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‘We Won’t Stand for It’: American Library Association’s Tracie Hall Talks Book Ban Efforts

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.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, April 22, 2023 - Full Show

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. 

DePaul Study Finds Higher Rates of Anxiety and Depression Among Young Latinos, Especially Girls and Nonbinary Youth

Researchers studied 1,200 elementary and middle school CPS students over the last four years and found that Latino students are up to twice as likely to be at risk for depression and anxiety.

Common Threads in State Public University Faculty Strikes

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.

Chicago Public Library Foundation Receives $2M Grant for Archiving Black History

The grant from the Mellon Foundation will allow CPL to digitize and archive materials related to the city’s Black history, including items dating from the 1800s to the present day.

Cook County Correctional Officer Charged After Surveillance Footage Shows Him Repeatedly Hitting a Man in Custody

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office this week released surveillance video of the September 2022 incident, which shows a man speaking to the officer and another guard before the officer, identified by sheriff’s office as 44-year-old Richard Smith, begins punching the man.

April 21, 2023 - Full Show

A new bill aims to push ahead the Bears’ future stadium plans. We meet the owners of a controversial grocery store. And the state’s child welfare agency faces a dwindling headcount.

Week in Review: Downtown Chaos; Johnson Taps Transition Team

Increased security following last weekend’s downtown mayhem. The Bears get a bill boost from Springfield. And as Chicago’s next mayor taps his transition team, Lightfoot and members of City Council bid farewell to City Hall.

How a COVID-19 Exodus Affected Illinois Government Staffing, Salary Spending

DCFS gained more than 100 employees between 2021 and 2022. Public health employees declined.

WTTW News analyzed state salary data and found some departments got smaller or had a noticeable uptick in employees leaving. Even in agencies that grew, employee churn was evident. We walk you through the numbers. 

It’s Official: Promontory Point Is Now a Chicago Landmark After Decades-Long Preservation Fight

More than 20 years after residents began their fight to save the stair-step limestone wall at Promontory Point on the south lakefront, the Point was declared an official Chicago Landmark during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

How the Owners of Englewood’s New Save A Lot Hope to Win Over Skeptical Community Members

It’s been a year since Whole Foods made the surprise announcement it was shutting down its Englewood location. The store has been the site of controversy since it was announced that Save A Lot operator Yellow Banana was taking over the lease.

New Bill Aims to Jump-Start Bears Stadium Negotiations

One of the key elements of the bill is a $3 per person admission tax on all entertainment and sporting events within what the bill calls the Arlington Megaproject to help pay down debt related to the renovation of Soldier Field.

Supreme Court Preserves Access to Abortion Pill for Now

The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug mifepristone. They are appealing a lower court ruling that would roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone.

This Week in Nature: Lincoln Park Zoo’s 300-Year-Old Tree Will Come Down May 1, But First a Final Hurrah

Crews are scheduled to begin removal of the ancient bur oak on May 1. The zoo is planning Arbor Day events on April 28 to give the tree a celebratory farewell.

Bravura Ballerina Leads a Strange but Stunningly Performed Take on ‘The Little Mermaid’

The ballet, now receiving its Chicago premiere in a grand-scale production by the Joffrey Ballet on the Lyric Opera House stage, is a strange but compelling work inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s enduring classic and features impeccible dancing. 

Chicago Police Officer Who Chased Anthony Alvarez Before He Was Shot in 2021 Should Be Fired for Abusing Girlfriend in 2017, Officials Say

Officer Sammy Encarnacion physically and verbally abused his girlfriend, pointed his department-issued gun at her and was often intoxicated while armed, according to the results of the probe conducted by Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA.

The Lyrids Meteor Shower Might be Viewable This Weekend. Here’s Where to Look

Known as one of the oldest-recorded meteor showers, the Lyrids are expected to produce 10 to 15 meteors per hour for three nights centered around its peak of 8:06 p.m. CST on Saturday, according to EarthSky.

Attorneys General Call for Recall of Easily Stolen Hyundai and Kia Vehicles; 7,000 Stolen in Chicago During 2022

In 2022, there were more than 7,000 Hyundais and Kias stolen in Chicago, a figure that accounts for 10% of all registered Kia vehicles and 7% of all registered Hyundai vehicles in the city, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

US Averaging 1 Mass Shooting Every 6.53 Days This Year, Setting a Record Pace

The carnage has taken 88 lives in 17 mass killings over 111 days. Each time, the killers wielded firearms. Only 2009 was marked by as many such tragedies in the same period of time.

April 20, 2023 - Full Show

A lot of city personnel movement — we hear from alderpeople leaving City Council. Chicago’s interim top cop is stepping down. And innovations downtown for our “In Your Neighborhood” series.

Chicago Revamping Downtown Development Plans, Seeking Community Input

In 2003, the city of Chicago set out on an ambitious plan: to prepare downtown for the 21st century. Now, decades after the plan was released, the city is revisiting it to address current Chicagoans’ needs.

Outgoing Alderpeople Discuss Lightfoot Legacy, Challenges Ahead for Johnson

The last Chicago City Council meeting of this term is in the books, and for a dozen Chicago alderpeople, it was their last council meeting ever.

Cook County Aims to Curb Fly Dumping with New Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials

The CHARM Center, as it’s been dubbed, will open Saturday in South Holland. The free, permanent recycling hub will accept items including electronics, textiles and Styrofoam, many of which are reusable.

5 Things to Do This Weekend: Cherry Blossom Celebration, Variety of Alcohol Tasting Events

A photo exhibit, rum festival and cherry blossoms usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

Lightfoot’s City Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Overturned by Illinois Labor Relations Board

The board ordered the city to rehire employees that were terminated after they refused to get the vaccine and awarded back pay – plus interest – to those employees who were disciplined because.

Chicago’s Interim Top Cop Will Step Down May 15, After Just 2 Months in Office

Interim Police Supt. Eric Carter offered no reason for his departure, saying only that leading the beleaguered department was his “greatest honor.”
 

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