Stories by CNN

These Chicago Women Ran an Underground Abortion Network in the 1960s. Here’s How They View Today’s Debate

A band of young women — most in their 20s, some in college, some married with children — banded together in Chicago to create an underground abortion network. The group was officially created in 1969 as the “Abortion Counseling Service of Women’s Liberation.”

Jerry Springer, Whose Chicago-Based Show Was Ratings Hit and Cultural Pariah, Dies at 79

At its peak, ”The Jerry Springer Show” was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama. Springer died peacefully at home in suburban Chicago after a brief illness. 

Plover Watch: Female Plover Joins Imani and Mystery Bachelor at Montrose, Let the Dating Games Begin

There’s a love triangle brewing at Montrose Beach, where Imani the piping plover has been joined by a mystery bachelor and … a female.

April 26, 2023 - Full Show

Our Spotlight Politics team on jury deliberations in the ComEd bribery trial and the opening at the state’s attorney office. Former presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke joins us. And a plover sighting!

Spotlight Politics: Kim Foxx’s Legacy; ‘ComEd Four’ Trial Closing Arguments

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is not seeking reelection. Closing arguments wrap up in the so-called “ComEd Four” trial. And some familiar Illinois faces are working on President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

Beto O’Rourke on Voting Rights, His Time as a University of Chicago Fellow

For the last three months, Beto O’Rourke has been spending time in Chicago as a University of Chicago Institute of Politics fellow.

Imani the Plover Is Back at Montrose. Will Monty and Rose’s Chick Stick Around and Find a Mate?

Chicago’s birders are celebrating the arrival of Imani at Montrose Beach. The piping plover is a 2021 chick of Monty and Rose.

5 Things to Do This Weekend: Block Party, Indie Bookstore Crawl

A block party, poetry festival and spring art shows usher in the weekend. Here are five things to do in and around Chicago.

Mississippi River Flooding Prompts Evacuations, Sandbagging in Wisconsin and Iowa

A small number of people had to leave their homes in Wisconsin as the river kept rising. Others stacked sandbags in the small community of Buffalo, Iowa, in anticipation of flooding this weekend and early next week.

Immigrants Waiting 10 Years in US Just to Get a Court Date

The backlog stems from a change made two months after President Joe Biden took office, when Border Patrol agents began now-defunct practice of quickly releasing immigrants on parole. 

Quentin Fulks, Now a Top Biden Presidential Campaign Aide, Was Pritzker Operative

Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s chief of staff and former campaign manager, who hired Quentin Fulks as her 2018 deputy, described him as a “soft-spoken” but skilled operative who understands Democrats’ uneasy coalitions

April 25, 2023 - Full Show

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx says she’s not running for reelection. The search for the next police chief. Some Medicaid patients could be losing their coverage. And bringing the formerly incarcerated home.

Hundreds of Thousands of Medicaid Recipients in Illinois at Risk of Losing Coverage

Emergency measures designed to ensure people didn’t lose their health care during the COVID-19 pandemic are now being phased out. People must once again prove their eligibility for the government=-backed insurance program.

Residents Sound Off on Priorities, Search Process for New CPD Superintendent

Backing from the rank and file. Removing racist officers. Protecting marginalized communities. Those are just some of the priorities Chicagoans said they have for the next police superintendent during a virtual forum held Tuesday.

Kim Foxx Announces She Won’t Run for 3rd Term as Cook County State’s Attorney

“I had a mission and agenda that I knew I wanted to achieve, which was fairness, justice and equity. I feel that I have done that,” Foxx said.

That ‘Compostable’ Baggie Probably Isn’t and It’s Time to Get Tough on Misleading Green Labels, Attorneys General Tell the Feds

A coalition of attorneys general said the Federal Trade Commission needs to strengthen the process for “ensuring consumers are protected from companies providing overinflated or even false claims about their products’ environmental benefits.”

2 Cook County Assessor Employees Charged With Accepting Bribes to Lower Assessments

The employees were charged with accepting bribes in exchange for reducing assessed values on properties owned by Chicago-area fence installation company.

President Joe Biden Announces 2024 Reelection Bid: ‘Let’s Finish This Job’

The announcement, in a three-minute video, comes on the four-year anniversary of when Biden declared for the White House in 2019, promising to heal the “soul of the nation” amid the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump — a goal that has remained elusive.

Closing Arguments Begin in ‘ComEd Four’ Trial: ‘Madigan Wanted, ComEd Gave and ComEd Got’

Prosecutors in the so-called ComEd Four trial say the defendants are liars and bribers. Defense attorneys say their clients are talented at their jobs, and merely were caught in a government witch hunt aimed at Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

As Changes Come to the National Organ Donor System, Those Waiting for Donations Hope for the Best

Despite more people receiving organs, it’s still not enough to meet high demand. Recently, the U.S. government announced a plan to revamp the way organ recipients are chosen and organs distributed. 

‘Voices’ Community Conversation: Discussing Expectations for Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson When it Comes to Crime, Education, Environmental Justice

On Monday, community leaders weighed in on expectations they have of Johnson’s administration regarding crucial issues that impact Chicago’s Black and Latino communities, and the city as a whole, as part of the latest edition of our WTTW News “Voices” community conversation series.

Prominent Lightfoot Supporter, Business Owner Pays $5,000 Ethics Fine for Lobbying City Hall Without Registering

Carmen Rossi, who also owns several Chicago nightclubs and holds the liquor license for the Lollapalooza music festival, lobbied the city on behalf of his firm, Chicago Parking Solutions, LLC, even though Rossi was not registered to lobby for the firm, according to a settlement agreement.

April 24, 2023 - Full Show

After weeks of testimony, the so-called ComEd Four trial is in its final stages. A donor to Mayor Lightfoot faces ethics issues. Changes to child labor laws. And getting new organs to those who need them. 

Iowa Lawmakers Considering Bill to Loosen Child Labor Laws

Supporters of the bill — mainly Republicans — said it would give children valuable opportunities to work and get paid, whereas opponents — largely Democrats — said it would harm children.

R. Kelly Moved to North Carolina Prison From Chicago

Robert Sylvester Kelly was transferred from the Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago to the federal correctional institution in Butner, North Carolina, on April 19, Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Benjamin O’Cone said Monday via email.

‘We Won’t Stand for It’: American Library Association’s Tracie Hall Talks Book Ban Efforts

Tracie Hall, the first Black woman to lead the Chicago-based American Library Association, has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
 

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