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As Johnson Picks Interim Top Cop, Search for Permanent Superintendent Continues Ahead of Sunday Deadline
| Acacia Hernandez
The search is underway for Chicago’s next police superintendent. The city’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability is in charge of recommending three candidates to Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson by July 14.
Black History in Bloom in Washington Park with ‘Redefining Redlining’
| Erica Gunderson
Artist Amanda Williams and a small army of friends and neighbors participated in an act of faith and reclamation in Washington Park. In the footprint of nearly two dozen lost buildings, they planted 100,000 red tulip bulbs.
City Unveils Honorary Street Sign for Sam Bell, Cyclist Struck and Killed by Driver
| Nick Blumberg
Sam Bell, 44, was struck and killed by a driver while biking along Milwaukee Avenue in River West last September. He was remembered as a dedicated mentor and organizer for the Midtown Educational Foundation, which works with low-income, underserved students in Chicago.
With Warm Weather Approaching, CPD Announces Summer Safety Plans
| Matt Masterson
Summer doesn’t officially begin until June, but the Chicago Police Department and Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Friday announced they’re activating what they call the “nucleus” for citywide deployment of safety personnel and resources: the Summer Operations Center.
‘ComEd Four’ Scheduled to be Sentenced in January 2024
| Matt Masterson
The four former Commonwealth Edison executives and officials convicted on bribery and other charges this week in the so-called “ComEd Four” case will be sentenced early next year.
World Health Organization Downgrades COVID Pandemic, Says It’s No Longer Emergency
| Associated Press
The U.N. health agency’s officials said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t ended, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
April Sees 253K Jobs Added, Reflecting a Still-Resilient US Job Market
| Associated Press
The unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%, matching a 54-year low, the Labor Department said Friday. The jobless rate fell in part, though, because 43,000 people left the labor force, the first drop since November, and were no longer counted as unemployed.
Plover Watch: Imani Flying Solo Again as Mystery Plovers Leave Town
| Patty Wetli
The two unidentified plovers — one male, one female — that had joined Imani at Montrose have flown the coop, temporarily dashing the hopes of plover monitors for a love match and successful nesting season in Chicago.
South Shore Residents Push Back on City’s Plan to Convert Former High School Into Migrant Respite Center
| Joanna Hernandez
Dozens of residents from the area and neighboring communities attended the capacity event. According to the city, the plan is to use the first floor of the former high school, giving 500 asylum seekers a space to stay temporarily as local efforts continue to find shelter for them.
May 4, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
What South Shore residents think about a plan to move migrants to a local high school. One on one with newly elected U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson. And the challenges facing the city’s Edgewater community.
US Rep. Jonathan Jackson Says Solution to Debt Ceiling Standoff in Speaker McCarthy’s Hands
| Paul Caine
Freshman U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, who succeeded longtime U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush in Illinois’ 1st Congressional District, said the debt ceiling debate has already gone on too long and threatens the standing of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
How Edgewater Businesses Are Faring Amid Ongoing Red, Purple Line Construction: ‘A Lot More Thinking on Your Feet’
| Blair Paddock
Construction often means disruption. That’s certainly been true in Edgewater and Uptown as the CTA’s been working to rebuild century-old tracks and stations. And with that project kicking off just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the challenges have been felt even more acutely.
Spend Coronation Weekend Like Royalty, Reliving King Charles’ Memorable Visit to Chicago
| Patty Wetli
Great Britain will crank its pomp and pageantry machine up to 11 this weekend for the coronation of King Charles III. Here’s how Chicagoans can join the festivities, including reliving the city’s memorable brush with royalty.
5 Things to Do This Weekend: APIDA Arts Festival, Historic Pullman Walking Tour
| Erica Demarest
An arts festival, walking tour and May the Fourth weekend events usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.
COVID-19 Was Fourth Leading Cause of Death in 2022, Killing 245,000 People: CDC Data
| CNN
Despite the decline, about 1 out of every 13 deaths in the U.S. in 2022 was associated COVID-19. The virus killed nearly 245,000 people in 2022, CDC data shows.
Former Proud Boys Leader Found Guilty of Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy
| Associated Press
It’s a significant milestone for the Justice Department, which has now secured seditious conspiracy convictions against the leaders of two major extremist groups prosecutors say were intent on keeping Democratic President Joe Biden out of the White House at all costs. The charge carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Aurora Man Charged With Threatening to Kill Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Voicemail
| Matt Masterson
Steven Woletz, 46, has been charged with one count of threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony, after he allegedly left a voicemail in which he threatened to kill the governor.
Pair of 13-Year-Olds Charged in Chatham Carjacking
| Matt Masterson
The two teen boys were charged Thursday with felony counts of aggravated vehicular hijacking and robbery of a victim 60 years or older.
WTTW News Explains: What Happens After You Flush?
| Patty Wetli
Every time you flush, the waste disappears in a swirly whirl, never to be seen again. It’s magic! Actually, it’s science and engineering. WTTW News Explains.
A Faith Leader Was Convicted of Sexually Abusing a Student and Employee. He Still Lives Within Feet of the School.
| Blair Paddock
A brief exchange was all it took for convicted sexual predator and faith leader to be granted permission to live within feet of a school — something not normally permitted under Illinois’ sex offender laws.
May 3, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
A juror speaks out about the verdict in the ComEd bribery trial. A new interim police superintendent. Debating the practice of human composting. And celebrating Mexico this week.
Chicago’s Mexico Week Kicks Off Ahead of Cinco de Mayo
| Acacia Hernandez
The Mexican Consulate in Chicago is partnering with the government of Jalisco to offer Mexican and Jalisco-inspired dishes, traditional dances and music, children’s workshops and much more.
Johnson Taps Fred Waller, Former High-Ranking CPD Leader, to Serve as Interim Top Cop
| Heather Cherone
Waller will be the third person to lead the Chicago Police Department in less than six months and will immediately be charged with managing the department during the Memorial Day weekend, which typically results an increase in crime and violence.
‘ComEd Four’ Juror Hopes Guilty Verdicts Send ‘Clear Message’ to Springfield
| Matt Masterson
“This is very clear: We do not want to stand for this sort of corruption,” juror Amanda Schnitker Sayers said during an appearance on “Chicago Tonight.”
Human Composting Could Soon Be Coming to Illinois
| Paul Caine
Most people are either buried or cremated when they die, but there is another practice that’s gaining steam. It’s called natural organic reduction or “human composting.” Illinois is poised to become the seventh state to approve the practice.
United Plans to Hire 15,000 This Year, With 3,800 Jobs in Chicago
| Associated Press
United said 3,800 of its new jobs this year will be in Chicago, where the company is headquartered and runs a big operation at O’Hare International Airport.
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