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Chicago Organizations Look to Expand Mental Health Services, Diversify Available Therapists
| Medill School of Journalism
Organizations across the city are working to provide more mental health services to Black and Latino Chicagoans. Part of that effort involves growing a more diverse pool of therapists.
Biden Toughens Border, Offers Legal Path for 30,000 a Month
| Associated Press
President Joe Biden said the U.S. would immediately begin turning away Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the border from Mexico illegally, his boldest move yet to confront the arrivals of migrants that have spiraled since he took office.
New Exelon CEO Calvin Butler Takes Charge at Energy Giant
| Erica Gunderson
Energy infrastructure is under constant threat — from extreme weather to security concerns. As the effects of climate change challenge the energy production sector, the utilities charged with producing that energy sustainably, equitably and affordably are at an inflection point.
Make a Resolution: Get Screened for Hypertension in 2023
| Erica Gunderson
According to the American Heart Association, about 55% of Black adults have high blood pressure. Black Americans also have disproportionately high rates of severe hypertension and tend to develop it earlier in life.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 7, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
President Joe Biden's crackdown on the border. Logan Square residents battle high property taxes. How to find a therapist who understands you. And a twist on traditional Mexican folk music.
A Flor de Piel, a Local Family Band, Makes Mexican Folk Music Modern
| Erica Gunderson
The sounds of Mexican folk music cross borders, genres and generations. Oftentimes, music is passed through families who play traditional music in celebrations and at home.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 7, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
We talk about hypertension, a silent-killer prevalent in the Black community. An energy giant has a new leader at a critical time. And "Work Friends" opens at Cherry Mountain Arts.
Ald. Roberto Maldonado Drops Bid for 4th Term Representing Humboldt Park on Chicago City Council
| Heather Cherone
Twelve members of the Chicago City Council are not seeking re-election, which will mean nearly a quarter of the city will get new political leadership in 2023.
CSO Performs Powerhouse Works By a Triumvirate of Contemporary Female Composers
| Hedy Weiss
Female composers of centuries past might well have been smiling from afar Friday evening as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Marin Alsop, performed a program of three works by immensely gifted contemporary female composers.
Mega Millions Jackpot Rises to $1.1 Billion After No Winner
| Associated Press
The prize is now the third-largest in U.S. history.
Lame-Duck Illinois Lawmakers Vote Themselves a 16% Raise
| Associated Press
Legislation authorizing funds to be added for spending needs halfway through the state's fiscal year includes an $11,655 raise in base pay, to $85,000.
McCarthy Elected US House Speaker in Rowdy Post-Midnight Vote
| Associated Press
Eager to confront President Joe Biden and the Democrats, Kevin McCarthy promised subpoenas and investigations. “Now the hard work begins," the California Republican declared.
Week in Review: House Speaker Drama, Migrant Shelter Put on Hold
| Blair Paddock
Awaiting the white smoke in the never-ending U.S. House speaker sweepstakes. Illinois House members pass an assault weapons ban in the middle of the night. And the Bears' season mercifully comes to an end.
Amid Uproar, Lightfoot Delays Opening of Temporary Shelter for Immigrants in Shuttered Woodlawn School
| Heather Cherone
The mayor’s office told WTTW News that officials “have not determined a firm date on when this space will open for shelter” but remains “committed to carefully balancing the needs of both our residents and new arrivals.”
Chicago Forestry Board Nominees Announced After 18-Month Delay. ‘We Really Need This Board To Hit the Ground Running’
| Patty Wetli
The six recommended appointees to the board, which was created in June 2021, all received unanimous support during a key committee hearing. Next up is a full Chicago City Council vote.
Illinois Senate OKs Bill That Would Allow Chicago Principals to Unionize
| Matt Masterson
If signed by the governor, House Bill 5107 would repeal current provisions that bar principals and assistant principals in the city from bargaining unit membership.
‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Logan Square Residents See Property Tax Hikes
| Acacia Hernandez
Some longtime Latino residents in the Logan Square community say they don’t know how long they will be able to keep paying property tax hikes, maintain a home and survive.
EXPLAINER: Capitol Riot Investigation Growing 2 Years Later
| Associated Press
More than 930 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the siege on Jan. 6, 2021, and the tally increases by the week. Hundreds more people remain at large on the second anniversary of the unprecedented assault that was fueled by lies that the 2020 election was stolen.
Bald Eagle Rescued New Year’s Day Has Died, Wildlife Center Announces
| Patty Wetli
"Despite promising signs of recovery the first 48 hours, the bird took a very rapid turn for the worst," Willowbrook Wildlife Center shared on social media.
This Week in Nature: A Michigan Wolf Went on a 4,200-Mile Walk. How’s Your Step Count?
| Patty Wetli
A GPS collar allowed researchers to track the wolf from Michigan all the way to Manitoba, Canada. That's just one of the wild stories we followed this week.
Jan. 5, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Despite confusion over cash bail, the rest of the SAFE-T Act has gone into effect. We take a look at what it does. The impact of property tax hikes in Logan Square. And James "Big Cat" Williams grades the Bears season.
Breakout Season for Fields in Otherwise Dismal Year for the Bears
| Paul Caine
The Chicago Bears are poised to get a top draft pick and have lots of money to spend to improve a last-place team, but can they use the draft well and spend wisely?
Cherry Mountain Arts Show Shines Spotlight on Local Creatives
| Angel Idowu
Cherry Mountain Arts, 836 N. Milwaukee Ave., is hosting an end-of-year exhibition, titled “Work Friends,” that showcases the local creatives they will be working with throughout the year.
Faithful Mourn Benedict XVI at Funeral Presided Over by Pope
| Associated Press
Benedict XVI is considered one of the 20th century’s greatest theologians and spent his lifetime upholding church doctrine. But he will go down in history for a singular, revolutionary act that changed the future of the papacy: He retired, the first pope in six centuries to do so.
From Driver’s Licenses to Police Body Cams, the SAFE-T Act Contains Much More Than Cash Bail Changes
| Amanda Vinicky
With the Illinois Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments in March, it will likely be months before justices decide the fate of cashless bail in Illinois. But bail transformation is just one of many provisions contained in the SAFE-T Act.
McCarthy Fails for 3rd Long Day in GOP House Speaker Fight
| Associated Press
Pressure was building as GOP party leader Kevin McCarthy lost a seventh, eighth and historic ninth round of voting, tying the number it took the last time this happened, 100 years ago, in a prolonged fight to choose a speaker in a disputed election.
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