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CTA Board Approves More Amazon Delivery Lockers at Stations; Transit Leader Outlines Hopes for ‘World-Class’ System

The CTA touted the lockers as a convenience for customers and a way to reduce congestion and pollution from Amazon’s ubiquitous delivery trucks and vans. The program is a three-year deal, with two options to extend it by a year.

Pritzker Issues Disaster Proclamation Following Severe July Storms as More Flooding Possible

Residents on the West side of the city and its surrounding suburbs were hit particularly hard by flooding. Some areas saw as much as 8 inches of rainfall on July 2, leading to flash floods and extensive property damage.

Northwestern Professors Urge University Officials to Halt $800M Stadium Amid Football Hazing Scandal

“Over the past decade, Northwestern has made major and high-profile investments in athletics. But disturbing evidence of harassment and abuse — and high-level efforts to minimize those problems — suggest that we need to get the existing house in order before expanding it,” six university professors wrote.

Chicago Officials Seek Community Input on Environmental Issues Facing Neighborhoods

“The goal here is for us to think about how the cumulative impact data can help change policy and operations across city departments,” said Angela Tovar, Chicago’s chief sustainability officer.

July 11, 2023 - Full Show

Pat Fitzgerald is out as head football coach at Northwestern — full coverage and reaction. A flooding disaster declaration in suburban Cook County. And previewing a new documentary on the Negro Leagues.

Northwestern Fires Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald Amid Hazing Scandal

“Since Friday, I have kept going back to what we should reasonably expect from our head coaches, our faculty and our campus leaders,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said in a statement Monday evening. “And that is what led me to make this decision. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the culture of his team.

Company With Ties to Aurora Mayor, High-Level Employee Eyeing City-Owned Property

A company with ties to Mayor Richard Irvin and a high-level city official is interested in developing three city-owned properties in west suburban Aurora, information obtained by WTTW News shows.

Battle Lines Drawn in Northwest Side State Senate District as Progressives Look to Consolidate Power

The appointment of Natalie Toro to represent a wide swath of Chicago’s Northwest Side in the Illinois Senate sets up a fierce battle next spring as the progressive political organizations and labor unions that helped elect Mayor Brandon Johnson push to consolidate their power.

Shedd Aquarium Welcomes Rockhopper Penguin Chick

For the first time in eight years, there’s a rockhopper penguin chick at the Shedd Aquarium.

Problems With Abuse, Neglect and Cover-Ups at Choate Extend to Other Developmental Centers in Illinois

Prompted by an outcry over abuse, Illinois proposed moving residents from Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center to similar facilities in the state.

People with developmental disabilities living in Illinois’ publicly run institutions have been punched, slapped, hosed down, thrown about and dragged across rooms; in other cases, staff failures contributed to patient harm and death, state police and internal investigative records show.

State Leaves 3 Administrators in Charge at Choate Despite Troubled History of Resident Care

A new state watchdog report calls for a “fundamental overhaul” at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center.

Allegations of patient abuse, cover-ups and misconduct continue to proliferate at a beleaguered facility for people with developmental disabilities, despite promises of reform from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and officials in his administration.

Interim Top Cop Says Migrants Housed at Chicago Police Stations Need More Permanent Accommodations

Days after sexual misconduct accusations were made against Chicago police officers in the 10th District involving migrants, interim Police Superintendent Fred Waller said migrants who remain housed at various police stations need more permanent accommodations.

A Grand Jury Being Seated Tuesday Could Decide Whether Trump is Charged Over Georgia’s 2020 Election

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating since shortly after Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in early 2021 and suggested the state’s top elections official could help him “find 11,780 votes.” 

July 10, 2023 - Full Show

The latest in our series WTTW News: A Safer City takes a look behind the data that shows a decrease in violent crime this year. Reimagining violence as a public health issue. And exploring the impact violence has on mental health.

Almost 2 Years Ago, Illinois Declared Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis. How Is That $250M Being Spent?

The program pushes $250 million in funds to the state’s hardest hit communities. Designed to interrupt and prevent gun violence, it’s a three-year investment that started at the end of 2021.

Hidden Scars of Violence: How Exposure Impacts Mental Health

Exposure to violence is traumatic for everyone involved and can cause both immediate and long-term psychological damage. That damage can lead to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep and substance abuse disorders and even suicide.

Chicago Violence Prevention Program Targets Those Who Are Most At Risk: ‘I’m Doing the Healing’

Chicago CRED aims to approach violence reduction by engaging with those most at risk of being shot. The nonprofit organization, which has nine locations, provides young men in the city with opportunities to change their lives through services like life coaching and education.

Illinois Hotels Report Record Revenues for Fiscal Year 2023

On Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the state’s legislative leadership and representatives of the hospitality industry announced that hotels in Illinois saw record revenues in fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30.

James Lewis, Suspect in Tylenol Poisonings That Killed 7 Chicago-Area People in 1982, Dead

No one was ever charged in the deaths of seven people who took drugs laced with cyanide. Lewis served more than 12 years in prison for sending an extortion note to Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million to “stop the killing.”

Lincoln Square Motel Set to Become Shelter as Part of New City Strategy to Reduce Homelessness

“This can set a model for the rest of the city,” Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th Ward) said, envisioning a similar shelter in each of Chicago’s 50 wards.

Jamie Foxx ‘Celebrating Summer’ in Chicago as He Is Spotted Publically for First Time Since April Hospitalization

The actor has been recovering since April, when he experienced an undisclosed medical complication, according to his daughter, Corinne Foxx. The star was in Atlanta filming at the time.

Panel Set to Unveil 3 Finalists This Week in Search for Chicago's Next Top Cop

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability is scheduled to announce the finalists at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Kennedy-King College, one day before the deadline imposed by city ordinance for it to act.

Families With Transgender Kids Are Increasingly Forced to Travel to States Like Illinois for the Care They Need

At least 20 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans minors, though several are embroiled in legal challenges. For more than a decade prior, such treatments were available to children and teens across the U.S. and have been endorsed by major medical associations.

Cities Have Long Made Plans for Extreme Heat. Are They Enough in a Warming World?

Heat preparedness has generally improved over the years. Chicago, for example, has expanded its emergency text and email notification system and identified its most vulnerable residents for outreach.

5 People Killed by Gunfire Over Weekend in Chicago: Police

According to Chicago Police Department figures, 27 total people were shot in 21 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Northwestern Suspends Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald for 2 Weeks Following Hazing Investigation, Additional Action Possible

The investigation determined that Fitzgerald and other coaching staff members did not know about the hazing, but “there had been opportunities for them to discover and report the hazing conduct,” the university said in a news release.
 

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