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10 More Things to Do (at Home) This Weekend
| Kristen Thometz
Adventurous penguins, art exhibits, live concerts, and plenty of podcasts – you don’t have to go out (and risk getting sick) to have a fun-filled weekend. Here are 10 things you can do from the comfort of your own home.
Chicagoans Create Relief Fund for Artists in Financial Need
| Angel Idowu
Cancellations and closings are affecting everyone, but they present a unique challenge for freelance artists, whose livelihoods are already dependent on an uncertain stream of income. Now, a group of local artists is stepping in to help.
Lightfoot Orders All Sick Residents to Stay Home to Prevent COVID-19 Spread
| Kristen Thometz
For weeks, people have been told to stay home if they are sick. Now, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health are issuing a public health order making that a requirement.
AP-NORC Poll: Fear of Virus Infection Spikes Among Americans
| Associated Press
Concern among Americans that they or a loved one will be infected by the coronavirus rose dramatically in the past month, with two-thirds of the country now saying they’re at least somewhat concerned about contracting the COVID-19 illness.
Got Time on Your Hands? Check Out the Wide World of Live Web Cams
| Patty Wetli
Live web cam feeds of nature and wildlife are a great way to bust free of quarantine without leaving home. Here are 10 to check out.
Illinois Primary: Jim Oberweis Narrowly Wins 14th Congressional District
| Blair Paddock
Jim Oberweis is a veteran of many campaigns: he’s run for Senate, governor and state office. He’s currently the state senator from North Aurora, and he will take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood in November.
Who, What and How? The Challenge—and Confusion—of Coronavirus Testing
| Amanda Vinicky
Gov. J.B. Pritkzer on Wednesday declared the availability of testing for COVID-19 – or the lack thereof – to be the greatest challenge Illinois has faced in combating the outbreak. But he’s hopeful that will soon change.
Sean Casten on Confronting COVID-19 and His Conservative Challenger
| Nick Blumberg
Can Jeanne Ives flip Illinois’ 6th Congressional District back to red? We sit down for a one-on-one with first-term congressman Sean Casten.
Kim Foxx Talks Primary Win, Moving Beyond Smollett Case
| Alexandra Silets
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx came away the winner in Tuesday’s primary against three Democratic challengers. She joins us in discussion.
Humans and Viruses: A Long and Complicated Relationship
| Paul Caine
We discuss viruses and the role they’ve played in shaping who we are with University of Chicago paleontologist and author Neil Shubin.
Spotlight Politics: An Election Amid the Specter of Coronavirus
| Paris Schutz
What to make of the election results Tuesday? And did the governor make the right call to hold the election amid COVID-19 fears? Our politics team takes on the primary election in this week’s roundtable.
128 More Test Positive for Coronavirus in Illinois, Bringing Total Cases to 288
| Kristen Thometz
State officials on Wednesday announced the largest single-day jump in the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Illinois. The total now stands at 288 positive tests for the virus across 17 counties in the state.
Q&A: What Does 90-Day Tax Payment Delay Mean for Filers?
| Associated Press
The Trump administration has announced that most individuals and businesses will be allowed to delay paying their federal tax bills for 90 days as part of an emergency relief plan amid the coronavirus pandemic.
How Seniors Can Stay Safe (and Fed) During the Pandemic
| Erica Gunderson
What can older adults and their families do to keep them safe during this crisis while still getting the food and care they need? We speak with Dr. John Holton, director of strategic initiatives at UIC’s Jane Addams Center for Social Policy and Research.
Cook County Sheriff: Cutting Jail Population a ‘High-Priority’ Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Sheriff’s Department looking to release some nonviolent, low-level detainees
| Matt Masterson
The Sheriff’s Department says it has placed a “high priority” on reducing the number of nonviolent, low-level offenders in its custody, particularly those who are at an increased risk of the new coronavirus.
Circuit Court Clerk: Iris Martinez Wins Race to Replace Dorothy Brown
| Quinn Myers
Illinois State Sen. Iris Martinez has won the Democratic primary for clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court. Martinez topped the four-way race with 31.4% of the vote.
Spring Still Has Hope: Season’s First Blooms Are Here
| Patty Wetli
Snowdrop, crocus, hyacinth and other early spring bloomers are cheering up the gloomy landscape.
Neville, Reyes Remain in Tight Race for Illinois Supreme Court Seat
| Matt Masterson
The man who two years ago was appointed to fill the shoes of longtime Illinois Supreme Court Justice Charles Freeman is in position to keep that seat for another decade. But there are reportedly thousands of votes that remain uncounted.
How Chicago’s Storefront Theaters Are Facing the Coronavirus Crisis
| Hedy Weiss
Because Chicago is the storefront theater capital of this country, it’s worth looking at the situation now facing some of these small companies and how they are trying to deal with the global pandemic.
With 3 More Victories, Biden Pulls Further Away From Sanders
| Associated Press
Joe Biden swept to victory in Florida, Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday, increasingly pulling away with a Democratic presidential primary upended by the coronavirus and building pressure on Bernie Sanders to abandon his campaign.
Embattled State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Declares Victory in Democratic Primary
| Amanda Vinicky
In her victory speech Tuesday night, the Cook County state’s attorney said there was an effort to make the primary election about one celebrity case (without specifically calling out Jussie Smollett) but that “the voters have overwhelmingly put that fallacy to rest.”
Illinois Congressional Races: Newman Defeats Lipinski; Oberweis, Ives Declare Victory
| Nick Blumberg
Challenger Marie Newman has defeated long-serving U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, and the Republican challengers for first-term Democrats Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten are set. Where else things stand across congressional districts.
Empty Fridge, Full House: Managing Anxieties in the Age of COVID-19
| Erica Gunderson
The coronavirus pandemic has altered daily life in every way, from increasing financial worries and food insecurity to simply upending routines. How can people adjust to a new normal in the face of all these new worries?
Illinoisans Go to the Polls Despite Coronavirus Fears
| Paris Schutz
A day that started out with confusion and low voter turnout looks to be ending with relatively few lingering problems, and turnout numbers that approach typical primary elections.
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