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Local Environmental Advocacy Groups Take Air Monitoring Near Industrial Areas Into Their Own Hands

In a city where air pollution is an environmental justice issue, local grassroots groups are self-installing, funding and monitoring air pollution monitors to understand the specific threats they face and demand change.

Sept. 5, 2022 - Full Show

On this Labor Day, remembering the city’s long history of unions and what a pro-worker ballot measure means this November. Plus, LGBTQ icons make a splash and a South Side parade marches downtown.

What the Proposed Workers’ Rights Amendment Could Mean for Illinois

The so-called Workers’ Rights Amendment would guarantee Illinois workers the constitutional right to collectively bargain for things like wages, hours and working conditions. 

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza Announces She Won’t Seek 3rd Term Representing Southeast Side on Chicago City Council

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, 62, the first member of the Chicago Teachers Union to be elected to the City Council, said in a statement released on Labor Day that she wanted to start the “next chapter” of her life.

As 50 More Immigrants Arrive in Chicago by Bus from Texas, Lightfoot Asks for Donations

The group that arrived Sunday was made up of mostly families, their country of origin was not clear, Lightfoot said.

A Look Back at Pullman Porters’ Push for Labor Rights

In 1925, the all-Black, all-male workers organized and founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in hopes of forcing the Pullman Company to the bargaining table.

Interim Police Oversight Commissioners Begin Work to Restore Trust

This week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the names of seven interim commissioners who will make up the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, Chicago’s first civilian police oversight board. The group is charged with a tall order: rebuilding public trust in the department.

Get Stuffed with Latino Culture at Whiting Empanada Fest on Sept. 10

On Saturday, Sept. 10, sweet and savory empanadas take center stage in a one-day festival at Whiting Lakefront Park along with cultural performances by local music and dance groups

Unemployment Rate for Black Chicagoans More than Double Rate for White Residents. Community Organizations Working to Close the Gap.

While the overall unemployment rate for Chicago is nearly 5.8% in August, the rate for Black residents is more than twice that, at 14.3%.

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 3, 2022 - Full Show

Why the Black unemployment rate in Chicago is nearly three-times the rate for White Chicagoans. Plus, some of the city’s newest civilian police oversight commissioners and Taylor Bennett’s new tracks.

What the Future May Hold for Migrants Bused From Texas to Chicago

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he’s moving out migrants to other cities because the border crisis has Texas overwhelmed. Critics say he’s using them in an attempt to send a political message.

A Chicago Native Wants You to Know Birding is for Everyone

Jorge Garcia wasn’t always a bird paparazzo – in fact, he’s only been at it for a couple of years, after a gear upgrade for his job as a technologist took an unexpected turn. The fledgling interest soon hatched into a full-blown hobby.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Sept. 3, 2022 - Full Show

What lies ahead for newly arrived migrants in Chicago. Answers for vendors at the Discount Mall. And a taste of the first-ever Empanada Fest in Northwest Indiana.

The Week in Review: President Joe Biden Warns of Threats to Democracy

Chicago’s new immigrant arrivals, the president’s partisan calls for saving democracy and the Chicago Police Department gets some civilian oversight and more time off. 

Chicago Researchers Spent 5 Years Creating the First-Ever Inventory of Native U.S. Trees. Now the Real Work Begins

A team of researchers, led by Morton Arboretum, spent the better part of the past five years creating the first-ever standardized checklist and threat assessment of the nearly 900 species native U.S. trees. Their work provides the foundation on which to build awareness, advocacy and future conservation efforts.

Chicago Police Announce Safety Plans For Busy Labor Day Weekend

Chicago police leaders are adding patrols in neighborhoods, high-traffic areas and along the CTA during the Labor Day weekend, officials announced Friday.

Chicago Bears President Ted Phillips to Retire at End of Season

Most recently, his focus has been on purchasing a 326-acre tract of land in suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois, where a new stadium and entertainment complex could be built. 

In Return to White House Tradition, Biden to Help Unveil Obama White House Portrait Next Week

The ceremony will also mark Michelle Obama’s first visit to the White House since Obama’s presidency ended in January 2017, and only the second visit for Barack Obama. He was at the White House in April to mark the 12th anniversary of the health care law he signed in 2010.

After 2 Year Pandemic Pause, Jehovah’s Witnesses Resume Door-to-Door Ministry

Jehovah’s Witnesses suspended door-knocking in the early days of the pandemic’s onset in the United States, just as much of the rest of society went into lockdown too.

Explainer: Should You Get a New COVID Booster? If So, When?

The new boosters are combination or “bivalent” shots that contain half the original vaccine that’s been used since December 2020 and half protection against today’s dominant omicron versions, BA.4 and BA.5.

More than 93% of CPS Students Showed Up For First Day of Classes, District Says

CPS on Friday announced that 93.4% of its 300,000-plus students were in their classrooms for the start of the new school year on Aug. 22. That’s the highest percentage since the 2019-20 school year, the district said.

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: East Side

The neighborhood is an industrial corridor. It has a long history that dates back decades with the arrival of steel mills that drove hundreds of immigrants to move to the area to work and build. We started by talking to a long-time resident who tells us more about the economic impact of the steel mills' shutdown.

Sept. 1, 2022 - Full Show

How local leaders are responding to migrants who’ve arrived in Chicago, by bus from Texas. Plus, how the city’s teen curfew is working. And we’re in East Side for our In Your Neighborhood series.

Expanded Curfew Law Backed by Lightfoot Used Just 4 Times Amid Stepped Up Enforcement Push, Data Shows

Chicago Police stepped up their use of the city’s overall curfew law this summer recording 141 curfew violations, an increase of approximately 57% as compared with the same period in 2021, according to police department data. 

Chicagoland Artist Makes Wrigley Field Debut

A Chicagoland artist is making their Wrigley Field debut with a sculpture meant to encourage community. Arts correspondent Angel Idowu introduces us to “Cohere” and the visual artist behind the bronze beast.

Investigation Finds Pritzker Trust Includes Earnings from State Contracts: Better Government Association

A new report shows Gov. J.B. Pritzker's vast investment portfolio includes a dozen companies that earned billions of dollars in state contracts. When he took office, Pritzker promised to shift that portfolio into a blind trust, to eliminate conflicts of interest. But an investigation from the Better Government Association throws into question whether or not the move worked.
 

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