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Stories by Paul Caine

Stuttering Bears Face Quarterback Legend Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterback Nick Foles fails to get the job done against the Colts. Can the Bears find an offense Thursday night? Former Bears offensive lineman James “Big Cat” Williams gives us his take.

Aldermen OK Effort to Revoke Tax Incentives After Botched Smokestack Demolition

Chicago officials now have the power to strip multimillion-dollar tax incentives from companies that “betray the public’s trust” — but lawyers for the city have determined the new rules cannot be used to punish the firm that botched a demolition in April.

Pence-Harris Debate To Unfold as Trump Recovers From Virus

Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger, California Sen. Kamala Harris, are set to face off in a debate that will offer starkly different visions for a country confronting escalating crises.

October 7, 2020 - Full Show

Watch the Oct. 7, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

As Illinois Surpasses 6M COVID-19 Tests, Pritzker Says ‘Progress Has Cooled Off’

Illinois hit a milestone Wednesday in its battle against the coronavirus, surpassing 6 million tests. But Gov. J.B. Pritzker said regional positivity rates are no longer showing the “promising declines” he touted a week earlier.

Second City Comedy Theater for Sale, 2nd Time in 60 Years

Chicago’s Second City comedy theater — where performers including Bill Murray, Steve Carell and Jordan Peele honed their skills — has been put up for sale.

Aldermen Seek Equal Pay for City Colleges Adjunct Faculty

“For many of us, financial ruin is simply one bad day away,” said the head of the union representing 1,000-plus City Colleges adjunct faculty members who are seeking a new contract guaranteeing pay equity.

In About-Face, Trump Seeks to Salvage Parts of Virus Aid

The Trump administration is pressing for $1,200 stimulus checks and a new wave of aid for airlines and other businesses hard hit by the pandemic.

Students Who Fought for Douglas(s) Park Name Change Win ‘Parktivist’ Award

Students from Village Leadership Academy will be honored Oct. 16 at Friends of the Parks’ “Parks as Democracy?” annual conference, which will include a presentation from the youth activists.

Retirees at Center of Lawsuit, Questions Over Graduated Tax

In November, Illinois voters will be making a choice about how the state taxes income. But a last-minute lawsuit claims the ballot itself is flawed and is raising questions about how it may impact retirees.

A Classic Soul Song Gets An Update

Chicago artists are paying tribute to the Pointer Sisters in a remake of a song that underscores the importance of working together. We meet the creatives behind the “Yes We Can” project.

How Domestic Violence Support Groups Are Helping Clients Virtually

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many of us to spend a lot more time indoors this year. But for some, home isn’t always a safe space. Many social service agencies are reporting a spike in domestic violence during the pandemic.

Aldermen Delay $9.1M in Planned CTA Upgrades Amid Questions About Diversity Goals

Two proposals to spend $9.1 million to repair the CTA’s Lake Street bridge and the Dearborn Street subway stalled Tuesday amid objections from aldermen about efforts to hire firms owned by female, Black and Latino Chicagoans.

Head of FBI Chicago Office on ‘Critically Important’ Work to Ensure a Fair Election

The COVID-19 pandemic has many Americans rethinking how they’re going to vote this year, with huge numbers applying for mail-in ballots. Emmerson Buie Jr. talks about the FBI’s priorities, and what steps they’re taking in Chicago.

Vision 2020: Are Absentee Votes and Mail-In Votes Different?

What’s the difference between absentee voting and mail voting? There really isn’t any difference. 

Plan to Build More Affordable Housing on Far Northwest Side Survives Test

Aldermen sided with the mayor on Tuesday in a dispute over a proposal to build a 48-unit affordable housing complex in Jefferson Park, turning back an effort by Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward) to block the development.

Vision 2020: Electoral College vs Popular Vote in America

Why is it that one candidate can win the popular vote but another wins the electoral vote and thus the presidency? Because that’s how the framers of the Constitution set it up.

Lightfoot: Chicago Faces ‘Moment of Reckoning’ After Trump Ends Negotiations Over Federal Aid

City officials are working to craft a plan to fill a projected $1.2 billion budget shortfall in the 2021 fiscal year — without the hope of more aid from the federal government.

October 6, 2020 - Full Show

Watch the Oct. 6, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Trump Halts COVID-19 Relief Talks Until After Election

President Donald Trump abandoned COVID-19 relief talks on Tuesday. The unexpected turn could be a blow to Trump’s reelection prospects and comes as his administration and campaign are in turmoil.

2 Justices Slam Court’s 2015 Decision in Gay Marriage Case

The Supreme Court, already poised to take a significant turn to the right, opened its new term Monday with a jolt from two conservative justices who raised new criticism of the court’s embrace of same-sex marriage.

32 Organizations to Get $8M From City to Expand Mental Health Services: Lightfoot

The funds will allow “tens of thousands more patients served, better access to care for the underserved and integrated care for the whole person,” officials said.

Fed’s Powell: Lack of Further Stimulus Imperils Recovery

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned Tuesday that a tentative recovery from the pandemic recession could falter unless the federal government supplies additional economic support.

Activists, Scientists, Authors Among ‘Genius Grant’ Fellows

Writers, sociologists, scientists, a documentary filmmaker, a legal scholar and an environmental health advocate are among the luminaries named this year. The Chicago-based foundation has awarded the grants every year since 1981.

Indiana on Track to be Added to City’s Quarantine Order, As Officials Add Alaska, Remove Georgia, Texas

The warning about the increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Indiana is designed to give Chicagoans who routinely cross the border time to prepare for the state to join the other 22 states now on the quarantine order, officials said.

Aldermen Set to Weigh Lightfoot’s Pick to Lead Department of Buildings

Matthew Beaudet would become the first Native American commissioner in the city’s history. “I’m humbled by it,” Beaudet told WTTW News before his confirmation hearing.
 

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