Stories by Evan Garcia
Web Extra, The Week in Review: Burke’s Re-election Chances
| Evan Garcia
Eddie Arruza and guests discuss Ald. Ed Burke’s re-election chances in the wake of federal charges.
The Week in Review: Fallout from Ald. Ed Burke’s Corruption Charge
| Evan Garcia
A stunning federal complaint charges City Hall’s most powerful alderman with attempted corruption while another alderman is charged with domestic abuse. And the Bears take on the defending Super Bowl champs.
Study: 1 in 10 Adults Have a Food Allergy
| Kristen Thometz
More than 26 million American adults are estimated to have a food allergy, with shellfish reported as the top allergen, according to a new study by Northwestern University and Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Lane Tech Staffer Removed After Allegation of ‘Inappropriate Behavior’
| Matt Masterson
A staff member at Chicago’s largest public high school has been removed following an allegation of inappropriate behavior involving a student. “We are taking this situation seriously,” the school’s principal wrote Friday in an email to parents.
Ald. Ed Burke Loses City Council Power
| Paris Schutz
It took Ald. Ed Burke 50 years to build up an unprecedented level of power in City Council. It took only 24 hours for him to lose much of it.
Firearms Found in Ald. Ed Burke’s Office: Who Can Carry Guns in City Hall?
| Matt Masterson
Among the extraordinary details that came to light after Ald. Ed Burke was charged Thursday with attempted extortion was the fact that nearly two dozen firearms were found in his offices during a series of November raids.
Ald. Ed Burke Resigns as Finance Committee Chairman
| Kristen Thometz
Just a day after being charged with attempted extortion, the powerful 14th Ward alderman has resigned from the post he’s held for more than three decades.
Former Federal Prosecutor Talks Charges Against Ald. Ed Burke
| Nicole Cardos
This isn’t the first time a Chicago lawmaker has been charged with a federal crime, but the case does bring up several questions. Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor, gives us his take.
Political Journalists React to Powerful Alderman’s Legal Trouble
| Evan Garcia
The storied career of 14th Ward Ald. Ed Burke has the potential to end with a prison sentence. A trio of veteran Chicago journalists offer their insight on the federal investigation.
Ald. Ed Burke Charged with Attempted Extortion
| Paris Schutz
Federal agents raided longtime Chicago Ald. Ed Burke’s ward and government offices Nov. 29, and for the first time there’s insight as to what they were looking for: evidence of an extortion scheme.
‘Jay’s Chicago’: A New Season of Stories About Life in Chicago
| Jay Shefsky
Premiering Friday, the show’s fourth season includes stories about interesting people in the city and their talents, passions and projects. Here’s a preview of the season.
CTA Bus Driver Steers Changes for LGBTQ Community
| Brandis Friedman
The CTA makes a policy change that allows its health insurance plan to cover the cost of gender-affirming surgery for one of its bus drivers.
Tech Stocks Take a Dive Amid Fears of Global Economic Slowdown
| Brandis Friedman
Tech stocks led the dive Thursday on Wall Street after Apple reported a slowdown on iPhone sales in China. Economist Diane Swonk weighs in.
How Fritz Kaegi Plans to Transform the Cook County Assessor’s Office
| Nicole Cardos
The new Cook County assessor has vowed to bring fairness, transparency, ethics and modernization to the office. Fritz Kaegi joins us to discuss his 100-day plan and more.
Pope Urges US Bishops to Heal Divisions, Repair Trust
| Associated Press
Pope Francis is encouraging U.S. bishops meeting near Chicago to unify as the Roman Catholic church deals with a “crisis of credibility” stemming from the clergy sex abuse scandal.
UIC Researchers Develop Method to Detect ALS
| Kristen Thometz
There is no definitive test to diagnosis the progressive neurodegenerative disease. But that could change, thanks to new research that was able to accurately detect ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases using graphene.
Group Forecasts Statewide Impact of EPA’s Controversial Mercury Plan
| Alex Ruppenthal
The advocacy group Moms Clean Air Force warns that a Trump administration proposal to weaken standards for emissions of toxic mercury would harm residents and wildlife across Illinois.
Verdict Delayed for Second Time in Laquan McDonald Conspiracy Trial
| Matt Masterson
A Cook County judge has already delayed her finding once in the unprecedented trial of three Chicago police officers. The new verdict date is Jan. 17 – a day before the sentencing of former Officer Jason Van Dyke.
COPA Employee Accused of Sending Workplace Email Threat
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police descended on COPA’s office last Friday following a report of an emailed threat. But COPA officials now say that threat was “false” and the sender has been identified as an agency employee.
CPS Watchdog: Former Music Director Mismanaged $13K in Funds
| Matt Masterson
The school district’s inspector general found the music director “willfully violated” CPS fundraising guidelines. That’s just one of the investigations highlighted in the watchdog’s just-released annual report.
As Catholic Bishops Meet, Sexual Abuse Victims Implore Pope for Change
| Evan Garcia
Activists call on Pope Francis to remove Cardinal Blase Cupich from his role in organizing a Vatican conference on sex abuse. We discuss the story with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Robert Herguth.
Spotlight Politics: Chicago Alderman in Jail
| Paris Schutz
Ald. Ricardo Munoz is facing domestic abuse charges, and the field of candidates for Chicago mayor is narrowing. Political reporters Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky have those stories and more in this week’s roundtable.
New Book Examines Past, Present and Future of Free Speech in U.S.
| Nicole Cardos
How did we get the free speech protections we enjoy today, and where might they head in the future? A new book uncovers that – and more.
Farthest Object Ever Explored Comes into View on New Year’s Day
| Eddie Arruza
Ultima Thule, the relatively tiny object in the outer solar system, is now the farthest cosmic body to be reached by humans. We hear from the lead scientist behind the farthest flyby ever.
New Nonprofit Gives Old Furniture – and People – Second Chances
| Erica Gunderson
Meet the founders of the Chicago Furniture Bank, which offers people in need an apartment’s worth of gently used furniture, including beds for each family member, for just $50.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Trending
Police Brass Agrees to Suspend Officers for Violating Rights of Black Driver During Downtown Traffic Stop
Roseland Hospital Failed to Monitor a Patient During a Mental Health Crisis, Regulators Say. Now He’s Charged With Killing His Wife
‘This is Only the Beginning’: Illinois Accountability Commission Hears First Testimony on Federal Agents’ Use of Force in Chicago
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss Confronts Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino as Immigration Enforcement Continues
Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino Back in Chicago as Federal Immigration Operations Ramp Back Up
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter