Stories by WTTW News
Crain’s Headlines: United Pulls Profit Forecast, Citing Coronavirus Uncertainty
| WTTW News
United Airlines has withdrawn its guidance to Wall Street on full-year 2020 revenue and earnings. The Chicago-based airline cited heightened uncertainty over duration and spread of the coronavirus and its potential effect on overall air travel demand.
Host of New Series ‘Flavor of Poland’ Talks Polish Cuisine, Paczki
| Nicole Cardos
If there’s one thing Aleksandra August hopes viewers take away from her new show “Flavor of Poland,” it’s that they learn something more about the country than its offerings of pierogi and kielbasa.
Can Chicago Fix the Problem of #MarijuanaSoMale?
| Patty Wetli
More and more states are legalizing marijuana, but the number of women involved in the cannabis industry keeps dropping. What can Chicago do to buck that trend?
Proposed CPS Calendar for 2020-21 Has Students in School into Late June
| Matt Masterson
Students at Chicago Public Schools have headed back to class earlier and earlier in recent years, but the proposed schedule for next year has classes begin well into September and end late in June.
CDC: Coronavirus Spread in US a Question of ‘When,’ Not ‘If’
| Kristen Thometz
Federal health officials say Americans should begin preparing for a potentially severe outbreak of COVID-19. “Now is the time for businesses, hospitals, communities, schools, and everyday people to begin preparing,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the CDC.
February 25, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Feb. 25, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
No Checkout Needed: Amazon Opens Cashier-Less Grocery Store
| Associated Press
Amazon wants to kill the supermarket checkout line. The online retailing giant is opening its first cashier-less supermarket, where shoppers can grab milk or eggs and walk out without waiting in line or ever opening their wallets.
New State Law Aims to Bridge Racial, Economic Divide in Drug Trials
| Andrea Guthmann
A recent review of government-funded cancer research studies found that the participants were disproportionately white. A new state law attempts to fix that.
Coalition Works Toward 20% Reduction in Chicago Gun Violence
| Alexandra Silets
What’s behind the spike in gun violence this year? And what can be done to stanch it? As part of our WTTW Firsthand initiative, we take a closer look at the problem – and possible solutions.
Meet the Chicago Artist Behind ‘Grace and Frankie’
| Angel Idowu
Lily Tomlin plays an artist on the popular Netflix series “Grace and Frankie,” but she isn’t creating the art. It’s actually made in Chicago by artist Nancy Rosen. We visit her studio to learn more.
How ‘Hood Feminism’ Picks Up Where Mainstream Feminism Fails
| Nick Blumberg
In her new book, Chicago native and author Mikki Kendall offers a critique of mainstream feminism. She joins us to discuss “Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women That a Movement Forgot.”
Survey: 81% of Illinois Residents Worry About Future Cost of Health Care
| Kristen Thometz
According to a new survey, four out of five Illinois residents are concerned about being able to afford some aspect of health care in the future, such as prescription drugs and health insurance.
Crain’s Headlines: Dow Plunges 1,000 Points Amid Coronavirus Fears
| WTTW News
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down more than 1,000 points Monday — the worst one-day performance in two years for the blue-chip index, as fears increased over the global economic shock of coronavirus.
Young Musicians Keep Civic Orchestra Vital on its 100th Birthday
| Marc Vitali
Chicago is home to the only training orchestra in North America. And while it’s blooming with youth, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago is turning 100 this season. We sit in on a rehearsal to hear the dynamic sound that only an orchestra can make.
‘Mlima’s Tale’ Traces Global Trail of Destruction of a Grand, Endangered Creature
| Hedy Weiss
Lynn Nottage’s 2018 play about the savage slaughter and potential decimation of Africa’s “big tusk” elephant population, and the illicit trade in ivory that drives it, is a stunning piece of work – equal parts poetry, ritual and an anatomy of corruption.
February 24, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Feb. 24, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Crackdown on Immigrants Who Use Public Benefits Takes Effect
| Associated Press
The guidelines that aim to determine whether immigrants seeking legal residency are likely to become a government burden are part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reduce immigration, particularly among poorer people.
Jussie Smollett Pleads Not Guilty to New Disorderly Conduct Charges
| Matt Masterson
The former “Empire” star appeared at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Monday, almost a year to the day after he first entered a similar plea in the initial case against him.
Paczki Day is So Nice, We Celebrate it Twice
| Patty Wetli
Chicago’s Polish bakeries have to prep for two Paczki Days: Fat Thursday, celebrated by Poles, and Fat Tuesday, celebrated by everyone else.
Local Teens Say High School Class Prepared Them to Respond to Emergencies
| Kristen Thometz
Two students who took a biomedical science class in the northwest suburbs say the program prepared them for stressful real-life situations. “Everyone should know what goes on in the body and how things work,” said Sarah Touhy.
Karenna Gore Has Some Inconvenient Truths of Her Own to Share About Climate Change
| Patty Wetli
The daughter of former Vice President Al Gore is founder of the Center for Earth Ethics, which frames the environmental crisis in moral terms. She tells us about her work ahead of her appearance this week at a climate change forum in Chicago.
The Week in Review: Blagojevich Returns Home as ‘Freed Political Prisoner’
| Evan Garcia
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is boisterous and unrepentant as he returns home, singing the praises of President Trump. Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushes a progressive tax in his budget address.
Cook County Cold-Related Deaths Rise to 32
| Kristen Thometz
On Friday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office reported four new cold-related deaths in the county.
CPS Watchdog Finds ‘Unusual Patterns’ in District’s NWEA Testing Practices
District contends findings don’t “call into question the accomplishments of our students”
| Matt Masterson
CPS Inspector General Nicholas Schuler said analyses conducted by his office found possible “gaming and cheating techniques,” including longer than average test durations and high numbers of pauses.
Inmate Dubbed the ‘Starved Rock Killer’ Freed After 59 Years
| Associated Press
An 80-year-old man who spent nearly 60 years in prison after being convicted of killing one of three suburban Chicago women whose brutalized bodies were found in a state park walked out of prison Friday.
CSO Infuses Beethoven Classics With New Energy and Captures Ophelia’s Descent Into Madness
| Hedy Weiss
What Maestro Riccardo Muti and the orchestra have made continually clear throughout this year of celebrating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth is how thrillingly modern the composer’s work can feel.
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