A partnership to counter violence. And 60 years since the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

Disparately Resourced Public Defenders Across the State Prepare for End of Cash Bail in Illinois

Illinois on Monday will become the first state to fully abolish cash bail through an act of the legislature — a major criminal justice overhaul spurred by the advocacy of a progressive faction of the Democratic Party that’s grown increasingly powerful in recent years.

Week in Review: Chicago’s Budget Shortfall; $25M Wrongful Conviction Settlement

A half-billion-dollar budget shortfall as Chicago pays millions in wrongful conviction lawsuits. The city forges ahead with shelter plans for migrants and doubles down on a temporary casino.

Cash Bail Officially Ends in Illinois Monday. Here’s What You Need to Know

The long-anticipated elimination of cash bail officially takes effect in Illinois Monday, following extensive delays, legal challenges and pushback from critics who sought to keep the existing system in place.

60 Years After 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing, Legacy of Four Young Girls Lives on at Carole Robertson Center

Every year, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning holds ceremonies and social justice activities in remembrance of Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carol McNair — the four little girls killed in a 1963 white supremacist attack on the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala.

Get Back to Your Roots at Morton Arboretum for Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

This month, the Morton Arboretum is inviting people to get back in touch with their roots with a variety of events and programs highlighting Latino cultures and communities, beginning with the Celebración de los Árboles on Sept. 16-17.

Arthur Miller Classic ‘A View From the Bridge’ Gets a Powerful Revival by Shattered Globe Theatre

Shattered Globe Theatre’s vividly acted and deeply disturbing revival of the Arthur Miller classic “A View From the Bridge” could not have been revived at a more ideally timely moment.

Younger Voters Will Be Critical in 2024 Election. Joe Biden and Donald Trump Are Taking Different Paths to Reach Them

Biden won 61% of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 in 2020, making young voters a critical part of his coalition. However, his approval ratings within that age group now stand at 29% compared to 40% overall, according to a new AP-NORC poll.

Sept. 14, 2023 - Full Show

City Council approves another big payout for wrongful convictions. Illinois’ secretary of state on his trip to DC. And the Chicago-born former first lady of Ukraine on Russia and the future of the region.

Former First Lady of Ukraine With Deep Chicago Ties Confident of Victory Over Russia

Kateryna Yushchenko, the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, was born in Chicago and lived much of her early life in Humboldt Park before moving to Mount Prospect. After earning an MBA in international economics from the University of Chicago, Yushchenko had an impressive career in public service.

Illinois Secretary of State Testifies Before Congress on Book Bans: ‘We’re Talking About Freedom of Speech’

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was in Washington, D.C., this week to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee regarding a new state law aimed at deterring book bans.

Englewood Jazz Festival is Back for 24th Year With Three Days of Live Music

The Englewood Jazz Festival runs through Saturday, Sept. 16. In its 24 years, the festival has worked to cultivate a musical community at what’s said to be the “Ravinia of South Side.”

Updated COVID-19 Vaccines and Flu Shots Are Arriving in Chicago. Here’s Where You Can Find Them

COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots will be available to everyone at no cost, regardless of insurance or immigration status.

Tent Collapse in Bedford Park Injures at Least 26, Including 5 Seriously, Police Say

A tent collapse in southwest suburban Chicago injured at least 26 people, police said. Five of those hurt had serious injuries, Bedford Park Police Chief Tom Hansen said.

Fight Reignites Over Fears Obama Presidential Center Will Spark Gentrification

The $500 million presidential center now under construction in Jackson Park has already made South Shore “ground zero” of Chicago’s housing crisis, with a high eviction rate and surging real estate prices, according to supporters of a City Council proposal.

City Council Votes to Pay $25M to Two Men Wrongfully Convicted of Killing Basketball Star in 1993

Chicago taxpayers have now spent $178 million since January 2019 to resolve lawsuits brought by more than three dozen people wrongfully convicted based on evidence gathered by Chicago Police Department officers, according to an analysis of city data by WTTW News.

5 Things to Do This Weekend: Ravenswood ArtWalk, Mexican Independence Day Parade

Oktoberfest, Oksoberfest and a pair of arts festivals usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

Illinois House Speaker’s Staff Could Test Limits of Workers’ Rights Amendment

The Workers’ Rights Amendment provides, in part, that all employees have a “fundamental right” to organize and engage in collective bargaining over wages, hours and working conditions.

Anthony Freud to Retire as Head of Lyric Opera of Chicago at End of 2023-24 Season

 Anthony Freud will retire as general director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago at the end of the season, ending a 13-year tenure.

Former Illinois State Trooper Seeks Restoration of Driving Privileges Nearly 16 Years After Crash That Killed Teen Sisters

For years, former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White blocked attempts by an ex-state trooper to regain his driving privileges after a high-speed crash that caused the deaths of teenage sisters on a busy St. Clair County interstate in 2007.

Hunter Biden Indicted on Federal Gun Charges in Long-Running Probe After Plea Deal Failed

Hunter Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction to crack cocaine, according to the indictment filed in federal court in Delaware by a special counsel overseeing the case.

Proposal to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Homes to Fight Homelessness Begins Long Journey to Ballot

Despite the enthusiasm of supporters who held a City Hall rally before the City Council meeting and packed the chambers, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) tried, but failed, to prevent it from heading directly to a committee hearing and vote.

Senate Judiciary Committee Recommends April Perry to Become Chicago’s First Female U.S. Attorney

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 12-9 in favor of recommending April Perry to become the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. With the committee’s approval, she is now set for a final confirmation vote before the full Senate.

Sept. 13, 2023 - Full Show

Why some CHA residents say they’re facing retaliation. Spotlight Politics on the city’s budget shortfall. A fallen firefighter is laid to rest. And a different kind of training for police officers.

Federal Judge Again Declares That DACA is Illegal With Issue Likely to Be Decided by Supreme Court

A federal judge declared illegal a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. He declined, however, to order an immediate end to the program and the protections it offers to recipients.

Behavioral Science-Based Police Training Program Led to Drops in Use of Force, Discretionary Arrests in Chicago: Study

A new study from researchers at the University of Chicago Crime Lab has found a training program rooted in behavioral science can dramatically cut the number of use-of-force incidents committed by police while also increasing officer safety.
 

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