Facebook icon Twitter icon Instagram icon YouTube icon

Stories by

‘Black Voices’ Community Conversation: Black Small Businesses

Brandis Friedman and a panel of guests talk about how Black-owned small businesses are navigating the holiday shopping season amid supply chain issues and labor shortages. Watch the discussion now.

November 30, 2021 - Full Show

City Council members sound off one day ahead of the ward remap deadline and still no agreement. One-on-one with retiring lawmaker Greg Harris. The life and legacy of Stephen Sondheim.

‘The Sky Is Not Falling, At This Point’: City Officials Brace for Omicron COVID-19 Variant

Chicago's updated travel advisory includes 38 states, announced Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Watch Where You Park Tuesday Night: Snow Route Parking Ban Set to Start

Every year, the start of the snow route ban catches hundreds of drivers unaware, forcing them to travel to the city’s auto pound — and pay at least $235 — to retrieve their cars, officials said.

Smollett Hatched ‘Secret Plan’ For Hoax Attack, Per Prosecutors, But Defense Says He’s ‘Real Victim’

Jussie Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making false reports to multiple different Chicago police officers about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.

Advocates Concerned About City’s Homeless Population Amid Emergency Bed Shortage

The city of Chicago has been partnering with Hotel Julian downtown, paying for 175 rooms to house those experiencing homelessness amid the pandemic. Alderpeople recently extended this partnership into February. But is it enough?

‘The Invisible Ones’ Radio Series Follows Cases of Missing Black Women

Over the past 20 years, 51 Black women and girls have either gone missing or been found dead after disappearing in Chicago, according to WVON, which has produced a new five-part series featuring the stories of these victims’ family members and their efforts to find answers. 

City Officials Prep for Winter’s Arrival

“The many challenges of COVID-19, coupled with the inconvenience of life-threatening conditions that cold weather and extreme weather brings every year, that means we’ve got to utilize every tool that we can to protect the health and well-being of our residents,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.

Cyber Monday Caps Holiday Shopping Weekend As Virus Lingers

Consumers are expected to spend between $10.2 billion and $11.3 billion on Monday, making it once again the biggest online shopping day of the year, according to Adobe Digital Economy Index.

Racially Polarized Debate Over Ward Map Widens Breach, As Deadline Approaches

If 41 alderpeople do not agree on a map, the final decision could be made by voters for the first time in 30 years via a referendum.

Celebrating the Centennial of Tango Master Astor Piazzolla in Grand Style

Two remarkable concerts took place recently in Chicago and were designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Astor Piazzolla – the composer who transformed the traditional tango into an irresistible classical music hybrid.

White House Holiday Decor Honors COVID-19 Frontline Workers

The first lady, a longtime community college professor, invited Maryland second graders for Monday’s unveiling of the holiday decorations. They were inspired by people the president and first lady met while traveling around the country this year, according to the White House. 

New Variant Cause For Concern, Not Panic, Biden Tells US

Speaking Monday at the White House, Biden said it was inevitable that the new variant would reach the U.S., but he also said the country has the tools necessary to protect Americans — particularly the approved vaccines and booster shots.

November 29, 2021 - Full Show

What we know so far about the newest COVID-19 variant: omicron. The economy as the holiday shopping season arrives. The city preps for winter. And more attention for cases of missing Black women.

2021 Chicago Festival Guide

Nature walks, art shows and holiday markets – including Christkindlmarket – are returning this year. Here’s your guide to seasonal fun. 

Jussie Smollett Heads to Trial Years After Hoax Attack Allegations

Jury selection begins Monday as the former "Empire" star will stand trial on charges of disorderly conduct after he allegedly filed a false police report claiming to be the victim of a January 2019 attack by two men near his Streeterville apartment.

Fashion Designer Virgil Abloh Dies of Cancer at 41

Designer Virgil Abloh’s death was announced Sunday by the luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) and the Off White label, the brand Abloh founded. Abloh was the men’s wear designer of Louis Vuitton.

Supreme Court Set to Take up All-or-Nothing Abortion Fight

The case being argued Wednesday comes from Mississippi, where a 2018 law would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, well before viability. The Supreme Court has never allowed states to ban abortion before the point at roughly 24 weeks when a fetus can survive outside the womb.

EXPLAINER: What We Know and Don’t Know on New COVID Variant

It’s unclear where the new variant first emerged, but scientists in South Africa alerted the World Health Organization in recent days, and it has now been seen in travelers arriving in several countries, from Australia to Israel to the Netherlands.

In French Pantheon, Josephine Baker Makes History yet Again

On Tuesday, a coffin carrying soils from the U.S., France and Monaco — places where Baker made her mark — will be deposited inside the domed Pantheon monument overlooking the Left Bank of Paris. Her body will stay in Monaco, at the request of her family.

COVID Variant Spreads to More Countries as World on Alert

Amid fears that the recently identified new variant has the potential to be more resistant to the protection offered by vaccines, there are growing concerns that the pandemic and associated lockdown restrictions will persist for far longer than hoped.

Flood Watches Issued in Northwest as Some Urged to Evacuate

People in the small communities of Sumas and Everson in northwest Washington were asked to voluntarily evacuate Saturday night, The Bellingham Herald reported. Both towns near the Canadian border saw extreme flooding from a previous storm.

Donations Pour in for Missouri Man Freed After 43 Years

The Midwest Innocence Project set up the GoFundMe fundraiser as they fought for Kevin Strickland’s release, noting that he wouldn’t receive compensation from Missouri and would need help paying for basic living expenses. 

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, November 27, 2021 - Full Show

Author Dawn Turner on growing up in Chicago. Discussion and debate over Black hairstyles. Plus, an artist captures the beauty and the stories of the South Side.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, November 27, 2021 - Full Show

Helping households afford internet access. Meet a woman fighting fire with fire. And conserving monarch butterflies. 

Panel OKs Bid to Demolish Wright Brothers’ 1st Bike Shop

The city wants to tear down the site because the building has deteriorated to a point where it can no longer be maintained and redeveloped, the Dayton Daily News has reported. Public safety concerns have also been raised by some who fear the building could collapse.
 

Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors