Stories by WTTW News

City Council members sound off on the police union’s vaccine opposition. What’s behind a rise in antisemitism? The latest in the Jelani Day case. Grubs in Welles Park. And the Wrigley Building turns 100.

Suburban Dixmoor residents went more than a week without water. Could other places face a similar water emergency?

United Airlines says its unvaccinated pilots are costing the company millions. Crain’s Chicago Business reporter Stephanie Goldberg has details on that story and more.

Public safety apps like Citizen and Nextdoor allow users to report incidents and crime in the area. But some skeptics say these apps have fueled fear.

Chicago artist Brandon Breaux says in a media-driven world, where there is a lot of false information, he wanted to use his art to educate. “We use art as a mechanism to cut through the noise.”

More than 96,000 people died of drug overdoses during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – that’s an increase of almost 30 percent in just one year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Cook County Judge Cecilia Horan on Monday evening denied a request seeking to extend a temporary restraining order against John Catanzara, who had repeatedly urged Fraternal Order of Police members not to give their vaccination status to Chicago officials.

The hearing was likely the last before Rittenhouse goes on trial Nov. 1 for the shootings during chaotic demonstrations in Kenosha on Aug. 25, 2020, two days after a white police officer in that city shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back while responding to a domestic disturbance.

Women have lost nearly 3 million jobs since February 2020. A look at the barriers facing low-income, working mothers.

Beginning Nov. 8, foreign, non-immigrant adults traveling to the United States will need to be fully vaccinated, with only limited exceptions, and all travelers will need to be tested for the virus before boarding a plane to the U.S. 

A survey of 2,000 Americans highlighted what some respondents claimed were the most commonly misused phrases and words they encounter – with “I could care less,” “would of,” “anyways” and “irregardless” claiming the top four spots.

Authored by Alds. Silvana Tabares (23rd Ward) and Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward), the measure to give alderpeople the final say over whether employees could be disciplined for flouting the vaccine mandate was sent to the legislative purgatory of the City Council’s Rules Committee.

Illinois will have a “robust supply” of COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 as soon as they receive approval, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “Parents should be able to breathe a sigh of relief they’ve been holding in for 18 months,” he said.

Francis Wayne Alexander would have been 21 or 22 years old when Gacy killed him sometime between early 1976 and early 1977, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said at a news conference in announcing the identification of Alexander’s remains.

League rules say vaccinated individuals who are asymptomatic can return to the practice facility once they have two consecutive negative PCR tests taken at least 24 hours apart. 

The latest on the water crisis in Dixmoor. What’s behind a rash of opioid deaths. Why United says unvaccinated pilots are costing the company millions. What made the list of most mispronounced words?

Mother Nature is throwing the kitchen sink at Chicago, weather-wise, to kick off the work week.

Moderna hasn't yet gotten the nod to offer its vaccine to teens but is studying lower doses in younger children while it waits. Researchers tested two shots for the 6- to 11-year-olds, given a month apart, that each contained half the dose given to adults.

The metaverse is the latest buzzword to capture the tech industry’s imagination. Facebook is hiring thousands of engineers in Europe to work on it, while video game companies are outlining their long-term visions for what some consider the next big thing online.

A shocked and saddened industry was reminded this week, many productions still use guns — real guns — when filming. And despite rules and regulations, people can get killed, as happened last week when Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins after he was handed a weapon and told it was safe.

President Biden hopes to resolve lingering disputes over Democrats’ long-stalled effort to craft an expansive social and environment measure. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., two of their party’s most moderate members, have insisted on reducing the size of the package.

The Chicago Sky has won the franchise’s first WNBA title. A key part of that success was Candace Parker. She came back to her hometown and led the Sky to the top. We visited the place where Parker's ascent began: her former high school, Naperville Central.

The story of Chicago’s first Black mayor is one of several documentaries hitting the big screen at the Chicago International Film Festival. “Punch 9 for Harold Washington” explores the life and legacy of the historic mayor who, as the city’s first Black mayor, faced racism on a daily basis.

Thousands of Puerto Ricans are taking to the streets to protest massive blackouts. The island’s antiquated power grid has long been unreliable, and it was decimated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. This summer, officials hoped the privatization of the power grid by LUMA Energy would help.

Shopping second hand is growing in popularity as an affordable and eco-friendly way for young fashionistas to carve out a style niche for themselves. Two shops in Logan Square are hoping they can capitalize on that trend by adding a touch of luxury.

A new law changes the landscape for immigrants in Illinois. Puerto Ricans protest over the island's power grid. Plus, sustainability and savings at local resale shops.