Stories by Marc Vitali
Rare Mummy Portraits Offer Peek into the Past at Block Museum
| Marc Vitali
Portraits of mummies greet visitors at a new exhibition where art, science and history intersect.
Tide Pod Dare Linked to 6 Illinois Poison Center Calls So Far in 2018
| Kristen Thometz
In the first 22 days of 2018, the Illinois Poison Center says it has received 31 calls related to people ingesting Tide Pods, with six of them associated with a dangerous social media trend.
Chicago Sues U.S. Steel Over Lake Michigan Pollution
| Alex Ruppenthal
The city’s lawsuit comes a week after attorneys at the University of Chicago filed their own lawsuit against the steel corporation. “This Great Lake is our most precious natural resource and we must preserve and protect it,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.
CPS Board Approves Janice Jackson As New CEO
| Matt Masterson
Janice Jackson was officially appointed Wednesday as the new CEO of Chicago Public Schools. But one of her first decisions is already drawing ethics concerns.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Jan. 25-28
| Kristen Thometz
Monster trucks, prix-fixe menus and an overnight bookstore bash usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.
Democratic Candidates for Governor Square Off in First Televised Debate
| Alexandra Silets
The gloves came off Tuesday as Democratic candidates for governor faced off on TV. Carol Marin and guests discuss the latest on that race, and the crowded Democratic field for attorney general.
Balancing Health Care Workers Rights with Reproductive Rights
| Brandis Friedman
A debate over reproductive health care and a $5 million TIF grant the city recently awarded to a Catholic hospital raises questions about where medical responsibility ends and religious freedom begins.
Aziz Ansari Allegations Stir Questions About Sexual Conduct, Consent
| Evan Garcia
A controversial article about a sexual encounter: some say it was just a bad date. Others describe it as sexual assault. In the era of #MeToo, is there a gray area relating to sexual conduct and consent?
Access to Pharmacies Increasingly Difficult on South, West Sides
| Paul Caine
A lack of drug stores in poor communities on the South and West Sides is creating so-called “pharmacy deserts.” What this means for some Chicago residents, and how researchers are looking for solutions.
Investment and Financial Planning Advice for a New Year, New Tax Code
| WTTW News
New Year’s resolutions may already be broken, but there’s still time to make smart financial moves in 2018. We get money tips from Sean Sebold of Sebold Capital Management.
What’s Next for Navy Pier? CEO Marilynn Gardner Shares Her Vision
| Alexandra Silets
Marilynn Gardner took the reins of Navy Pier in 2011 and has overseen its $300 million transformation as the pier’s president and CEO. She joins us in discussion.
Niles Tower’s History Mystery
| Erica Gunderson
We climb to the top of the Leaning Tower of Niles, where centuries-old bronze bells lay quiet – for now.
Charter Advocate Blasts Proposed CTU-ChiACTS Merger on Eve of Final Vote
| Matt Masterson
The president of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools is again speaking out against a proposed merger between the CTU and the Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, which could be finalized next week.
Petition Targeting Trader Joe’s ‘Inhumane’ Pork Suppliers Gains Traction
| Alex Ruppenthal
The group Crate Free Illinois is calling on Trader Joe’s to stop purchasing pork from suppliers that use gestation crates, tight metal stalls that keep pigs in one position for the majority of their lives.
Legionella Detected in Illinois Statehouse Complex
| Amanda Vinicky
Legionalla bacteria – a waterborne pathogen that can cause a type of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease – is present in the water systems at the Illinois state capitol complex in Springfield.
State Lawmakers Preview Upcoming Legislative Session
| Alexandra Silets
The Illinois primary is just eight weeks away. Will state lawmakers dodge controversial issues before the March 20 election?
Illinois DCFS Director on ‘Toughest Job in State Government’
| WTTW News
Beverly Walker, acting director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, talks about running the controversial agency charged with protecting Illinois’ children.
US Warns of North Korean Threat Amid Winter Olympic Diplomacy
| Paul Caine
Protests erupt in South Korea as a delegation from North Korea arrives ahead of the Winter Olympics. Can Olympic diplomacy defuse the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula?
Courtroom Artist Tom Gianni Has His Day in a Gallery Exhibition
| Eddie Arruza
Away from the courtroom, local artist Tom Gianni employs his talents in far different and impressive ways. We explore his solo show, “Art that Works for a Living.”
Biometric Data: Are We Safer in Illinois, Or Just Having Less Fun?
| Erica Gunderson
The latest social media craze of matching your face with faces in works of art left Chicagoans out in the cold, thanks to Illinois’ strict laws on biometric data. Do these rules keep us safe or leave us behind?
Struggling to Lose Weight? These 5 Myths Could be to Blame
| Kristen Thometz
If you’re looking to shed pounds, you’ve likely done some Googling. But beware: Not everything you read online will help you reach your beach bod goals. Local dietitians debunk diet and exercise myths and share tips.
Brookfield Zoo’s Oldest Animal Turns 50
| Alex Ruppenthal
Ramar, one of the oldest gorillas in the country, celebrated a milestone birthday this month with a frozen “cake” filled with fruit and raisins.
Chicago Women’s March to the Polls Draws Estimated Crowd of 300K
| Amanda Vinicky
On the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s inauguration—and as a federal government shutdown commenced—an estimated 300,000 people in Chicago gathered to express their dissatisfaction with his leadership as part of the Chicago Women’s March to the Polls.
Feds Seeking Death Penalty Against Man Accused in U. of I. Student Death
| Matt Masterson
In a five-page filing Friday afternoon, U.S. Attorney John Childress says a “sentence of death is justified” against Brendt Christiansen if he is convicted in the death of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang.
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