Stories by Associated Press
Indiana AG: No Charges Recommended in Fetal Remains Case
| Associated Press
Indiana’s attorney general recommended no criminal charges or licensing actions Wednesday after concluding an investigation into more than 2,000 sets of fetal remains found last year at the suburban Chicago garage of a late prolific abortion doctor.
UK Is First to Authorize Easy-to-Handle AstraZeneca Vaccine
| Associated Press
Britain became the first country to authorize AstraZeneca’s inexpensive, easy-to-handle COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday, gaining another weapon against the virus amid a resurgence.
After a Year Like This, Expect a Strange New Year's Eve
| Associated Press
If ever a year's end seemed like cause for celebration, 2020 might be it. Yet the coronavirus scourge that dominated the year is also looming over New Year's festivities and forcing officials worldwide to tone them down.
Officials Shut Down 153-Person Party in Austin for Violating COVID-19 Restrictions
| Heather Cherone
More than a half dozen large parties have been shut down by city officials in the past month, even as Chicago remains under a stay-at-home advisory designed to prevent people from contracting COVID-19.
December 30, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Dec. 30, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Chicago’s Tumultuous Year: Looking Back on 2020
| Patty Wetli
From the pandemic to protests to the power of nature, 2020 has been a year for the history books. We take a look back at the year that was — warts and all.
Trump’s $2,000 Checks Stall In Senate as GOP Blocks Vote
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump’s push for bigger $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks stalled out Tuesday in the Senate as Republicans blocked a swift vote proposed by Democrats and split within their own ranks over whether to boost spending or defy the White House.
First Reported US Case of COVID-19 Variant Found in Colorado
| Associated Press
The first reported U.S. case of the COVID-19 variant that’s been seen in the United Kingdom has been discovered in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis announced Tuesday, adding urgency to efforts to vaccinate Americans.
A Look at Illinois’ Marijuana Expungement Efforts
| Amanda Vinicky
Friday marks one year since it became legal to buy and use marijuana in Illinois. But what about the thousands of people who previously got in trouble for possessing, smoking or selling pot?
Terrorism Specialists Weigh in on Rise of Extremism in US
| Quinn Myers
Many details surrounding the Christmas Day bombing in downtown Nashville remain unclear, but the incident has renewed concerns about the rise of domestic terrorism, and the proliferation of racist ideology by white supremacists.
‘Black Voices’ Community Conversation: Watch Night
| Marissa Nelson
It’s a New Year’s Eve tradition. Check out our virtual discussion about the history of Watch Night services with Brandis Friedman, host of “Black Voices,” and a panel of guests.
NASA Spacecraft Designed by Illinois Engineer Will Study Solar Flares
| Evan Garcia
A spacecraft designed by an Illinois researcher and professor will orbit Earth’s outermost atmospheric layer to better understand powerful bursts of radiation from the sun, also known as solar flares. Lara Waldrop tells us more.
Local School Council Passes Resolution Seeking to Prevent School Reopening
CPS says councils don’t have authority to do so
| Matt Masterson
Representatives of a Portage Park high school on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure saying students and staff will not be allowed into the building following winter break “until it is safe to return to in-person learning.”
Chicago Water Commissioner Randy Conner Retires
| Heather Cherone
The resignation was announced 3 1/2 years after Randy Conner took the top job amid a furor caused by the city watchdog’s determination that the Department of Water Management was rife with “overtly racist and sexist behavior and attitudes.”
CTA Piloting Free Face Mask Dispensers on 20 Bus Routes
| Patty Wetli
Disposable mask dispensers are being installed on 200 buses serving 20 routes, including the No. 56 Milwaukee, No. 91 Austin and No. 77 Belmont. If successful, the program will expand to all bus routes, as well as to rail stations, the CTA said.
CPS: Majority of Pre-K, Cluster Program Teachers, Staff Returning for In-Person Learning
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Public Schools on Tuesday announced that 5,833 of its 7,002 pre-K and cluster program staff members will be heading back to schools when in-person learning resumes for those students on Jan. 11.
Visitors from Wisconsin No Longer Face Mandatory 10-Day Quarantine: Chicago Officials
| Heather Cherone
Travelers from the Badger State can avoid the 10-day quarantine if they record a negative test for COVID-19 within 72 hours, according to the city’s COVID-19 travel order.
Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Site for Health Care Workers Opens at Malcolm X City College
| Heather Cherone
As part of the city’s campaign to convince those skeptical about the coronavirus vaccine to get inoculated, Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, got the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the new clinic.
December 29, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Dec. 29, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Police Seek Help in Identifying Vehicle From Double Fatal Hit-And-Run
| Matt Masterson
The police department late Monday issued a community alert seeking information about the Dec. 23 incident that resulted in the deaths of Araceli Gutierrez and 12-year-old Giovanne Bucio in the Gage Park neighborhood.
Winter Finally Shows Up, Mix of Snow and Freezing Rain Coming Tuesday
| Patty Wetli
Beginning late Tuesday afternoon, a mix of snow that could be heavy at times and freezing rain will descend on the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service.
Illinois’ Pot Program Falls Short on Social Equity Promises
| Amanda Vinicky
Illinois’ recreational marijuana program was set up to right the wrongs of a war on drugs by giving a leg up to those from disadvantaged communities or who had been punished for low-level drug crimes. But nearly a year later, social equity applicants remain locked out.
Northwestern’s Hispanic Organ Transplant Program Dispels Organ Donor Myths
| Evan Garcia
Success rates for organ transplantation have grown through the years, but disparities impacting communities of color remain. A Northwestern Medicine transplant surgeon is providing care curated specifically for the Latino community.
Lawyer: Soldier Charged In Rockford Shooting May Have PTSD
| Associated Press
An attorney for a U.S. Army special forces sergeant arrested in what authorities called an apparently random shooting at an Illinois bowling alley that left three people dead said client may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Boosting Mental Wellness in the Chicago Theater Community
| Marc Vitali
Theater in Chicago shut down in March and won’t be returning anytime soon. A new effort is a reminder of the ongoing support that exists within the theater community.
Firsthand Gun Violence: Victim Advocate Reflects on Chicago’s Violent Year
| Quinn Myers
It’s been an extraordinarily violent year in Chicago, which has seen around 750 homicides, according to police. As part of our series on gun violence, we talk with victim advocate Pastor Donovan Price.
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