Stories by Matt Masterson
Illinois State Rifle Association Files Lawsuit Challenging Assault Weapons Ban in Federal Court
| Matt Masterson
The Illinois State Rifle Association and other pro-2nd Amendment groups on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit claiming the ban “infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens” to possess such firearms and extended magazines “for the defense of self and family and other lawful purposes.”
How Gender-Affirming Health Care Helps Trans and Nonbinary People Feel ‘Seen And Whole’
| Eunice Alpasan
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill that provides more protection for patients coming to Illinois to seek gender-affirming health care. The move comes as several states attempt to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender people.
ChatGPT: What to Know About the New AI Technology
| Acacia Hernandez
Some school districts have banned the chatbot, which can answer questions, generate essays and even write scientific papers from a short prompt.
Explainer: How Ominous is the Debt Limit Problem?
| Associated Press
On the brink of hitting the nation’s legal borrowing limit on Thursday, the government is resorting to “extraordinary measures” to avoid a default. Sounds ominous, right? But — take a breath — the phrase technically refers to a bunch of accounting workarounds.
Swept Into Office by Promises of Reform, Lightfoot Faces New Scrutiny on Ethics Record
| Heather Cherone
Lori Lightfoot’s bid for reelection has been weighed down by a growing amount of evidence that she has governed at times more like an old-school machine politician than a reformer.
Chicago’s Urban Forestry Advisory Board Officially Takes Root With City Council Approval of Members
| Patty Wetli
The board will help ensure the growth, maintenance and health of Chicago’s tree canopy for generations to come, officials said. The group’s first meeting could come as early as February.
Lightfoot Backs Plan to Use Cameras to Bust Drivers Who Park in Bus, Bicycle Lanes
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago City Council could vote on what the mayor’s office called a “small scale” pilot program as soon as Feb. 1 — less than a month before Election Day.
Biden Nominates 2 Judges to US District Court in Chicago
| CNN
CNN has learned that the president’s first slate of judicial nominees this year includes Jeffrey Cummings and LaShonda Hunt for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
CPS Taking Parent Feedback on 2023-24 Calendar Proposal
| Matt Masterson
CPS on Wednesday published its proposed calendar for the 2023-24 school year, which would see classes resume Aug. 21, 2023, and run until June 6, 2024. Parents and families now have a week to tell the district what they think before the Board of Education approves the new calendar next month.
City Council Unanimously Votes to Expand Protections for Trans Chicagoans and Those Seeking Abortions
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations now has the authority to investigate complaints of housing discrimination or retaliation. The commission will work with the city’s Office of Labor Standards to probe complaints of workplace discrimination or retaliation, according to the new law.
Retail Chain Party City Files for Bankruptcy
| CNN
The company said it secured $150 million in financing that will allow it keep its stores open and operations running. As of October, the Company had 761 total Party City stores and 149 temporary Halloween City stores.
Wholesale Inflation in US Slowed Further in December to 6.2%
| Associated Press
The ongoing slowdown in wholesale price growth is adding to evidence that the worst bout of inflation in four decades is steadily easing, though it remains far above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%.
Kevin Warren Ready to Embrace New Challenge as Bears President
| Associated Press
A new suburban stadium could be on the horizon for the Chicago Bears and the team owns the No. 1 pick in the draft coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
Jan. 17, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
UIC faculty go on strike. Unpacking new plans for the LaSalle Street corridor. Talking to sheriffs who say they won't enforce the new assault weapons bill. And what’s with the high price of eggs?
Sheriffs Across Illinois Say They Won’t Enforce New Assault Weapons Ban
| Eunice Alpasan
The pushback from sheriffs comes as the Protect Illinois Communities Act already faces legal challenges in the courts, including one from former Republican Illinois attorney general candidate Tom DeVore on behalf of more than 800 plaintiffs.
Warmth Can't Last Forever: Frigid Temps to Hit Chicago Next Week
| Acacia Hernandez
With temperatures averaging in the mid to high 30s, Chicago is seeing its fourth warmest January on record. Climatologist Trent Ford said the only years that were warmer were 1880, 1939 and 2006.
LaSalle Street Development Plans Come Slowly Into Focus
| Paul Caine
The historic LaSalle Street corridor has been an economic engine for the city since the turn of the last century. But in recent years, the once vibrant financial district has suffered as major banks that anchored the area moved elsewhere in the city.
UIC Faculty Begins Strike Tuesday With No Contract in Place
| Matt Masterson
University of Illinois-Chicago faculty striked Tuesday after union and administration officials were unable to come to a contract agreement during a “contentious” 12-hour bargaining session Monday.
Soaring Egg Prices Linked to Avian Flu Outbreak
| Jennifer Cotto
What was once a cheap source of protein has become a luxury breakfast food. Egg prices have soared over the past year, as the worst avian flu outbreak in U.S. history has infected more than 57 million chickens.
Treasury Warned It Would Take 'Extraordinary Measures' Because of the Debt Limit. Here's What That Means
| CNN
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen formally put Congress on notice last week that the agency will have to start taking "extraordinary measures" after the US reaches its $31.4 trillion debt limit on Thursday.
Voting Now Open to Name Chicago’s Snowplows. Salter Payton, Chance the Scraper and Little Dibbie All in the Running
| Patty Wetli
The Department of Streets and Sanitation has announced the 50 finalists in the contest. Voting is open to Chicago residents through Jan. 31.
Early Voting for Chicago Mayor, City Council Starts Jan. 26 Downtown, Expands Citywide Feb. 13
| Heather Cherone
Early voting sites will open to all Chicago voters and voter registration services will be available.
14-Year-Old Boy Charged in 8 South Side Armed Robberies
| Matt Masterson
The boy, whose name has not been released because he is a juvenile, was charged Monday with eight felony counts of armed robbery stemming from separate incidents between last November and December.
Cubs to Give Sandberg Statue, Not Ready to Reunite with Sosa
| Associated Press
The Chicago Cubs plan to honor Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg with a statue outside Wrigley Field and put him in an exclusive club that includes Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins and Harry Caray.
7 Killed in Shootings Across Chicago Over Holiday Weekend: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to Chicago Police Department data, 25 people were shot in 23 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday.
In New Book, Last Surviving Witness to Emmett Till Lynching Seeks to Correct Narrative
| Erica Gunderson
In “A Few Days of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till,” the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. gives a firsthand account of those terrible days.
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