Stories by WTTW News

COVID-19 in Illinois: 7,178 New Cases, 57 Additional Deaths

It is the third day in a row that fewer than 8,000 new cases of the virus have been reported during a month that is on pace to exceed 300,000 infections.

Completed Wisconsin Recount Confirms Biden’s Win Over Trump

Wisconsin finished its recount of votes cast in this month’s presidential election on Sunday, with only minuscule changes in the results that saw Democrat Joe Biden defeat Republican Donald Trump in the battleground state.

‘Making Sense of 2020’: How WTTW News Told the Story of an Unprecedented Year

Premiering Tuesday, a new documentary from WTTW senior producer Daniel Andries analyzes how reporters, producers and staff at WTTW News adapted to report the story of a year unlike any other.

COVID-19 Claims Beloved Chicago Dispatcher: ‘His Pride Was Going To Work’

Guadalupe Lopez died earlier this month of COVID-19. He was 58 and among the essential workers who must show up to work, and one of the more than 9,100 people who have died from the disease in the Chicago area.

Black Friday Sees Record Online as US Shoppers Stay Home

Black Friday online sales hit a new record this year as pandemic-wary Americans filled virtual carts instead of real ones.

UChicago Study Explores How Latino Families Make Child Care Decisions

Despite a cultural tradition of using family members or friends for early childhood care, many parents in majority Latino communities want to enroll their children in formal child care centers, but are stymied by multiple factors, a new study finds.

With No Action By Washington, States Race To Offer Virus Aid

Faulting inaction in Washington, governors and state lawmakers are racing to get pandemic relief to small-business owners, the unemployed, renters and others whose livelihoods have been upended by COVID-19.

Thanksgiving Vandalism: ‘Land Back’ Sprayed on US Statues

Statues of three United States Presidents, a “Pioneers Statue” and numerous storefronts were targeted by vandals on Thanksgiving, with “land back” graffitied on some of the property.

The Lawn vs. Leaves Debate Continues. Is There a Compromise?

Is there a middle ground between obliterating leaves and letting nature take its course? We asked an expert from the Chicago Botanic Garden.

The Week in Review: A Black Friday Like No Other

After an unprecedented year, we take a hard look at the pandemic-ravaged economy, as businesses gear up for the all-important holiday retail season. 

Experts: Virus Numbers Could Be Erratic After Thanksgiving

The coronavirus testing numbers that have guided much of the nation’s response to the pandemic are likely to be erratic over the next week or so, experts said Friday, as fewer people get tested during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Stocks Rise on Wall Street as S&P 500 Hits Record High

Positive developments on the vaccine front have driven double-digit gains in the major indexes this month as investors look forward to progress in gaining control over the pandemic that plunged the global economy into its deepest slump since the 1930s.

COVID-19 in Illinois: 7,574 New Cases, 66 Additional Deaths

The pandemic in Illinois reached another sobering mark on Friday, after health officials reported 12,029 total deaths linked to the pandemic and 705,063 infections. 

Sandhill Cranes, a Conservation Success Story, Now Face Climate Change Threat

More than 25,000 migrating sandhill cranes are making a pit stop at Indiana’s Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. The bird’s numbers have rebounded thanks to wetland conservation efforts, but now climate change threatens to undo that progress. 

US Colleges Mull New Virus Protocols For Students’ Return

The coronavirus presented huge challenges for the fall semester for U.S. colleges that opened the academic year with in-person learning, including some that took a battering from outbreaks.

Black Friday Offers Beacon of Hope to Struggling Stores

In normal times, Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. But these are not normal times: The economy is tanking and crowds are expected to be dramatically diminished as coronavirus cases spike and shoppers do more of their purchases online.

The Holiday Show Must Go On

Ready or not, the holidays have arrived. Here’s how some of Chicago’s most beloved traditions and experiences have adapted to the coronavirus pandemic to help bring some holiday cheer to 2020.

Trump Says He’ll Leave If Electoral College Seats Biden

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will leave the White House if the Electoral College formalizes President-elect Joe Biden’s victory — even as he insisted such a decision would be a “mistake.”

November 26, 2020 - Full Show

Watch the Nov. 26, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Nagy Under Pressure Ahead of Prime-Time Game Against the Packers

Former Bears offensive lineman James “Big Cat” Williams previews the Bears matchup Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

With Coronavirus Vaccines on The Way, Researchers Say It’s Time to Build Trust

A recent survey found that just 51% of U.S. adults say they would get the COVID-19 vaccine — and just 32% of Black adults. We discuss the cause of medical mistrust and how to rebuild it. 

COVID-19 in Illinois: 12,022 New Cases, 131 Additional Deaths

As Americans kick off a holiday season under the cloud of the coronavirus pandemic, Illinois health officials reported more than 12,000 new and probable cases of the virus across the state, and 131 additional deaths.

Trump Pardons Flynn Despite Guilty Plea in Russia Probe

President Donald Trump pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn on Wednesday, ending a yearslong prosecution in the Russia investigation that saw Flynn twice plead guilty to lying to the FBI.

Michael Jordan Donates $2 Million From Hit Documentary to Feed America’s Hungry

“The Last Dance” was filled with hot dishes about Michael Jordan’s time with the six-time champion Chicago Bulls. Now, some proceeds from the Emmy-winning documentary will go toward hot dishes for the nation’s hungry.

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Rogers Park

Chicago’s northernmost neighborhood has reported 5,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The pandemic and rising case counts have heightened food insecurity across Chicago, and Rogers Park has been anything but immune. 

Chicago Businesses on Bracing For the Winter, Hopes for the Coming Months

With loan and grant money starting to run dry for some businesses—and what’s likely to be a difficult winter fast approaching—we check in with some familiar faces to ask how they’re coping with the coronavirus.
 

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