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CPS Leaders Set Goal to Vaccinate All Employees by End of March

Chicago Public Schools officials say they've offered COVID-19 vaccine opportunities to all employees and hope to get everyone vaccinated by the end of the month, as the district hits the one-year mark since the pandemic forced the suspension of in-person learning across Illinois.

Crowded Bars: March Madness or Just Plain Madness?

March Madness arrives as vaccinations increase in the U.S. and the death toll from COVID-19 has dropped, but health experts note that many seniors and other at-risk people still haven’t been vaccinated. 

Trump Urges Americans to Get COVID-19 Vaccine: ‘I Would Recommend It’

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Americans to get vaccinated to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it “safe” and “something that works.” 

How Air Filtration Can Help Dissipate and Kill COVID-19

Wearing a mask. Staying home. Getting the vaccine. These are the methods that are likely top of mind when it comes to preventing the spread of the coronavirus. But there’s another tool too — and it’s in the air.

CPS Targeting April 19 as High School Reopening Date

In a letter to parents and families Tuesday, Chicago Public Schools officials said their target goal is to bring back high school students on April 19, the first day of the fourth quarter of this academic year. But the teachers union says no agreement has been made for that date or any other.

Mia Neal Makes Oscar History in Makeup and Hair Category

Ma Rainey made history as the “mother of blues.” Her music and her story are highlighted in the film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which depicts a recording session in 1920s Chicago. Not too far from Chicago, Academy Awards history is being made by a native of Gary, Indiana.

Comptroller Susana Mendoza on What the COVID-19 Stimulus Means for Illinois

Echoing statements made by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the state’s comptroller says stimulus funds will first go toward paying back the billions Illinois borrowed from the Federal Reserve early in the pandemic last year.

Inside Advocate Aurora Health, Reflections on an Unprecedented Year

This time last year, hospitals were bracing for the unknown as COVID-19 accelerated its spread across the U.S. We got an exclusive look inside Illinois’ largest private health system as hospital professionals reflect on a year unlike any other.

Artists and Audiences Have ‘Cautious Optimism’ About Return of Live Theater

Chicago is looking forward to live theater again as vaccines roll out and infection rates remain low. Here’s what you can expect — and when.

Chicago Police Release Footage of Suspects in Shooting of Off-Duty Officer

Detectives are seeking to identify two male subjects in relation to the non-fatal shooting of a 32-year-old off-duty Chicago police officer on Monday afternoon in the Calumet Heights neighborhood.

Leading Senate Dem Says Outlook Bleak on Immigration Bills

Plus: Members of Illinois’ congressional delegation talk immigration on ‘Chicago Tonight’

Comments this week by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., underscored that immigration remains a complex problem for the two parties to tackle successfully, even with Donald Trump no longer in the White House. Local members of Congress weigh in on this and more. 

Schools Weighing Whether to Seat Students Closer Together

New evidence that it may be safe for schools to seat students 3 feet apart — half of the previous recommended distance — could offer a way to return more of the nation’s children to classrooms with limited space.

Chicago Teen Charged in December Carjacking of Lyft Driver

Cornelius Carr, 18, was charged with vehicular hijacking and armed robbery after he allegedly called a ride-hailing service with the sole intent of carjacking the driver who arrived to pick him up.

March 16, 2021 - Full Show

Watch the March 16, 2021 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

City Has Identified ‘Concerns and Questions’ in General Iron’s Permit Application

The Chicago Department of Public Health has requested additional information from General Iron’s parent company regarding the “cumulative impact” of its proposed Southside Recycling facility.

A Double Dose of March Migration Madness, These Tourneys Are for the Birds

Is birding a sport? That’s up for debate even within the birding community, but you can’t say the activity isn’t competitive. There’s not one, but two March Madness-style tournaments involving birds underway.

Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Her 88th Birthday

The diminutive Supreme Court justice with a towering legacy would have been 88 years old Monday. Her son Jim Ginsburg and daughter-in-law Patrice Michaels talk about a classical music tribute to her.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker Reflects on COVID-19 Pandemic, One Year In

It’s been a full year since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took the extraordinary step of issuing an executive order to halt dine-in service at bars and restaurants across the state. Five days later, the stay-at-home order was announced. The governor joins us to reflect on the past year and discuss what’s ahead.

How Technology is Helping the Visually Impaired Find Employment

With 10,000 people turning 65 every day in the U.S., the number of people with visual impairment or blindness is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Here’s how two Chicago-area institutions have been working to support the visually impaired for over a century. 

Daylight Saving Debate: Polls Shows Americans Split Over Springing Forward

Having trouble springing forward? A professor of sleep medicine offers some tips to help you adjust to daylight saving time.

March Madness: Illinois and Loyola Punch Their Tickets to the Big Dance

Get your brackets ready because March Madness, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, kicks off Thursday and two Illinois universities are among the 68 teams competing.

Local Leaders Talk Violence Prevention, Healing After Mass Shooting

Calls for accountability and more community resources after a mass shooting early Sunday in Chicago’s Park Manor neighborhood left two people dead and wounded 13 others. Where do we go from here?

Officials Won’t Use Tax Returns to Pay Debts for Low-Income Illinois Residents

Low-income residents who are in debt to the state or city won’t have their state tax return used to settle those bills under a plan announced Monday by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who said she was spurred to act because “families on the edge” need their tax returns to cover overdue bills.

Aldermen Advance New Rules for Industrial Developments in Effort to Reduce Air Pollution

The revised measure is designed to tighten regulations on recycling centers and industrial operations in an effort to reduce air pollution on the South and West sides. A final vote is scheduled for the full City Council meeting on March 24.

‘The Catastrophist’: A Brilliant Play Bound to Go Viral

Lauren Gunderson’s new 75-minute play about her husband, acclaimed virologist Nathan Daniel Wolfe, is a riveting one-man meditation about life and death and the nature of viruses. It’s now being streamed by Northlight Theatre.

Crain’s Headlines: Alden’s Tribune Takeover Could Be Derailed

A competing bid to buy Tribune Publishing could derail hedge fund Alden Global Capital’s takeover of the Chicago Tribune. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann Dwyer has details on this story and more.
 

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