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2 Years Ago, Lori Lightfoot Vowed to Confront Chicago’s Racist Monuments. Nothing Has Happened.
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot vowed two years ago Friday to confront the “the hard truths of Chicago’s racial history” by using the city’s public spaces to memorialize the “city’s true and complete history.” That promise remains unfulfilled, 729 days later.
Aug. 11, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The U.S. Attorney General addresses the Trump search warrant. Live from Milwaukee ahead of the RNC. One-on-one with the latest candidate for Chicago Mayor. And a prairie school architectural master.
‘Our Service is Not Meeting our High Expectations,’ CTA President Outlines Plan to Address Schedule Snafus, Safety Worries
| Nick Blumberg
CTA President Dorval Carter on Thursday outlined a strategic plan to overhaul the transit agency’s service and bolster its role in the Chicago area’s transportation network. The CTA’s new “Meeting the Moment” initiative is aimed at moving the much-used and much-critiqued transit service into a “post-pandemic” future.
Big Houses on the Prairie: the Chicago Area Homes of Architect George Maher
| Marc Vitali
The artistry of Frank Lloyd Wright is front and center when it comes to Prairie School architecture. But other architects made enduring impacts. A new group turns the spotlight on George Washington Maher, an under-recognized designer of buildings throughout the Midwest.
Ald. Sophia King Announces Run for Mayor, Promising ‘Collaboration’ Not ‘Confrontation’
| Heather Cherone
Hyde Park Ald. Sophia King (4th Ward) announced she will run for mayor, promising to lead Chicago through collaboration — not confrontation — in an attempt to draw a clear distinction with Mayor Lori Lightfoot who has touted her combative approach while in office.
Biden Signs ‘Burn Pits’ Help for Vets; A Personal Win, Too
| Associated Press
The law, which Biden described as long overdue, caps a years-long battle to ensure treatment for chronic illnesses that veterans have blamed on burn pits, which were used to dispose of chemicals, tires, plastics, medical equipment and human waste on military bases. Estimates of affected troops run to 3.5 million.
Garland Asks Court to Unseal Warrant for Mar-a-Lago Search
| Associated Press
The request is striking because such documents traditionally remain sealed during a pending investigation. But the Justice Department appeared to recognize that its silence since the search had created a vacuum for bitter verbal attacks by Trump and his allies.
COVID-19 Risk Drops Across Chicago, Cook County: Federal Officials
| Heather Cherone
Chicago Department of Public Health officials continue to recommend that residents wear masks indoors and on public transportation to reduce their risk of contracting COVID-19 and ensure they are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
CDC Drops Quarantine, Distancing Recommendations for COVID
| Associated Press
The changes, which come more than 2 1/2 years after the start of the pandemic, are driven by a recognition that an estimated 95% of Americans 16 and older have acquired some level of immunity, either from being vaccinated or infected, agency officials said.
No Bail For Man Charged in Fatal Shooting of Man Walking Dog in McKinley Park Alley
| Matt Masterson
Sebastian Aguilar, 37, has been charged with first-degree murder stemming from the fatal June 30 shooting of 39-year-old Mario Leyva.
8 Things to Do This Weekend: Aug.11-15
| Dan Lambert
Blues, retro music, farm animals and a Chicago tradition usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.
Aug. 10, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The city’s current mayor touts a smaller budget deficit — as another candidate to unseat her joins the race. Spotlight Politics on that and more. The impact of cataclysmic rainfall. And stalled plans for a giant marina at Navy Pier.
With 8 Declared Candidates, Chicago’s Mayoral Race Heats Up
| Amanda Vinicky
Chicago residents aren’t used to having a lot of options when an incumbent mayor is running for re-election, but so far eight candidates have declared they’re running.
Midwest Hit Hard by Heavy Rain: ‘It’s Been a Pretty Rough Few Weeks in Illinois’
| Blair Paddock
Some counties in south central Illinois have seen some of their highest July and August rain totals on record. Recently, Effingham recorded between 10 to 11 inches of rain in a single day.
Spotlight Politics: As Chicago Elections Loom, City Budget Process Begins
| WTTW News
Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a property tax bump as the budget process gets underway. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
A Giant Marina to Attract Boaters Was Approved at Navy Pier. Why Hasn’t It Been Built?
| Paris Schutz
In 2016, Navy Pier officials asked City Council to approve an update to the pier’s planned development, authorizing, among other things, the construction of a transient marina on its north side, where boats could dock for the day. The project is now the subject of a lawsuit.
Chicago Rideshare Drivers Push for Safety Precautions, Improved Working Conditions
| Jennifer Cotto
With high gas prices and carjackings a growing job risk, gig workers from companies like Lyft, Uber and DoorDash are demanding more from their employers.
Chicago Faces $127.9M Budget Shortfall in 2023: Lightfoot
| Heather Cherone
Chicago’s financial picture has been buoyed by the city’s red-hot real estate market and nearly $2 billion in federal aid designed to help the city withstand the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pop Culture Fans Show Out at Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo
| Yahya Salem
This year’s C2E2 took place in the summer, less than eight months after its 2021 iteration, as organizers gradually revert to the event’s original spring calendar, which was disrupted due to COVID-19 restrictions.
World Health Organization: COVID-19 Deaths Fall Overall by 9%, Infections Stable
| Associated Press
The U.N. health agency said there were more than 14,000 COVID-19 deaths in the last week and nearly 7 million new infections. The number of new deaths rose by 19% in the Middle East, while dropping by more than 70% in Africa, 15% in Europe and 10% in the Americas.
3 Chicago-Area Residents Charged in $2.75M COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme
| Matt Masterson
The trio allegedly falsified documents and lied about the number of employees at multiple companies in order to defraud the government out of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief aid they instead used to cover personal expenses and purchase luxury vehicles.
Trump Says He Took the Fifth in New York Civil Investigation
| Associated Press
As vociferous as Donald Trump has been in defending himself in written statements and on the rally stage, legal experts said answering questions in a deposition was risky because anything he said could potentially be used against him in a parallel criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney.
US Inflation Slows From a 40-Year Peak but Remains High
| Associated Press
Consumer prices jumped 8.5% in July compared with a year earlier, the government said Wednesday, down from a 9.1% year-over-year increase in June.
Aug. 9, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The latest on the raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound. A local Taiwanese official on the island’s conflict with China, contention brewing in the airline industry, and why pharmacy deserts exist across the city.
Recent Wave of Airline Delays, Cancellations Indicates Rocky Pandemic Recovery
| Eunice Alpasan
A recent wave of airline delays and cancellations has affected much of the country, including Chicago. After experiencing unprecedented airline delays and cancellations this summer, the recent wave is another indication of a rocky pandemic recovery for airlines.
Taiwan Consul in Chicago Says China Becoming ‘More Aggressive Abroad, More Oppressive at Home’
| Paul Caine
In an interview with WTTW News, Johnson Chiang, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, said that as China’s military and economic power has grown in recent decades, their behavior toward Taiwan has become more aggressive.
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