Stories by Associated Press
US Investigating December Flight Cancellations at Southwest Airlines
| Associated Press
Southwest canceled about 16,700 flights over the last 10 days of December. The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating whether the airline deceived customers by knowingly scheduling more flights than it realistically could handle.
Nature Museum To Hike Fees Nearly 70%. Park District Also OKs Field Museum Bump
| Patty Wetli
Admission for a Chicago adult will increase from $9 to $15 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and from $18 to $21 at the Field Museum. The Park District Board of Commissioners approved the hikes Wednesday.
NRA Sues in Federal Court Over Illinois Ban on Semiautomatic Weapons
| Associated Press
The powerful NRA joined a parade of gun-rights activists seeking to toss out the newly minted prohibition on dozens of rapid-fire pistols and long guns, as well as large-capacity magazines or attachments.
Porchlight’s ‘Cabaret’ a Bravura Production of a Chillingly Timely Broadway Classic
| Hedy Weiss
Read the headlines these days, and the sharply sardonic edge of “Cabaret" feels more chillingly ironic and on target than ever.
Lightfoot Celebrates Opening of New Police, Fire Training Academy She Once Opposed
| Heather Cherone
The facility includes a “scenario village” that features multiple two- and three-flat residential brick buildings complete with fences, curbs, alleys, sidewalks, yards, back stairways, porches, basements and garages. It will also include a new 18,000-square-foot location Boys & Girls Club and two restaurants.
CPS Watchdog Finds ‘Concerning’ Trends in School-Based Investigations, Vendor Background Checks
| Matt Masterson
Deputy Inspector General Amber Nesbitt said her office has seen a rise in the number of district schools, charter schools and vendors that have launched investigations into sexual misconduct allegations without contacting the inspector general or CPS.
1 Dead, Multiple People Injured in Kenwood High-Rise Fire That Climbed Vertically
| Dan Lambert
One person is dead and multiple people are injured after a fire broke out on the 15th floor of a Kenwood high-rise building Wednesday morning.
WTTW News Explains: What Exactly Is Lake Effect Snow?
| Patty Wetli
WTTW News explains the science behind lake effect snow. (Hint: We’re lucky to be on this side of Lake Michigan.)
NASCAR Books Miranda Lambert, The Chainsmokers for Chicago Street Race Weekend
| Patty Wetli
The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett round out the music lineup for Chicago Street Race Weekend, July 1-2.
Chicago White Sox Pitcher Mike Clevinger Investigated by MLB for Domestic Violence
| Associated Press
Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger is being investigated by Major League Baseball following an allegation of domestic violence, the team announced in a statement.
Snowfall Expected to Hit 2 to 4 Inches Across Chicago, Could Affect Morning and Afternoon Commutes
| Patty Wetli
Lingering lake effect snow could make the evening rush hour an equal exercise in patience, according to the National Weather Service.
Jan. 24, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Assessing COVID-19 three years to the day of the first case in Illinois. Why day care providers are waiting for checks from the state. And boosting safety for street vendors who've been robbed in Little Village.
Open Books Expands Literacy Mission with Logan Square Location
| Angel Idowu
The Chicago nonprofit already has locations in Pilsen and the West Loop. Open Books promotes literacy through programming and the sale of new and used donated books.
Doctors Talk Lessons Learned in 3 Years Since First Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Chicago
| Eunice Alpasan
It’s been three years since the first Chicago COVID-19 case was confirmed. Since then, more than four million people in Illinois have been diagnosed with coronavirus; it has killed more than 36,000 people in the state.
Many Illinois Child Care Providers Still Awaiting Payment from the State
| Amanda Vinicky
A technical delay is holding up payments to providers who care for children of low-income families that are part of the state’s Child Care Assistance Program, designed to help parents go to work or school with the help of subsidized child care.
Classified Documents at Pence’s Indiana Home, Too, His Lawyer Says
| Associated Press
The records “appear to be a small number of documents bearing classified markings that were inadvertently boxed and transported to the personal home of the former vice president at the end of the last administration,” Pence’s lawyer, Greg Jacob, wrote in the letter shared with The Associated Press.
Chicago Ethics Board Asks Watchdog to Probe Ald. Gardiner For Harassing Opponent’s Volunteers
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago Board of Ethics first asked the city's watchdog to probe Gardiner in 2021 after complaints he used his power as an alderperson to retaliate against critics.
Snow Heading for Chicago Late Tuesday and Early Wednesday as Winter Has Some Catching Up To Do
| Patty Wetli
The National Weather Service is trackiThe National Weather Service is tracking a storm set to hit late Tuesday, with peak snowfall during Wednesday morning’s commute. The greatest snow totals are expected east of I-55 and south of I-80.ng a storm set to hit late Tuesday, with peak snowfall during Wednesday morning's commute. The greatest snow totals are expected east of I-55 and south of I-80.
Pritzker Taps Political Scion as New Head of Illinois Department of Natural Resources
| Patty Wetli
Pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate, Natalie Phelps Finnie is poised to become just the second woman to head the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, following in the trailblazing footsteps of her immediate predecessor Colleen Callahan.
Citing Ukraine War and Specter of Nuclear Weapons, ‘Doomsday Clock’ Moves 90 Seconds to Midnight
| Associated Press
“We are really closer to that doomsday,” former Mongolian president Elbegdorj Tsakhia said Tuesday at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists annual announcement rating how close humanity is from doing itself in.
Rare 17-Pound Meteorite Discovered in Antarctica; Chicago Scientist Will Study Sample
| CNN
The exceptional find is heading to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, where it will be studied. And Maria Valdes, a research scientist at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago who was part of the expedition team, has kept some of the material for her own analysis.
Explainer: Crypto Firms Acted Like Banks, Then Collapsed Like Dominoes
| Associated Press
In a span of less than 12 months, nearly all of the biggest cryptocurrency equivalent of a banks have failed spectacularly. Last week, Genesis filed Chapter 11, joining Voyager Digital, Celsius and BlockFi on the list of companies that have either filed for bankruptcy protection or gone out of business.
Jan. 23, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Remembering a beloved local DJ. The latest on the legal tangle over the state’s assault weapons ban. A trans bus driver who was fired from the CTA. And how well do you know Chicago’s street grid?
Trans Former Bus Driver Sues CTA, Union for Discrimination and Wrongful Termination
| Nick Blumberg
In 2019, WTTW News covered his successful push for the CTA to add gender affirming care to its health insurance policy. The employee behind that push has since been fired and is now suing the agency and his union.
Multiple Lawsuits, Scores of Sheriffs Challenge Illinois’ New Gun Law
| Paul Caine
Multiple county sheriffs across the state have said they won’t enforce it. On Friday, a circuit court judge in downstate Effingham County issued a temporary restraining order blocking the new law — although that ruling only applies to the 850 plaintiffs and four licensed gun dealers named in the case.
US Health Officials Propose Yearly COVID Shots for Most Americans
| Associated Press
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus.
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