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Panel Names 3 Finalists in Search for Chicago’s Next Top Cop: Angel Novalez, Larry Snelling, Shon Barnes
| Heather Cherone
The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability recommended two veterans of the beleaguered Chicago Police Department and one outsider.
5 Things to Do This Weekend: Craft Beer Festival, Neighborhood Garden Walks
| Erica Demarest
Summer festivals, a block party and debut plays usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in Chicago.
Film, TV Actors Join Writers in Historic Industry-Stopping Strike as Contract Talks Collapse
| Associated Press
Leaders of a Hollywood’s actors union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry.
Pay $5M to Settle Class-Action Lawsuit Targeting Chicago Police’s Use of Stop-and-Frisk, City Lawyers Recommend
| Heather Cherone
The proposed settlement is set to be considered next week by the City Council’s Finance Committee on Monday. A final vote of the City Council could come on Wednesday.
Chicago Inspector General Would Be Limited to 2, 4-Year Terms Under Proposal Set for Final Vote
| Heather Cherone
Limiting the city’s watchdog to two terms would bring “stability, order, independence” to the office, which oversees all city departments and contractors as well as the mayor’s office, City Council and its committees, current Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said.
Chicago Police Warn of Armed Robberies Across North, Northwest Sides
| Matt Masterson
According to a police bulletin, 23 armed robberies occurred between July 8 and July 11 across several community areas, sometimes just minutes apart.
Chicago Man Tied to Missouri-to-Chicago Gun Pipeline Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison: Prosecutors
| Matt Masterson
Derrick Claiborne was sentenced in Chicago’s federal court this month after prosecutors said he was arrested at his penthouse apartment on Michigan Avenue while in possession of narcotics and three illegal firearms.
July 12, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Chicago gets another round of heavy rain. The latest on allegations of CPD sexual abuse against migrants. New details in the Madigan corruption case. And Montrose Beach’s piping plover spreads its wings.
Spotlight Politics: Michael Madigan Corruption Case; Northwestern Hazing Allegations
| Blair Paddock
New efforts from Michael Madigan’s attorneys to suppress key evidence in his upcoming bribery trial. A battle among Chicago’s democrats for political power on the city’s Northwest Side. And fallout from allegations of hazing and racism in Northwestern University’s football team.
Following Allegations of Sexual Misconduct, Calls to Move Migrants Out of Chicago Police Stations Grow Louder
| Joanna Hernandez
Local organizations are demanding answers from the Chicago Police Department amid allegations that officers at the Ogden (10th) Police District headquarters had sexual relations with migrants.
Ukrainian Artist Teaches Traditional Folk Painting on Glass
| Marc Vitali
Longtime Chicago resident Elena Diadenko uses her talents to teach a traditional form of folk art and raise awareness about the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Chicago Has 3 New Piping Plovers at Montrose: Meet Searocket, Prickly Pear and Wild Indigo
| Eunice Alpasan
Three endangered piping plover chicks were released into the wild Wednesday at a protected site at Montrose Beach in an effort to aid in its species recovery. It marks the first time plovers have been released in the state.
Farragut Career Academy Security Guard Charged With Sexually Assaulting Underage Student
| Matt Masterson
Farragut Career Academy High School security guard Romel Campoverde, 43, appeared in court Wednesday following his arrest on a charge of criminal sexual assault of a victim between the ages of 13-17. He was ordered held on a $100,000 D-bond, meaning he must pay $10,000 to be released from custody.
Thanks to Viral Megatests, a ‘Cold’ May Not Be So Common Anymore
| CNN
Experts say the tests can be a mixed blessing. You may be able to identify exactly which virus or viruses are making you sick. It may not do you or your doctor much good, however, since most viruses don’t have any specific treatments.
3 Dead and 14 Injured in Southern Illinois Crash Involving Greyhound Bus and Tractor-Trailers, Police Say
| Associated Press
The bus was traveling westbound along Interstate 70 in Madison County around 1:55 a.m. when it crashed into the three semis, Illinois State Police said, citing an initial investigation.
CTA Board Approves More Amazon Delivery Lockers at Stations; Transit Leader Outlines Hopes for ‘World-Class’ System
| Nick Blumberg
The CTA touted the lockers as a convenience for customers and a way to reduce congestion and pollution from Amazon’s ubiquitous delivery trucks and vans. The program is a three-year deal, with two options to extend it by a year.
Pritzker Issues Disaster Proclamation Following Severe July Storms as More Flooding Possible
| Eunice Alpasan
Residents on the West side of the city and its surrounding suburbs were hit particularly hard by flooding. Some areas saw as much as 8 inches of rainfall on July 2, leading to flash floods and extensive property damage.
Northwestern Professors Urge University Officials to Halt $800M Stadium Amid Football Hazing Scandal
| Matt Masterson
“Over the past decade, Northwestern has made major and high-profile investments in athletics. But disturbing evidence of harassment and abuse — and high-level efforts to minimize those problems — suggest that we need to get the existing house in order before expanding it,” six university professors wrote.
Chicago Officials Seek Community Input on Environmental Issues Facing Neighborhoods
| Eunice Alpasan
“The goal here is for us to think about how the cumulative impact data can help change policy and operations across city departments,” said Angela Tovar, Chicago’s chief sustainability officer.
July 11, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Pat Fitzgerald is out as head football coach at Northwestern — full coverage and reaction. A flooding disaster declaration in suburban Cook County. And previewing a new documentary on the Negro Leagues.
Northwestern Fires Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Amid Hazing Scandal
| Matt Masterson
“Since Friday, I have kept going back to what we should reasonably expect from our head coaches, our faculty and our campus leaders,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said in a statement Monday evening. “And that is what led me to make this decision. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team.
Company With Ties to Aurora Mayor, High-Level Employee Eyeing City-Owned Property
| Nick Blumberg
A company with ties to Mayor Richard Irvin and a high-level city official is interested in developing three city-owned properties in west suburban Aurora, information obtained by WTTW News shows.
Battle Lines Drawn in Northwest Side State Senate District as Progressives Look to Consolidate Power
| Heather Cherone
The appointment of Natalie Toro to represent a wide swath of Chicago’s Northwest Side in the Illinois Senate sets up a fierce battle next spring as the progressive political organizations and labor unions that helped elect Mayor Brandon Johnson push to consolidate their power.
Shedd Aquarium Welcomes Rockhopper Penguin Chick
| Erica Demarest
For the first time in eight years, there’s a rockhopper penguin chick at the Shedd Aquarium.
Problems With Abuse, Neglect and Cover-Ups at Choate Extend to Other Developmental Centers in Illinois
Prompted by an outcry over abuse, Illinois proposed moving residents from Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center to similar facilities in the state.
| Molly Parker — Lee Enterprises Midwest
People with developmental disabilities living in Illinois’ publicly run institutions have been punched, slapped, hosed down, thrown about and dragged across rooms; in other cases, staff failures contributed to patient harm and death, state police and internal investigative records show.
State Leaves 3 Administrators in Charge at Choate Despite Troubled History of Resident Care
A new state watchdog report calls for a “fundamental overhaul” at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center.
| Beth Hundsdorfer — Capitol News Illinois
Allegations of patient abuse, cover-ups and misconduct continue to proliferate at a beleaguered facility for people with developmental disabilities, despite promises of reform from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and officials in his administration.
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