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Spotlight Politics: Kim Foxx’s Legacy; ‘ComEd Four’ Trial Closing Arguments
| Blair Paddock
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is not seeking reelection. Closing arguments wrap up in the so-called “ComEd Four” trial. And some familiar Illinois faces are working on President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
Beto O’Rourke on Voting Rights, His Time as a University of Chicago Fellow
| Alexandra Silets
For the last three months, Beto O’Rourke has been spending time in Chicago as a University of Chicago Institute of Politics fellow.
Imani the Plover Is Back at Montrose. Will Monty and Rose’s Chick Stick Around and Find a Mate?
| Patty Wetli
Chicago’s birders are celebrating the arrival of Imani at Montrose Beach. The piping plover is a 2021 chick of Monty and Rose.
5 Things to Do This Weekend: Block Party, Indie Bookstore Crawl
| Erica Demarest
A block party, poetry festival and spring art shows usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.
Mississippi River Flooding Prompts Evacuations, Sandbagging in Wisconsin and Iowa
| Associated Press
A small number of people had to leave their homes in Wisconsin as the river kept rising. Others stacked sandbags in the small community of Buffalo, Iowa, in anticipation of flooding this weekend and early next week.
Immigrants Waiting 10 Years in US Just to Get a Court Date
| Associated Press
The backlog stems from a change made two months after President Joe Biden took office, when Border Patrol agents began now-defunct practice of quickly releasing immigrants on parole.
Quentin Fulks, Now a Top Biden Presidential Campaign Aide, Was Pritzker Operative
| Associated Press
Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s chief of staff and former campaign manager, who hired Quentin Fulks as her 2018 deputy, described him as a “soft-spoken” but skilled operative who understands Democrats’ uneasy coalitions
April 25, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx says she’s not running for reelection. The search for the next police chief. Some Medicaid patients could be losing their coverage. And bringing the formerly incarcerated home.
Hundreds of Thousands of Medicaid Recipients in Illinois at Risk of Losing Coverage
| Paul Caine
Emergency measures designed to ensure people didn’t lose their health care during the COVID-19 pandemic are now being phased out. People must once again prove their eligibility for the government=-backed insurance program.
Residents Sound Off on Priorities, Search Process for New CPD Superintendent
| Nick Blumberg
Backing from the rank and file. Removing racist officers. Protecting marginalized communities. Those are just some of the priorities Chicagoans said they have for the next police superintendent during a virtual forum held Tuesday.
Kim Foxx Announces She Won’t Run for 3rd Term as Cook County State’s Attorney
| Heather Cherone
“I had a mission and agenda that I knew I wanted to achieve, which was fairness, justice and equity. I feel that I have done that,” Foxx said.
That ‘Compostable’ Baggie Probably Isn’t and It’s Time to Get Tough on Misleading Green Labels, Attorneys General Tell the Feds
| Patty Wetli
A coalition of attorneys general said the Federal Trade Commission needs to strengthen the process for “ensuring consumers are protected from companies providing overinflated or even false claims about their products’ environmental benefits.”
2 Cook County Assessor Employees Charged With Accepting Bribes to Lower Assessments
| Patty Wetli
The employees were charged with accepting bribes in exchange for reducing assessed values on properties owned by Chicago-area fence installation company.
President Joe Biden Announces 2024 Reelection Bid: ‘Let’s Finish This Job’
| Associated Press
The announcement, in a three-minute video, comes on the four-year anniversary of when Biden declared for the White House in 2019, promising to heal the “soul of the nation” amid the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump — a goal that has remained elusive.
Closing Arguments Begin in ‘ComEd Four’ Trial: ‘Madigan Wanted, ComEd Gave and ComEd Got’
| Amanda Vinicky
Prosecutors in the so-called ComEd Four trial say the defendants are liars and bribers. Defense attorneys say their clients are talented at their jobs, and merely were caught in a government witch hunt aimed at Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
As Changes Come to the National Organ Donor System, Those Waiting for Donations Hope for the Best
| Joanna Hernandez
Despite more people receiving organs, it’s still not enough to meet high demand. Recently, the U.S. government announced a plan to revamp the way organ recipients are chosen and organs distributed.
‘Voices’ Community Conversation: Discussing Expectations for Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson When it Comes to Crime, Education, Environmental Justice
| Acacia Hernandez
On Monday, community leaders weighed in on expectations they have of Johnson’s administration regarding crucial issues that impact Chicago’s Black and Latino communities, and the city as a whole, as part of the latest edition of our WTTW News “Voices” community conversation series.
Prominent Lightfoot Supporter, Business Owner Pays $5,000 Ethics Fine for Lobbying City Hall Without Registering
| Heather Cherone
Carmen Rossi, who also owns several Chicago nightclubs and holds the liquor license for the Lollapalooza music festival, lobbied the city on behalf of his firm, Chicago Parking Solutions, LLC, even though Rossi was not registered to lobby for the firm, according to a settlement agreement.
April 24, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
After weeks of testimony, the so-called ComEd Four trial is in its final stages. A donor to Mayor Lightfoot faces ethics issues. Changes to child labor laws. And getting new organs to those who need them.
Iowa Lawmakers Considering Bill to Loosen Child Labor Laws
| Associated Press
Supporters of the bill — mainly Republicans — said it would give children valuable opportunities to work and get paid, whereas opponents — largely Democrats — said it would harm children.
R. Kelly Moved to North Carolina Prison From Chicago
| Associated Press
Robert Sylvester Kelly was transferred from the Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago to the federal correctional institution in Butner, North Carolina, on April 19, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Benjamin O’Cone said Monday via email.
Analysis: 4 Years of High-Profile Appointments by Lightfoot Did Not Completely Keep Pace with Growth of Latinos in Chicago
| Heather Cherone
Advocates for Latino Chicagoans told WTTW News that they believe Lightfoot failed to fulfill promises to ensure those she chose to lead city departments and to serve on city panels represented the city’s racial and ethnic diversity.
Common Threads in State Public University Faculty Strikes
| Erica Gunderson
A wave of labor actions swept through Illinois public universities this month, with faculty at Chicago State, Eastern Illinois and Governors State universities on strike at various times throughout April.
Dream Economic Results Reported for First Sueños Festival
| Erica Gunderson
According to an economic impact study, the 2022 Sueños Festival contributed $120.9 million to Chicago’s economy, and Chicago workers earned an extra $5 million in additional labor income. The festival returns this year May 27-28 at Grant Park.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 22, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
What Latino leadership might look like under the next Chicago mayor. A new study on Latino youth and mental health. And the chef at the Purple Pig restaurant dishes on pork.
‘We Won’t Stand for It’: American Library Association’s Tracie Hall Talks Book Ban Efforts
| Eunice Alpasan
Tracie Hall, the first Black woman to lead the Chicago-based American Library Association, has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
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