Stories by Aida Mogos

We introduced you to a violinist who's one of dozens of Chicago artists receiving cash grants to pursue their careers. Now, meet an artist with a dance style that started in the late ‘60s but has evolved through the decades. 

“Chicago Party Aunt,” based on the fictional Twitter account by Chris Witaske went national last September with the premiere of the Netflix series. But Witaske has roots primarily in the western suburbs which leaves some things out. So another Chicago social media star gave him a tour of a prominent South Side neighborhood.

An effort to plant more trees in underserved areas. A new movie shines light on the history of “racial passing.” Two local social media stars tour a South Side neighborhood. And meet Poppin’ Chuck.

For the last two years, stay-at-home orders and closed schools made people’s reliance on the internet more apparent than ever. It also showcased the inequities in access to broadband internet. Nationwide, Latino households are not only less likely to have broadband access, but also the devices needed to get connected.

Two antiviral treatments for existing COVID infections are on the horizon. And in Chicago, more than 6,000 children ages 5 to 11 received COVID-19 vaccinations this past week. But, case counts are again on the rise and with holiday gatherings just around the corner, the threat of COVID remains.

Aguijón Theater of Chicago on the Northwest Side kicked off its 21st season with “La Gran Tirana,” exploring the idea of immigrant identity as it follows the journey of Ana Morgana, an immigrant who transcends her own reality by imagining herself to be the Cuban diva La Lupe.

The latest in the fight against COVID-19. Help for those who can't afford broadband internet. Exploring immigrant identity in a new show. And La Ultima Palabra on standing up for your community.

The Biden administration is nominating its first set of U.S. Marshals, including the first Black man to serve as the U.S. Marshal in Minnesota, along with a slate of other historic firsts for U.S. attorney posts across the nation.

Bradley Rukstales stormed the Capitol, threw a chair in the direction of police officers who had been forced to retreat from rioters, was nearby as a melee between officers and rioters broke out and had to be dragged away by officers after he refused to comply with attempts to get him up from the floor.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference that Alton Spann of Chicago was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Friday sentenced U.S. journalist Danny Fenster to 11 years in prison with hard labor, the maximum penalty under three charges, despite calls by the United States and rights groups for his release.

Chicago school kids get a day off to get COVID vaccines. Kyle Rittenhouse gives emotional testimony in his Kenosha murder trial. Illinois’ richest resident vows to take down Pritzker. And more.

The decision capped a stunning five-month odyssey that saw Spears publicly demand the end of the conservatorship, hire her own attorney, have her father removed from power and finally win the freedom to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions for the first time since 2008.

Kyle Rittenhouse is charged with several counts, including homicide and attempted homicide. Wisconsin law allows the prosecution and defense to ask that jurors be told they can consider lesser charges as part of the instructions they receive before deliberating the case. 

Cinespace Studios, which helped spark a boom in movie and television production in Chicago, has been sold to a private equity firm that tapped a former Netflix executive to lead the operation on Chicago’s West Side.

The decision to recommend a suspension for slain officer Ella French was the “height of tone-deafness,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday, after a police watchdog agency issued disciplinary recommendations for those involved in the 2019 raid at Anjanette Young’s home.

The Labor Department said Friday that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, or about 3% of the nation’s workforce. That’s up from 4.3 million in August.

Buckle up for a bumpy ride this weekend. Friday’s forecast calls for high winds and bursts of heavy snow, more snow is possible Saturday, and Sunday’s temperatures are expected to dip into the teens, according to the National Weather Service.

A 22-year-old college student who was critically injured in the crush of fans at the Astroworld festival in Houston has died, the family’s lawyer said Thursday, bringing the death toll to nine.

We’re at Naval Station Great Lakes for our “In Your Neighborhood” series. Women in radio speak out about its toxic culture. Nurses say they’re feeling forgotten. And a family-friendly “Squid Game.”

The Korean Cultural Center of Chicago hosted 120 participants Saturday to play a local version that included games featured in the survival drama like tug of war and traditional Korean games like ddakji and squid game, the show’s namesake.

Located about 35 miles north of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, North Chicago houses Naval Station Great Lakes, home of the Navy’s only boot camp.

The Chicago Tribune published a scathing 10-month investigation into what women face in the male-dominated industry. The reporters spoke with dozens of women in radio about their experiences. WTTW News spoke with three of those women to hear about what they have faced in the industry. 

The Rockford Airport Authority is not ceding Bell Bowl Prairie, an ancient prairie remnant that’s part of the airport’s nearly 3,000-acre property. In an interview with WTTW News, the authority reaffirmed its commitment to a $50 million expansion plan that would impact the five-acre prairie.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses were among those hailed as health care heroes. But now, nurses tell WTTW News, they are literally coming under attack. 

The defense and prosecution asked the judge to hold closing arguments on Monday, and he said he would take it under consideration.