Stories by Marc Vitali
Elizabeth Catlett, a Master Artist With a Message, Gets Her Due at the Art Institute of Chicago
| Marc Vitali
The Art Institute of Chicago is giving the artist her due with a solo show that surveys 75 years of the artist’s work. It is called “Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies.”
‘I Think He’s Losing It’: Pritzker Brushes Aside Latest National Guard Threat From Trump
| Matt Masterson
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday he can’t take “anything that (Trump) says seriously” and said he thinks Trump is “losing it” following another threat of a military deployment into Chicago.
Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor Concerned Americans Cannot Distinguish Between Presidents and Kings
| CNN
Speaking to the New York Law School in Manhattan, the Supreme Court’s senior liberal encouraged people to get involved and lamented what she described as a lack of knowledge about fundamental aspects of American law.
Robert Redford, Oscar-Winning Actor, Director and Indie Movie Patriarch, Dies at 89
| Associated Press
Robert Redford, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89.
Chicago Should Hike Property Taxes Annually to Keep Pace With Inflation, Budget Task Force Recommends
| Heather Cherone
The report offers “89 preliminary options to improve operations, generate new revenue, and pursue strategic opportunities, all while preserving city services” that could add between $1 billion and $2.1 billion to the city’s bottom line.
Sept. 15, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Chicago’s Mexican community celebrates despite an ICE crackdown. And the state of political discourse in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death.
College Students on the State of Public Discourse Following Charlie Kirk’s Death
| Shelby Hawkins
The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has spurred public discourse on political violence and the rhetoric that perpetuates it. Reactions to Kirk’s death range from anger and grief to indifference and relief, revealing the longstanding chasm in American political ideology.
Mexican Independence Day Celebrations Continue in Chicago Despite an ICE Crackdown
| Joanna Hernandez
Despite fears of enhanced immigration enforcement, the Little Village Mexican Independence Day Parade took place this weekend without any issues. On Monday, events continued for El Grito, an annual celebration marking Mexico’s independence.
Donald Trump Deploys National Guard to Memphis and Says Chicago Is Next
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump on Monday signed an order sending the National Guard into Memphis to combat crime, constituting his latest test of the limits of presidential power by using military force in American cities.
Ragweed vs. Goldenrod: One of Them Makes You Sneeze, the Other is the Bee’s Knees
| Patty Wetli
If your fall allergies have kicked in, ragweed is the likely culprit, but goldenrod often takes the blame.
2 More Developments Designed to Transform Chicago’s Financial District Into a Residential Neighborhood Advance
| Heather Cherone
A final vote on both proposals, which would create 786 new homes, including 237 units of affordable housing, is set for the Sept. 25 City Council meeting.
5 CTA Stations Will Have Narcan Vending Machines Under Pilot Program
| Eunice Alpasan
The vending machines will be located at the 47th Street Red Line station, Wilson Red and Purple Line station, Jefferson Park Blue Line station, Harlem/Lake Green Line station and the Central Park Pink Line station.
A Framework Deal on TikTok Has Been Reached Between the US and China
| Associated Press
The meeting in Madrid is the fourth round of trade talks between U.S. and Chinese officials since Trump launched a tariff war on Chinese goods in April.
Key City Panel Unanimously Agrees to Pay $90M to Resolve 176 Lawsuits Tied to Disgraced Ex-Sgt. Ronald Watts
| Heather Cherone
The first global settlement of lawsuits tied to a single officer is now set for a final vote by the full Chicago City Council on Sept. 25.
ICE ‘Unwilling’ to Share Details After Agent Killed Suburban Man During Immigration Operation, Pritzker Says
| Matt Masterson
“We need more information,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at a press event Monday in Chicago. “We’ve asked ICE for all of the information around it, they have given very little.”
Gov. JB Pritzker Blasts Trump, Saying He ‘Fans the Flames of Division’ Amid Ice Raids, Charlie Kirk’s Killing
| Heather Cherone
“This should come from the top, yet with each new crisis in recent years, we are reminded that we cannot rely on President Trump to tamp down the anger and the passion in the aftermath of political violence,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “Instead, he actively fans the flames of division.”
Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a Popular Two-Term Republican, Dies at 79
| Associated Press
Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar, a popular two-term Republican credited with guiding the state into a period of greater financial stability in the 1990s, died Sunday, according to his family.
Dolton, the Suburb Where Pope Leo XIV Grew Up, Celebrates His 70th Birthday
| Associated Press
A small crowd attended the festivities outside the modest brick house in the village of Dolton, where the former Robert Prevost grew up after he was born in 1955 in Chicago.
Week in Review: Immigration Protests Continue; Trump Pivots on National Guard
| Blair Paddock
An about-face from President Donald Trump as he focuses on a new city to send the National Guard to. And protests continue as immigration enforcement ramps up.
As an Illinois Energy Bill Continues to Take Shape, a Key State Senate Architect Plans to Retire
Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, won’t seek reelection
| Andrew Adams — Capitol News Illinois
Sen. Bill Cunningham, a Chicago Democrat with a reputation for taking charge of energy and climate change legislation, will step down at the end of his current term.
ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Man During Immigration Operation in Suburban Franklin Park
| Matt Masterson
A federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a man while carrying out an enforcement operation in suburban Franklin Park on Friday morning, the agency announced.
Donald Trump Says He’ll Send National Guard to Memphis but ‘Would Have Preferred Going to Chicago’
| Associated Press
Since sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., Trump has openly mused about sending troops to some of the nation’s most Democratic cities — including Chicago and Baltimore — even as data shows most violent crime in those places and around the country has declined in recent years.
Pritzker Signs Order to Get Around US Limits on COVID-19 Vaccine
| Heather Cherone
“This is about making sure no family in Illinois is left wondering if they can protect themselves against preventable serious illness,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “When the federal government abandons its responsibility, Illinois will step up.”
Conservative Ted Dabrowski Officially Launches Bid to Become Next Illinois Governor
| Matt Masterson
Dabrowski, the president of Wirepoints, officially launched his campaign on Friday to challenge JB Pritzker, the Democratic incumbent who is seeking a third term in next fall’s election.
Suspect in Custody in Killing of Charlie Kirk, Officials Announce
| CNN
President Donald Trump has said that a suspect is in custody related to the killing of Charlie Kirk. The suspect was later identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Washington, Utah.
Rifle Recovered in Search for Charlie Kirk’s Killer; FBI Releases Person of Interest Photos
| Associated Press
Even as law enforcement officials revealed new details about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk they called a targeted killing, much remained unclear nearly 24 hours later, including the sniper’s identity, motive and whereabouts.
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