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Second Installment of 2022 Cook County Property Tax Bills Will Be Months Late, Again

The second-installment of property owners’ 2022 tax bills will be more than 120 days late amid months of bureaucratic wrangling and finger pointing among Cook County officials.

U.S. Postal Service Offering Reward After Mail Carriers Robbed in Chicago, Suburbs

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has announced a $50,000 reward after an employee was robbed in suburban River Grove Tuesday morning. Another postal carrier was reportedly robbed in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.

July 19, 2023 - Full Show

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on how she’ll implement the new no cash bail law. Northwestern football players speak out about alleged abuse. And the fate of plowing the city’s sidewalks.

Kim Foxx Sees Elimination of Cash Bail as Step Toward Equal Justice

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has pushed for the elimination of cash bail, calling it “a monumental milestone toward achieving equal justice.”

City Council Rejects Lawyers’ Recommendation to Pay $2M to Family of Man Killed by Chicago Police Officer After 2014 Foot Chase

The 22-26 vote represented a rare, if not unprecedented, decision by the City Council to reject a proposed settlement after it was endorsed by the Finance Committee and the mayor. 

Illinois Lawmakers Criticize Pritzker Administration’s Handling of Noncitizen Health Care Limits

The controversy centers on the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs, which provide health care benefits to low-income noncitizens who would qualify for Medicaid benefits if not for their citizenship status.

Loretto Hospital Workers Deliver 10-Day Strike Notice to Management: ‘Everyone Here Needs to Have a Living Wage’

Nearly 200 workers at Loretto Hospital in Austin delivered a 10-day strike notice to management Wednesday over calls to address low wages and unsafe staffing conditions.

‘You’re Overpowered’: Former Northwestern Players Allege Culture of Hazing, Abuse in Football Program and Beyond

A group of 15 ex-Northwestern athletes represented by civil rights lawyer Ben Crump and Chicago-based colleagues say they plan to file suit against the university in the near future.

Chicago Board of Education to Consider X-Ray Contract Renewal As Schools Rethink Safety Strategies

While the board won’t officially vote on that contract until next week, some members questioned whether the X-rays actually improve safety for students at schools.

Chicago City Council Set to Consider Minimum Wage Hike for Tipped Workers, Expanded Paid Leave

Taken together, the two proposals are likely to form the foundation of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s agenda when it comes to labor. A former organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, Johnson enjoyed the unanimous support of Chicago’s progressive labor organizations.

City Council Gives Inspector General Term Limits, Approves Purchase of Motel for Unhoused Chicagoans

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg backed the term limit, saying it will protect the watchdog’s independence and bring “stability, order, independence” to the office.

Changes to Illinois Air Pollution Rule Move forward, Preventing Sanctions from Federal Government

The change repeals existing language that allowed factories, refineries, power plants and other facilities to exceed their emission limits during shutdowns, startups, and malfunctions.

39-Day National Heat Wave Could Last Into August After Smashing More Than 2,300 Records

The long-term forecast looks bleak. The extreme heat could continue into August in some of the hardest-hit areas and even a brief glimmer of cooler hope for some parts of the country headed into the weekend will only mean new areas swelter as a heat dome slides west.

Israeli President Seeks to Reassure Congress on His Country’s Democracy, U.S. Ties

The divide was reflected in his audience. While lawmakers repeatedly rose to their feet in thundering applause of President Isaac Herzog’s recounting of Israel’s founding, a handful of leading young progressive Democrats boycotted his speech.

Biden’s White House is Taking on Corporate Mergers, Landlord Junk Fees and Food Prices

The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed new guidelines for corporate mergers, took steps to disclose the junk fees charged by landlords and launched a crackdown on price-gouging in the food industry.

July 18, 2023 - Full Show

The Illinois Supreme Court says eliminating cash bail is constitutional. The new leader at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition replacing the Rev. Jesse Jackson. And the team charged with finding Chicago’s next police superintendent.

New Leader of Rainbow PUSH Coalition Aims to Stand on the Shoulders of Rev. Jesse Jackson

The new president and CEO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition says he’s learned so much from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. that he’s basically a graduate of University of Jesse Jackson Sr. The Rev. Frederick Haynes III is only sort of kidding.

How a Group of Community Leaders Worked to Choose 3 Finalists for Chicago’s Next Police Superintendent

The three finalists for the city’s top cop were selected from a total of 54 applicants by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) after unprecedented community and police input. Here’s how they did it.

Trump Is Notified He’s a Target of the US Criminal Probe into Efforts to Overturn the 2020 Election

New federal charges, on top of existing state and federal counts in New York and Florida and a separate election-interference investigation nearing conclusion in Georgia, would add to the list of legal problems for Trump as he pursues the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

1st Lawsuit Filed Against Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern Leaders Stemming From a Hazing Scandal

The player, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe, alleged Tuesday in the Cook County Court in Chicago that Fitzgerald, Northwestern University President Michael Schill, the board of trustees and athletic director Derrick Gragg enabled and concealed sexual misconduct and racial discrimination.

Investigators Have Yet to Identify Victims During Probe of Sexual Misconduct by Chicago Police Officers at West Side Police Station Home to Migrants

The probe by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability remains ongoing. Hours after the sexual misconduct allegations became public, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration moved all of the migrants out of the Ogden (10th) Police District headquarters, which patrols Lawndale and Little Village, where the officers under investigation are assigned to work.

Illinois Supreme Court Upholds SAFE-T Act Provision Eliminating Cash Bail

In a 5-2 ruling, with Republican justices dissenting, the state's highest court found that the elimination of cash bail is constitutional and will take effect statewide beginning Sept. 18, overturning a lower court ruling that had put that implementation on hold and handing Gov. J.B. Pritzker a major victory.

Teen Summer Jobs a Public Safety Priority, Johnson Administration Says

Research shows a correlation between youth unemployment and crime. Mayor Brandon Johnson has made teen employment a public safety priority. He’s pledged to double the number of jobs in the city’s youth employment program.

These Young People Are Taking the Lead on Anti-Violence Efforts in Chicago

Gun deaths among U.S. youth rose 50% in just two years. Black children and teens were roughly five times as likely as their White counterparts to die from gunfire in 2021, according to the Pew Research Center.

July 17, 2023 - Full Show

The latest in our series WTTW News: A Safer City takes a look at simple ways to make public spaces safer. How some youth are leading anti-violence efforts. And teenagers and young adults on the importance of summer jobs.

Heather Headley Works Magic With a Wide-Ranging Songbook Winningly Backed by the CSO and Others

Whether she is performing songs from a Broadway musical, a familiar hymn or a gospel classic, Heather Headley possesses a voice and personality that can easily mesmerize an audience. And so she did with a grand-scale performance at Ravinia Pavilion.
 

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