Stories by Associated Press

1 Dead, Several Injured in Hotel Shooting in Chicago Suburb

A shooting early Saturday during a large gathering at the Indian Lakes Hotel in Bloomingdale left one man dead and several other people wounded, police said.

Officials Plead: Don’t Let Super Bowl Become Superspreader

The nation’s top health officials sounded the alarm this week about the Super Bowl being a potential superspreader event, and they urged people to gather with friends over Zoom, not in crowds.

5 Key Questions for Trump’s Senate Impeachment Trial

Arguments begin Tuesday in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 

$22,000 Flute Lost on Chicago Train Turns Up in Pawn Shop

Anyone who’s left so much as a hat on a Chicago Transit Authority train knows that whatever leaves the station without its owner often is gone forever. Except, apparently, a $22,000 gold and silver flute.

‘COVID Jungle’ Report Highlights Experiences of Manufacturing, Warehouse Workers Amid Pandemic

Temporary workers at food manufacturing, distribution and logistics facilities in Illinois keep supply chains moving — even during a global pandemic. But many feel their concerns about COVID-19 and workplace safety are often ignored, according to a new report.

The Week in Review: CPS, CTU Remain at Odds

After heated negotiations this week, there’s still no deal between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union. Meanwhile, Chicagoans scramble for COVID-19 vaccinations as complaints mount against the sign-up process.

Still No Deal on In-Person Learning After City Submits ‘Best and Final’ Offer to CTU

Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey accused Mayor Lori Lightfoot of cutting off negotiations by issuing a “final offer.” He said the union is “deeply disappointed” by that decision.

Judge Sets Bail Hearing for Kyle Rittenhouse Next Week

A Wisconsin judge will hold a hearing next week on whether to arrest or increase bail for an Illinois teen accused of opening fire during a police brutality protest in Wisconsin last summer after he allegedly failed to update his address with the court.

Biden Seeks To Go Big, Fast and Alone on COVID-19 Relief

The stakes for the country and economy were amplified on Friday morning by the release of the government’s jobs report for January, which showed that hiring had stalled to a pace that could hinder a return to full employment for several years. 

A Sexy Alexa, Dan Levy’s M&M Habit: Super Bowl Ads to Watch

Each year advertisers pull out all the stops to entertain the crowd of 100 million viewers expected to tune in to the CBS broadcast on Sunday. This year there are more than 20 newcomers as well as old favorites. 

Coronavirus Cases Drop at US Homes for Elderly and Infirm

More than 153,000 residents of the country’s nursing homes and assisted living centers have died of COVID-19, accounting for 36% of the U.S. pandemic death toll, according to the COVID Tracking Project. 

US Employers Add Just 49K Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 6.3%

The tepid increase followed a decline of 227,000 jobs in December, the first loss since April. The unemployment rate for January fell sharply from 6.7% to 6.3%, the Labor Department said Friday.

Super Bet: Sports Wagering Now Legal in Illinois

The coronavirus means Sunday’s Super Bowl will be different this year. But something else about this year’s matchup is new: You don’t have to travel to Las Vegas to legally bet on it. 

How Community Members Are Helping Gage Park Through the Pandemic

Gage Park sits within two ZIP codes that have consistently seen some of the highest COVID-19 positivity rates in the city, yet the vaccine rollout has been criticized for not reaching the Southwest Side like it has the North Side.

Feds Give Obama Presidential Center Green Light After 4-Year Review

The Obama Presidential Center can be built in Jackson Park after a federal review that lasted nearly four years concluded the $500 million project will have “no significant impact” on the federally protected park.

J&J Asks US Regulators to OK Its One-shot COVID-19 Vaccine

Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe COVID-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. 

Durham, First Black US Women’s Gymnastics Champion, Dies

Dianne Durham, the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship, died Thursday in Chicago following a short illness, her husband said. She was 52.

Gage Park Historic Bungalow District Added to National Register for Historic Places

Located roughly 7 miles southwest of the Loop, many of Gage Park’s bungalows were built between 1924 and 1927. 

8 Additional Cases of More Transmissible COVID-19 Variant Discovered Across Illinois: Officials

The variant, known as B.1.1.7, was identified in samples of COVID-19 positive tests taken outside of Chicago and suburban Cook County for the first time, according to a spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Library Workers Should be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Immediately: Union, Aldermen

If the mayor insists on keeping the libraries open, employees should be eligible for the vaccine along with teachers and other front-line essential workers, union leaders, employees and aldermen said.

Ask Geoffrey: The Sears Sunken Garden

Geoffrey Baer explores the past, present and future of a historic West Side garden in North Lawndale.

Ride-Share Drivers Face Carjackings, COVID-19 and Uncertain Income. A Fight Over Employment Status Could Be Next

Amid a surge in carjackings, drivers for ride-hailing companies have been working in close contact with other people during the pandemic. Meanwhile, those companies are gearing up for a fight over whether gig workers should be classified as employees.

Democrats Ask Trump to Testify Under Oath in Senate Trial

The request from House impeachment managers does not require Donald Trump to appear — though the Senate could later subpoena him — but it does warn that any refusal to testify could be used at trial to support arguments for a conviction. 

Arctic Blast to Close City COVID-19 Testing Facilities

Four city-run COVD-19 test facilities will be closed from Friday through Wednesday as an arctic blast bears down on the city, officials announced Thursday. The facilities require staff members and volunteers to work outside to test people inside their cars.

February 4, 2021 - Full Show

Watch the Feb. 4, 2021 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Immigrants in Sanctuary in Churches Hope Biden Offers Relief

Those who have taken sanctuary have enlisted lawmakers to ask President Joe Biden for relief, pushing to cancel deportation orders and reviving the use of private bills — measures to protect a person or group.
 

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