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Sen. Dick Durbin on Supreme Court Ethics Reform, Reaching a Debt Ceiling Deal
| Alexandra Silets
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk about ethics reforms at the high court, the growing migrant crisis and the possibility that the federal government could default on the national debt.
Argonne National Laboratory’s Particle Accelerator Is a Crucial Tool for Researchers. It’s Getting an $815 Million Upgrade
| Paul Caine
Argonne National Laboratory has been at the cutting edge of molecular scale research for almost three decades. At the heart of that research is the Advanced Photon Source, a huge particle accelerator.
More Than 450 Catholic Clergy Members Sexually Abused Nearly 2,000 Children Across Illinois, Attorney General Investigation Finds
| Matt Masterson
The results of that investigation, published by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, represents what he called the first comprehensive accounting of child sex abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in Illinois.
Chicago Health Officials Sound Alarm as Mpox Cases Increase
| Heather Cherone
Officials with the Chicago Department of Public Health have documented 29 cases of the virus that can cause intensely painful lesions between April 22 and Tuesday, after recording just five cases between Jan. 1 and April 15, according to city data.
8 Tips for Parents and Teens on Social Media Use — From the US Surgeon General
| Associated Press
The U.S. surgeon general is calling for tech companies and lawmakers to take “immediate action” to protect kids’ and adolescents’ mental health on social media.
UPS Strike Looms in a World Grown Reliant on Everything Delivered Everywhere All the Time
| Associated Press
The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, or as UPS puts it, the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product.
20-Year-Old Lake Bluff Man Drowns After Getting Stuck in Alaska Mud Flats
| Associated Press
Zachary Porter, 20, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, was submerged Sunday evening as the tide came in, and his body was recovered Monday morning, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel told The Associated Press. A member of Porter’s group called 911 when they couldn’t get him out, but it was too late, authorities said.
Illinois Lawmakers Set to Return Wednesday In Push to Pass a Budget
| Amanda Vinicky
Passing a budget is arguably the single must-happen task for lawmakers and it was supposed to have been done by Friday, but that self-imposed deadline came and went without any budget action.
May 22, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Assessing the fallout 10 years to the day CPS voted to close 50 schools. The future of artificial intelligence. When might state lawmakers finally have a budget? And a trash man who’s a community treasure.
Tech Leaders, Policy Makers Weigh Both Risks and Potential of Rapidly-Developing AI Technology
| Eunice Alpasan
An apparent AI-generated photo went viral on social media Monday showing a fake explosion near the Pentagon. Officials confirmed that the image and accompanying reports were fake. Critics pointed to the as an example of the problems that come along with the promise of artificial intelligence technology.
Chicago Police Seeking 18 People Believed to Have Broken into Post Office at Thompson Center
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Police Department said Monday it was searching for approximately 18 males who are believed to have attempted to break into the office.
Indicted Former Ald. Carrie Austin Collecting More Than $114K Annual City Pension, Records Show
| Heather Cherone
Former Ald. CarrieAustin is now receiving more than $9,500 per month in pension payments for the rest of her life, according to records obtained by WTTW News from the Municipal Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago. If Austin is convicted, she could lose her pension, since her conduct occurred as part of her official duties as an alderperson.
Tim Scott Launches 2024 Presidential Bid Seeking Optimistic Contrast with Other Top Republican Rivals
| Associated Press
The Senate’s only Black Republican, Scott kicked off the campaign in his hometown of North Charleston, on the campus of Charleston Southern University, his alma mater and a private school affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
‘Latino Voices’ Community Conversation: Viewing Chicago as a Sanctuary City Amid Ongoing Border Crisis
| Acacia Hernandez
On Monday, WTTW News reporter Joanna Hernandez moderated the latest edition of our “Latino Voices” community conversations and discussed with community leaders what being a sanctuary city to immigrants really means.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra Celebrates Concertmaster and Performs Dazzling Works by Mozart
| Hedy Weiss
The latest program by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra honors Robert Chen, the orchestra’s invaluable concertmaster and masterful violinist. It also features a glimpse of a rarely revived opera.
TikTok and Other Social Media Trends are Thrusting Performance Crimes Into the US Spotlight
| Associated Press
Unlike some social media-driven trends that seemingly disappear just as police get a handle on them, the car thefts have continued. Hyundai has tried to work with TikTok and other platforms to remove the videos, but as new ones surface fresh waves of thefts occur, illustrating the lingering effects of dangerous content that gains traction with teens looking for ways to go viral.
Monday Marks 10 Years Since Controversial Vote to Close 50 Chicago Public Schools
| Matt Masterson
Monday marks 10 years since the Chicago Board of Education's historic and controversial vote to close 50 public schools.
Illinois Bills Look to Crack Down on Deepfakes and Doxing, Would Allow Civil Suits
| Amanda Vinicky
Two new measures give victims the ability to bring a civil lawsuit against an alleged perpetrator — a step that has raised alarm from civil liberties advocates and media groups like motion picture and cable organizations.
Remember Olga the Walrus? How About Cookie the Cockatoo? Take a Trip Down Memory Lane at the Brookfield Zoo
| Patty Wetli
The recent loss of Nakili, Brookfield Zoo’s 33-year-old eastern black rhinoceros, unexpectedly sent us on a trip down memory lane, revisiting some of the zoo’s most beloved residents.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, May 19, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Community groups outline their hopes for Mayor Brandon Johnson. Why Latinos are leaving the Catholic Church. And meet a local trash man named driver of the year.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, May 19, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Employment efforts for Black youth. The cost of wrongful convictions. Fighting for water justice. And an art exhibit showcasing gay Black men in Chicago during the 1980s.
UIC Study Finds Youth Unemployment Spiked During Pandemic
| Erica Gunderson
Mayor Brandon Johnson has instructed the city’s budget office to find ways to fund youth unemployment and enrichment programs — and according to a new study by UIC’s Great Cities Institute, those jobs are critically needed.
Mt. Prospect Residents Say Award-Winning Trash Collector Felix Martinez is Community Treasure
| Erica Gunderson
Most neighborhoods don’t eagerly anticipate the weekly arrival of their sanitation engineer, colloquially known as the garbage man. But most neighborhoods don’t have a national award-winning sanitation engineer like Felix Martinez taking away their trash.
Greening La Villita at Kanoon Elementary School
| Erica Gunderson
A dense green tree canopy can reduce the effects of air pollution and climate change. A 2019 study by the city found Little Village was among communities burdened by higher air pollution — and now, the neighborhood is planting the seeds for change.
What the Fight for Water Equity Looks Like for Black Residents, Seen Through the Lens of ‘Wishing Well’ Exhibit
| Acacia Hernandez
A 2022 Guardian analysis found that majority Black and Latino neighborhoods had the highest concentration of lead in their tap water. As of a few months ago, the city of Chicago had replaced fewer than 300 lead service lines out of about 390,000.
Week in Review: Johnson’s First Week in Office; Springfield Budget Talks
| Alexandra Silets
Mayor Brandon Johnson off and running on his first week as Chicago’s 57th mayor. Lawmakers keep state budget specifics close to the vest. And a new bill to assist the Bears in Arlington Heights gets momentum.
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ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Man During Immigration Operation in Suburban Franklin Park
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