Stories by Associated Press

New FDA Rules for TV Drug Ads: Simpler Language and No Distractions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration spent more than 15 years crafting the guidelines, which are designed to do away with industry practices that downplay or distract viewers from risk information.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Nov. 14, 2024 - Full Show

City Council rejects the mayor’s $300 million property tax hike. Advocates push back against the city’s new shelter approach. And Kim Foxx reflects on her tenure as Cook County state’s attorney.

Advocates Push Back Against City’s New Shelter Approach for Migrants, Unhoused Chicagoans

Local organizations are pushing back on Chicago’s plan to merge its migrant shelter operations with its homeless shelter network. The city is set to launch the plan known as the One System Initiative on Jan. 1 with a total of 6,800 shelter beds.

Kim Foxx Reflects on Her Challenges, Legacy After 8 Years as Cook County’s Top Prosecutor

After eight years in office, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is passing the torch. Foxx was among a cadre of so-called progressive prosecutors to take office around the country eight years ago. She became the first Black woman to assume the role in Cook County, promising to reshape the criminal justice system.

‘Some Things Cannot Wait’: Chicago School Board Approves Measure Pressuring Acero to Halt School Closures

The six-member board on Thursday unanimously approved a measure demanding Acero return any unspent public funding if it moves ahead with the closures at the end of the current school year.

City Council Votes Unanimously to Reject Mayor’s $300M Property Tax Hike Proposal

Before the stunning rebuke from all 50 alderpeople, including his closest allies, Mayor Brandon Johnson said he remained “committed to collaboration” and would work to craft a budget that reflects the city’s values by investing in people.

Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program Erases $72M of Debt Thus Far

The state is partnering with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, which can buy debt from collection agencies, hospitals and similar entities for just a few cents per dollar. Every $1 collected translates into $100 of debt relief by the nonprofit, which partners with governments on debt forgiveness programs.

Trump Chooses Anti-Vaccine Activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat who ran as an independent in this year’s presidential race, abandoned his bid after striking a deal to give President-elect Donald Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the administration.

Chicago Sports Network Announces Streaming Service for Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox Games

Subscription packages will start at $19.99 per month for one team or $29.99 per month for full access to Chicago Sports Network, including all three teams’ live games. CHSN launched in October to replace NBC Sports Chicago, the longtime former home of the Blackhawks, Bulls and White Sox.

Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Michael Broadway Dies in IDOC Custody: ‘He Was Failed at Every Turn’

Michael Broadway, 51, died in June while in custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. A new lawsuit alleges IDOC and Wexford Health Sources ignored Broadway’s requests for medical attention.

Satire Publication The Onion Buys Alex Jones' Infowars at Auction With Sandy Hook Families' Backing

The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones' Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax.

Fermilab Announces Layoffs of 53 Employees Amid Budgetary Pressure

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced the layoffs of about 2.5% of its workforce in an internal message. The laboratory's director acknowledged the difficult impact of the decision, stating that change is necessary to position Fermilab for the future, despite some employees saying they were assured all jobs were safe earlier this year.

Attorney General Tells Chicago Mayor to Reverse Planned Budget Cuts to Police Reform Effort or Face Sanctions

“I must remind you that the consent decree is not optional,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul wrote to Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The City of Chicago must deliver on its consent decree obligations.”

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Nov. 13, 2024 - Full Show

What residents on Chicago’s South Side think about reparations. An effort to document Illinois’ connections with the Underground Railroad. And a new opera explores a family’s grief and journey to healing.

Lyric Opera’s ‘Blue’ Follows Family Grappling With Grief After Police Shooting

“Blue” follows a Black family after they lose their son to police violence, all while the father serves as a police officer. The production explores injustice and finding healing through faith and community.

Report Examines What Some South Side Residents Think About Reparations

A recent report from the Chicago Urban League and the South Side Community Reparations Coalition focuses on 10 neighborhoods: Douglas, Englewood, Fuller Park, Grand Boulevard, Greater Grand Crossing, Oakland, South Shore, Washington Park, West Englewood and Woodlawn.

Durbin, Duckworth Slam Trump Cabinet Choices as ‘Dangerously Unqualified’ and a ‘Disaster’

President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet choices are provoking backlash from the two Illinois Democrats whose positions give them power to take part in approving, or denying, Cabinet appointments.

There Could Be 200 Underground Railroad Sites in Illinois, Task Force Says

“Too many in Illinois believe we need to travel to the East Coast to visit locations on the Underground Railroad, unaware of the enormous activity that took place in their own backyards here,” task force member and Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman said.

Unions Rally in Springfield, Urge Lawmakers to Change State’s Tiered Pension System

Illinois public workers who began their positions before 2011 are in Tier 1, which offers better benefits. Those hired after Jan. 1, 2011, are in Tier 2. They have to work longer and upon retirement receive a smaller payout.

Donald Trump Picks Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, Marco Rubio for Secretary of State

Trump also announced that he had tapped Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as his nominee for secretary of state. And he selected Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic member of Congress and presidential candidate, to serve as his director of national intelligence.

University of Illinois Hospital Nurses Enter 2nd Strike Since August Amid Concerns Over Safety, Wages

The Illinois Nurses Association represents 1,700 nurses at UI Hospital who have been in contract negotiations since June. Nurses at the hospital system initially went on strike for one week when their contract ended in August. For the current strike, the nurses’ union did not give hospital leadership a strike end date.

CTA Board Approves Last Budget Boosted By Pandemic-Era Stimulus, Pushes Dorval Carter for More Transparency and Collaboration

Board members said improved communication will be key to the agency’s survival as it faces down a projected $539 million fiscal cliff in 2026, after the CTA runs out of pandemic-era relief funding that’s been keeping its operating budget afloat in the first quarter of that year.

Just Eat Takeaway Sells Chicago-Based Grubhub for $650 Million, Just 3 Years After Buying the App for $7.3 Billion

European food delivery giant Just Eat Takeaway.com is selling Grubhub for $650 million, a fraction of the billions it spent to buy the U.S. platform just three years ago.

Nov. 12, 2024 - Full Show

Pushback to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to hike property taxes. And efforts in Illinois to “shore up” protections ahead of a second Trump presidency.

Illinois House Speaker on Protecting Reproductive Rights, Balancing the State Budget

Democratic leaders — who kept their veto-proof majorities in both the state House and state Senate — are discussing what, if any, actions Illinois may take to “shore up” protections ahead of a second Trump presidency.

State Republicans Call for Inclusion in Budget Talks as Illinois Faces $3B Deficit

State Sen. John Curran at a press conference Tuesday called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to pledge not to raise taxes, either on individuals or businesses.
 

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