Stories by Matt Masterson
Chicago Man Charged in String of Burglaries at Shops, Stores and High-End Retailer
| Matt Masterson
Tacarre Harper, 27, has been charged with nine separate counts of burglary from incidents stemming between November 2021 and January 2022.
McConnell Rebukes RNC, Calls Jan. 6 ‘Violent Insurrection’
| Associated Press
“It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next,” McConnell said Tuesday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker Says He Will Announce Update on Mask Mandate ‘Very Soon’
| Kristen Thometz
“I’m the first person who wants to make sure we’re removing mitigations when we can keep people safe and healthy,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at an unrelated press event Tuesday afternoon.
White House: File Your Taxes to Get Full Child Tax Credit
| Associated Press
White House officials are hosting a virtual event Tuesday to encourage people to send their tax forms to the IRS, including those whose incomes are so low that they might not have traditionally filed.
Chicago Banker Gets 1-Year Sentence in Manafort Loan Scheme
| Associated Press
Stephen Calk was sentenced on Monday to a year in prison for his conviction in a scheme to make $16 million in loans to Paul Manafort to gain influence in the Trump administration.
J.B. Pritzker: Order Halting School Mask Mandate ‘Cultivates Chaos’
| Matt Masterson
“Judge Raylene Grischow’s ruling is out of step with the vast majority of legal analysis in Illinois and across the nation,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday at an unrelated press event in Chicago.
February 7, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Confusion at local schools following a recent court ruling on the statewide mask mandate. Plus, a political scion goes on trial, U. of C. is set to build a giant new cancer center, and the NFL faces explosive charges of discrimination.
University of Chicago Medicine Plans $633 Million Cancer Center
| Acacia Hernandez
University of Chicago Medicine has proposed building a $633 million cancer center in hopes of addressing health inequities on the South Side, while also easing some of the medical center’s capacity constraints.
NFL Facing Explosive Allegations of Racial Discrimination, Corruption
| Paul Caine
The NFL is facing explosive allegations of racial discrimination and corruption made in a class action lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores — who was recently fired by the team.
Crain’s Headlines: What Low-Fare Airline Merger Means for Chicago’s Airports
| WTTW News
Low-fare airlines Spirit and Frontier announce a multi-billion-dollar merger; the controversy over the Miami Dolphins may have an impact on the race for Chicago's casino; and three multi-million-dollar homes are now off the market for those searching for local luxury homes.
Keeping Health Care Workers Safe Amid Spike in Threats, Violence
| Nick Blumberg
The American Medical Association notes as many as 38% of health care workers face violence during their careers and that those in the field were 50% more likely to be harassed, threatened, or hurt during the COVID pandemic.
Jury Picked to Decide Whether Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson Failed to Pay Taxes, Lied to Feds
| Heather Cherone
Eight men and four women were selected Monday to serve on the federal jury that will decide whether 11th Ward Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson lied to federal bank regulators and filed false tax returns.
IRS to End Use of Facial Recognition to Identify Taxpayers
| Associated Press
The agency said it would no longer use a third-party service, called ID.me, for facial recognition. Critics of the software said the database could become a target for cyberthreats.
Mayor Lightfoot Suggests Correlation Between Remote Learning And Rise in Chicago Carjackings
| Matt Masterson
“Having talked to state’s attorneys who were dealing with these cases in juvenile court, and others, a lot of parents went to work during the day thinking their teenagers were logged on for remote learning, only to find something else,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Justice Department Signals it May Allow Safe Injection Sites
| Associated Press
A year after winning a major court battle against the opening of so-called safe injection sites — safe havens for people to use heroin and other narcotics with protections against fatal overdoses — the Justice Department is signaling it might be open to allowing them.
White House Officials Mull Over Life After COVID-19 Pandemic, But There’s Still No Clear Plan
| CNN
The White House has told CNN that federal officials are “thinking about” what comes next, after the United States transitions out of the current COVID-19 emergency and into a greater state of normalcy – but officials still have not released a plan for that transition.
Study of CBD’s Effectiveness in Preventing COVID-19 Has Researchers Calling for Clinical Trial
| Kristen Thometz
A new study has found cannabidiol or CBD can block COVID-19 infection in human cells and mice, but don’t rush out and buy products from your local dispensary. Here’s what you need to know about the study and where things stand with COVID-19 treatments.
Hearing Delayed on Ex-Cop’s Bid to Toss Murder Conviction
| Associated Press
A judge on Monday delayed for three months a hearing on former suburban Chicago police officer Drew Peterson’s request to toss out his murder conviction in the killing of his third wife after his attorney said he needed more time.
Former State Rep. Luis Arroyo Deserves More Than 4 Years in Prison for ‘Blatant Cash Grab,’ Feds Tell Judge
| Heather Cherone
Former state Rep. Luis Arroyo’s conduct was a “blatant cash grab,” Assistant U.S. Attorney James Durkin told U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger, asking that Arroyo spend between 46 to 57 months behind bars.
A Rip-Roaring Homage to “Women of Soul” at Mercury Theater Chicago
| Hedy Weiss
“Women of Soul,” which runs through March 6 at Mercury Theater Chicago, is a powerhouse revue featuring a long list of decades-spanning singers.
Top Biden Aide Says Ukraine Invasion Could Come ‘Any Day’
| Associated Press
The senior adviser to President Joe Biden offered another stark warning the day after U.S. officials confirmed that Russia has assembled at least 70% of the military firepower it likely intends to have in place by mid-month to give President Vladimir Putin the option of launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Donald Trump’s Tirade on ‘Racist’ District Attorneys Echoes Other Racist Tropes
| Associated Press
The diatribe left the clear impression that Donald Trump, who rode the politics of white grievance into the White House, thinks he can’t possibly be treated fairly by Black officials. The comments carry the echoes of racist messages that have proliferated in recent years
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Feb 5, 2022 - Full Show
| WTTW News
State’s Attorney Kim Foxx on vacating convictions and her relationship with the mayor’s office. Remembering the barrier-breaking 1963 Loyola men’s basketball team. And kicking off Black History Month.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Talks Crime Stats, Jason Van Dyke and Wrongful Convictions in One-on-One Interview
| Aida Mogos
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx joined “Chicago Tonight: Black Voices” to talk about everything from how to tackle crime in Chicago, the controversial release of former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke and her push to address wrongful convictions.
New Film Tells Story of 1963 Loyola Men’s Basketball Team
| Aida Mogos
Chicago went wild when the Loyola Ramblers played in the final four of the NCAA tournament in 2018. It was the first time the men’s basketball team made it that far since 1963 when the Ramblers won the school’s only championship title and broke racial barriers while doing so. But the '63 season was groundbreaking for many reasons, as shown in the new documentary "The Loyola Project."
Black History Month Spotlight: Wendell Campbell, Chicago Architect
| Aida Mogos
February is Black History Month and to celebrate, we’ll be spotlighting a Chicago Black history maker every week. This week’s history maker is nationally recognized architect Wendell Campbell.
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