Stories by Associated Press
Biden: Infrastructure Plan Gives $1 Billion for Great Lakes Cleanup
| Associated Press
The infusion from the bipartisan measure enacted in November, combined with annual funding through an ongoing recovery program, will enable agencies by 2030 to finish work on 22 sites designated a quarter-century ago as among the region's most degraded.
Jesse White Endorses Anna Valencia in Secretary of State Race, Boosting Her Bid
| Heather Cherone
White’s endorsement puts his powerful political machine behind Valencia in the contest against former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Ald. David Moore (17th Ward).
Snow Swings South, Worst of Storm To Miss Chicago
| Patty Wetli
An expected snow-making weather system took a swing south, downgrading anticipated accumulation in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service. The evening commute could still be messy.
February 16, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
A doping scandal takes over the Olympics. The latest confusion about the Illinois school mask guidelines. Will a scrap metal company be approved for the Southeast Side? And brace for winter weather.
Spotlight Politics: Dems Turn on Pritzker’s Mask Mandate
| Alexandra Silets
Republicans and Democrats turn against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mask mandate, and the conviction of Alderman Patrick Daley Thompson Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.
Thursday’s Wintry Mix: Expect a Messy Morning and Even Nastier Evening Commute
| Patty Wetli
Meteorologists have a clearer picture of the timing of Thursday’s winter storm, and it looks likely to snarl both the morning and evening commutes, especially in Chicago.
COVID a Wildcard as Biden Prepares for State of the Union
| Associated Press
Biden’s March 1 address to Congress will play out against what Vice President Kamala Harris has called a “malaise” over the persistence of COVID and growing public impatience to get back to normal after two years of pandemic restrictions.
Southeast Side Metal Scrapper Would Not Have Adverse Effect on Residents’ Health: City Assessment
| Heather Cherone
City officials said they would announce no later than Sunday whether they will issue the final permit Southside Recycling needs to start operations.
Ending Forced Arbitration for Workplace Sexual Harassment
| Amanda Vinicky
Five years since the #MeToo movement took off, comes a change that will give women more protections in the workplace, and – a rarity for Washington – the measure has bipartisan backing.
Uncertainty Remains Over Olympic Athlete’s Use of Performance-Enhancing Drug
| Acacia Hernandez
Fifteen-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for the use of trimetazidine, a banned performance enhancing substance. But she has been allowed to compete in all her events and there is no clarity on what, if any, consequences she or members of the Russian Olympic Team will face.
Chicago Man Charged 3 Years After Prosecutors Allege He Shot Woman, Himself in Washington Park
| Matt Masterson
Anthony Wilson, 54, was held without bail during a hearing Wednesday afternoon following his arrest on one charge of attempted first-degree murder in the March 2019 shooting of a 57-year-old woman.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Feb. 17-20
| Kristen Thometz
The newest cars, vintage finds, medieval music and thousands of orchids usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.
Chicago Park District Board Elects City Year Exec Myetie Hamilton as New President
| Patty Wetli
The Chicago Park District board of commissioners has elected Myetie Hamilton, a member of the board since September 2021, as the body’s new president, filling a vacancy left by the resignation of Avis LaVelle, who stepped down in November.
More COVID-19 Rules Fall as CDC Hints at Better Times Ahead
| Associated Press
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing that the government is contemplating a change to its mask guidance in the coming weeks.
Two More Ex-Employees Charged in Overtime Scheme at Brennemann Elementary
Former principal indicted last year
| Matt Masterson
Federal prosecutors in Chicago announced charges against Jennifer McBride and William Jackson, who along with former principal Sarah Jackson Abedelal, allegedly submitted false overtime slips to conceal the purchase of iPhones, iPads and approximately $30,000 in gift cards.
Biden Orders Release of Trump White House Logs to Congress
| Associated Press
President Joe Biden is ordering the release of Trump White House visitor logs to the House committee investigating the riot of Jan. 6, 2021, once more rejecting former President Donald Trump’s claims of executive privilege.
Independent Commission Backs Chicago Ward Map Crafted by Latino Caucus
| Heather Cherone
The map crafted by the Chicago Ward Advisory Redistricting Commission failed to win the support of a single alderperson after nearly a year of work.
Rain, Ice, Snow: Triple Threat Set to Sock Region in Coming Days, Prompting Winter Storm Watch
| Patty Wetli
Temperatures could top 50 degrees in the Chicago area on Wednesday but the brief warmup will be accompanied by heavy rains, with a potential for flooding, followed by colder air and a wintry mix that could drop 7 inches of snow.
Who Will Replace Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson in 11th Ward?
| Amanda Vinicky
The nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the grandson of Mayor Richard J. Daley, Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson will have to resign his City Council seat given his convictions Monday for lying to the IRS and filing false tax returns.
February 15, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Rep. Dick Durbin on Russia-Ukraine tensions. The fallout from Patrick Daley Thompson’s conviction. Tackling the truck driver shortage. And Chicago Children’s Choir prepares for its upcoming concert.
Local Advocates Say Justice Department’s Shift on Safe Injection Sites ‘Long Overdue’
| Kristen Thometz
Local advocates say so-called safe injection sites – safe havens for people to use drugs with protections against fatal overdoses – are crucial, especially with a rise in overdoses amid the pandemic.
Industry Group Aims to Tackle Truck Driver Shortage in Illinois
| Nick Blumberg
While the U.S. isn’t experiencing the same upheaval as Canada, trucking advocates say the industry still faces huge challenges, many of which predate the pandemic.
When It Comes to Reimagining the Museum Campus, Advocates Say the Greatest Untapped Amenity Already Exists: Nature
| Patty Wetli
Green space advocates are in agreement that the north star of a new working group tasked to "reimagine" the Museum Campus needs to be the Lakefront Protection Ordinance. In short: No new building construction.
Ukraine-Russia Crisis: What to Know on Hopes of Averting War
| Associated Press
The Kremlin had signaled Monday that it was still possible for diplomacy to head off what Western officials have said could be an imminent invasion of Ukraine. But much remains unclear about Russia’s plans and how the crisis will play out.
Remember the Bald Eagle Almost Killed By Rat Poison? Watch Its Soaring Release Back Into the Wild
| Patty Wetli
The eagle was released back into the Cook County preserve where it was found New Year’s Day, bleeding profusely. The raptor quickly reunited with its mate after more than a month apart.
Sandy Hook Families Settle for $73M With Gun Maker Remington
| Associated Press
The families and a survivor of the shooting sued Remington in 2015, saying the company should have never sold such a dangerous weapon to the public. They said their focus was on preventing future mass shootings by forcing gun companies to be more responsible with their products and how they market them.
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Chicago Bears’ Threat to Move to Indiana a ‘Slap in the Face,’ Gov. Pritzker’s Office Says
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