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Carbon-Capture Pipelines Offer Climate Aid; Activists Wary

Two companies seeking to build thousands of miles of pipeline across the Midwest are promising the effort will aid rather than hinder the fight against climate change, though some environmental groups remain skeptical.

US Rebounds From Opening Loss With 6-1 Win Over New Zealand

After a stunning loss in the opener, the U.S. women’s soccer team vowed to be ruthless against New Zealand. And they rebounded in a big way.

No, Not for Selfies: This Community Science Project Tracks Environmental Change in Area Parks

Monitoring stations have been set up at various parks and preserves in the Chicago region for visitors to snap photos, which are then stitched together in a time-lapse series to document environmental changes. 

The Week in Review: Merrick Garland Visits Chicago to Tout Gun Trafficking Strike Force

The U.S. attorney general targets illegal guns. City Council approves civilian police oversight as shootings soar. Lollapalooza goes on despite rising COVID-19 cases. Gov. Pritzker makes it official.

Cleveland’s Baseball Team Goes from Indians to Guardians

Cleveland’s new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City.

Police Reform Advocates Celebrate Creation of Police Oversight Panel, Vow to Keep Pushing

Ushering in a new era of police oversight and reform, the board will be charged with building trust in officers and police brass and putting an end to repeated allegations of misconduct.

Search for Bodies Concludes at Florida Condo Collapse Site

The June 24 collapse at the oceanside Champlain Towers South killed 97 people, with at least one more missing person yet to be identified. The site has been mostly swept flat and the rubble moved to a Miami warehouse. 

‘This Can Be Me’: Black Participation Rising in Gymnastics

The face of gymnastics in the United States is changing. There are more athletes of color starting — and sticking — in a sport long dominated by white athletes at the highest levels.

Chicago Prepares for Extreme Heat This Weekend as Wildfire Smoke Lingers

High temperatures and oppressive humidity levels could combine for a triple-digit heat index Saturday. Air quality continues to be affected by smoke in the atmosphere from wildfires in the western U.S. and Canada.

With Muted Ceremony and Empty Stadium, Tokyo Olympics Begin

Belated and beleaguered, the virus-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics finally opened Friday with cascading fireworks and made-for-TV choreography that unfolded in a near-empty stadium, a colorful but strangely subdued ceremony that set a striking tone to match a unique pandemic Games.

Garland Launches Gun Trafficking Strike Forces in 5 Cities

The Justice Department is launching an effort in Chicago and four other U.S. cities to reduce spiking gun violence by addressing illegal trafficking and prosecuting offenses that help put guns in the hands of criminals.

Photographer’s ‘Scream Sessions’ Aim to Challenge Stereotypes

Since January 2018, Whitney Bradshaw has photographed more than 375 women who participated in her “Scream Sessions.” All portraits are now on display together for the first time in a new exhibit at the McCormick Gallery called “Outcry.”

Paralyzed Man’s Brain Waves Turned Into Computer Text

Researchers have developed technology that enabled a man unable to speak because of paralysis to communicate by translating his brain waves into text on a computer screen. Rabiah Mayas of the Museum of Science and Industry has details on that story and others making headlines.

Narcotics Arrest Diversion Program Will Soon Be Citywide

The city is expanding a program that works to keep people from getting a drug offense and, instead, places them into treatment. Eleven police districts are currently eligible for the program, but officials say it will be available in all districts by the end of the year.

Cardboard Beds, Recycled Medals: Tokyo Games Put Sustainability Front and Center

Some of the Games’ most high-profile moments will incorporate clever examples of “reduce, reuse, recycle,” like medalists standing on 3-D printed podiums made from recycled plastic collected by the Japanese people. 

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Bronzeville

The historic Bronzeville neighborhood on the city’s South Side sits just south of McCormick Place, and has been known for decades as a hub of Black arts and culture in Chicago. Wednesday, City Council paved the way for a massive new development that could reshape the community’s future.

July 22, 2021 - Full Show

The country’s top law enforcement officer visits Chicago. A live report from Bronzeville. How a program to keep drug users out of jail is expanding. And translating brainwaves into text.

As Review of Chicago Monuments Stalls Amid Controversy, Columbus Statues Remain in Storage

A “racial healing and historical reckoning project” launched by Mayor Lori Lightfoot after she removed the city’s three statues of Christopher Columbus has stalled, and the statues remain in storage a year after they were wrenched from their pedestals.

‘It’s Not the Critics That Count.’ Chicago’s Mayor Remains Optimistic After Turbulent 2 Years

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been criticized as “racist” — even as a Black woman — and she’s been called “notoriously thin-skinned” but she remains determined to leave a legacy far beyond her time in office.

What is a COVID-19 Vaccine ‘Breakthrough’ Case?

A “breakthrough” case is when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with the coronavirus. A small number of such cases are expected and health officials say they’re not a cause for alarm.

Pritzker Signs Bill Making Birth Control Available Over the Counter

“Access to birth control should never be determined by economic status, education or ZIP code. Birth control is a basic health care service. It should be treated as such and readily available for all,” said state Sen. Melinda Bush, a co-sponsor of the bill. 

Obama-Springsteen Book ‘Renegades’ Coming in October

“Renegades: Born in the USA” is a bound edition of the popular “Renegades” podcast featuring conversations on everything from fame to cars to the country itself between former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen.

As City Council Beats Back Push to Curb its Power on Signs, Fight Looms Over Ward Superintendents

As the battle over control of business sign permits concludes, a new front in the struggle over aldermanic prerogative opened Wednesday over the future of the city’s ward superintendents. 

Shooting of Party Bus Riders Marks Third Mass Shooting Within 6 Hours Wednesday: Police

Eight people who had been around a party bus were shot on the North Side late Wednesday, marking the third shooting in Chicago with at least five victims in just a six-hour span, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Pritzker Says He Plans to Attend Lollapalooza

Illinois’ governor says he’ll be among thousands of people flocking to Grant Park next week for the massive music festival, even as the delta variant drives a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Chicago and across the U.S.

July 21, 2021 - Full Show

A historic agreement on civilian oversight of the Chicago Police Department — our Spotlight Politics team weighs in. The new chief who investigates police misconduct. Colleges prepare to reopen.
 

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