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As Electric Vehicles Drop AM Radio, Broadcasters and Advocates Are Pushing Back

Most of the car companies manufacturing electric vehicles, a quickly growing market, have dropped AM radio from new vehicles. Because more than 40% of all radio listening is done in cars, there has been major pushback to the growing lack of AM access.

Developer Touts ‘Very Balanced’ Plan to Remake Hundreds of Acres of West Suburban Land, But Some Residents Still Skeptical

Hundreds of acres of vacant land in Sugar Grove has a developer looking to build housing, civic space, retail – and distribution warehouses. Some residents are uneasy the project would change the village’s small town feel. 

Chicago Woman Charged After Allegedly Critically Injuring Ride-Hailing Driver in Downtown Crash

Ayca Sarialioglu, 29, was arrested and charged with felony counts of failing to report an accident involving injury and leaving the scene of a traffic accident involving injury. She also faces a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from the incident Monday.

Chicago Failed For Years to Enforce Law Requiring Half of Construction Waste to be Recycled: Watchdog

The failure likely sent hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete, wood, brick, metal and glass into landfills that could have been reused or recycled, according to the audit by the city’s watchdog.

13-Year-Old Facing Felony Charges for Alleged Involvement in Brown Line Robbery

According to the Chicago Police Department, the boy was charged Wednesday with two counts of robbery and a single count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.

For First Time in 15 Months, Fed Keeps Interest Rates Unchanged but Signals 2 More Potential Hikes This Year

The Fed’s move to leave its benchmark rate at about 5.1%, its highest level in 16 years, suggests that it believes the much higher borrowing rates it’s engineered have made some progress in taming inflation. 

June 13, 2023 - Full Show

Getting around town during the NASCAR races. The western suburbs could be getting a new development. Will future cars have AM radio? And organ donation in Black and Brown communities.

Chicago Board of Ethics Finds 8 Candidates Improperly Used City Property During Election

The Chicago Board of Ethics determined all of the violations of the city’s Ethics Ordinance were minor in nature, which will mean the candidates will be admonished in condfidential letters from the board — but not fined.

At Least 5 Injured After School Bus Overturns on Dan Ryan Expressway

According to the Chicago Fire Department, the victims were all transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the bus refused medical assistance.

CPS Pledges Additional $240M For Schools Under New Budget Proposal, Though Some Will Still See Cuts

Chicago Public Schools unveiled its budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which officials say will boost per-pupil spending by nearly $1,000 and reduce the number of schools that will see decreased funding, compared to spring projections.

Waukegan Enters the Bears Bidding Fray, Pitching North Suburb as Ideal Lakefront Home for New Stadium

The north suburban community of Waukegan is the latest town to get in on the high-stakes game of bidding for the Chicago Bears, joining Naperville, Chicago and Arlington Heights. 

Donald Trump Pleads Not Guilty to All 37 Federal Charges in Secret Documents Case

Donald Trump is expected to become Tuesday the first former president to face a judge on federal charges as the city of Miami prepared for possible protests by crowds that officials said could number in the tens of thousands.

Buckle Up, Chicago. The Countdown Is on to NASCAR Street Closures

City officials shared the latest plans for road closures, detours and alternate routes in advance of the upcoming NASCAR Street Race, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride for commuters.

City Council to Reconsider Recommendation to Pay $1M Lawsuit Settlement to Mother of Man Killed by Chicago Police Officer Who Turned Off Camera

Sharell Brown, 26, was shot and killed during a confrontation with police officers who stopped him in Lawndale. Brown was shot four times in the head and twice in his right arm, according to the investigation of the shooting by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA.

Ancient Computers, Too Few Pilots and Air Traffic Controller Shortages Combine for a Potentially Rough Summer of Air Travel

There are also mounting requests to more aggressively and comprehensively address the air travel system’s bottlenecks, including obsolete technology and staffing issues.

June 12, 2023 - Full Show

A local business group’s new public safety initiative. Ethical questions about government grants in Aurora. And Puerto Rican Fest kicks off today — we’re live from Humboldt Park.

Illinois Ranks First in the Nation in Units of Local Government. How Much Is Too Much?

Illinois has more units of local government than any other state. That fact has some critics asking the question: how much is too much?

Former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Portrait Added to State Capitol’s ‘Hall of Governors’

The Winnetka Republican-turned-Florida resident on Monday unveiled the portrait painted by Chicago Artist Richard Halstead and privately funded by Rauner. He downplayed the artwork as “not that big a deal” and declined to stray far from a message of “thanks” to the people of Illinois.

Illinois Becomes First State to Enact Anti-Book Ban Legislation Tying Library Funding to Open Access Policies

The new law declares it to be the policy of Illinois to “encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.”

Federal Student Loan Payments Will Be Due Starting in October, After More Than 3-Year Pause

The pandemic-related pause on both payments and interest accumulation has been set to end later this summer, though the exact date payments would be due was a little fuzzy.

Moms for Liberty Rises as Power Player in GOP Politics After Attacking Schools Over Gender, Race

Moms for Liberty didn’t exist during the last presidential campaign, but the Florida-based nonprofit that champions “parental rights” in education has rapidly become a major player for 2024, boosted in part by GOP operatives, politicians and donors.

4 People Killed in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police

3 teens wounded in CTA station shooting

According to Chicago Police Department data, 31 people were shot in 26 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included the four people killed and three teens who were wounded in a shooting at a CTA station Sunday afternoon.

WTTW News Explains: Why Are There So Many Units of Local Government?

Illinios ranks first in the nation in the number of individual units of local government. WTTW News Explains what is going on with all of those property tax line items.

Bears Are on The Move, Second Black Bear Sighting in Lake County in Less Than a Week

Wildlife officials believe the bear spotted over the weekend in Antioch is the same one seen last Wednesday in Gurnee.

As Chicago’s City Commissions Start Meeting in Person Again, Future of Online Access in Doubt

No rules require city officials to stream meetings online or allow members of the public to weigh in virtually, either by Zoom or by phone – putting at risk Chicagoans’ ability to keep tabs on their government with a simple click of a button.

The Story Behind Juneteenth and How It Became a Federal Holiday

For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts.
 

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