Stories by Associated Press
Officials Plead for Calm Amid Anger Over Breonna Taylor Case
| Associated Press
Authorities pleaded for calm while activists vowed to fight on Thursday in Kentucky’s largest city, where a gunman wounded two police officers during anguished protests following the decision not to charge officers for killing Breonna Taylor.
Progressive Aldermen Renew Push to Create Elected Board to Oversee CPD
| Heather Cherone
In the wake of the outcry prompted by a grand jury’s decision not to indict three police officers for their role in the death of Breonna Taylor, the City Council’s Progressive Caucus called for the “creation of complete civilian oversight of the police.”
September 24, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Sept. 24, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Records: Mail Delivery Lags Behind Targets as Election Nears
| Associated Press
Data obtained by The Associated Press shows postal districts are missing by wide margins the Postal Service's goals for on-time delivery, raising the possibility that scores of mailed ballots could miss deadlines for reaching local election offices.
City Extends Dates for Several Farmers Markets to Expand Access to Fresh Food
| Patty Wetli
City-run farmers markets in the Austin, West Humboldt Park and Bronzeville neighborhoods have been extended further into fall in order to expand access to fresh food, officials said.
Spotlight Politics: Chicago Responds to Breonna Taylor Decision
| Marissa Nelson
The Breonna Taylor decision. Chicago’s massive budget shortfall. A Supreme Court battle ahead. Our politics team has the latest on those stories and more in this week’s roundtable.
In Breonna Taylor Case, Limits of Law Overcome Calls for Justice
| Associated Press
“Criminal law is not meant to respond to every sorrow and grief,” Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the first African American elected to the job in Kentucky, told reporters after the grand jury announced its decision on Wednesday.
Police Officers Not Charged For Killing Breonna Taylor
| Associated Press
A Kentucky grand jury on Wednesday brought no charges against Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor during a drug raid gone wrong.
Trump Won’t Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power if He Loses
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump on Wednesday again declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election.
Study: Vitamin D Deficiency May Raise Risk of Getting COVID-19
| Paul Caine
Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine have found an apparent link between vitamin D deficiency and the likelihood of getting COVID-19. Paleontologist Neil Shubin has details on that story and more.
Durbin Warns of Obamacare’s Fate Ahead of Supreme Court Battle
| Evan Garcia
The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – just weeks before the U.S. presidential election – has thrown national politics into a tailspin. Sen. Dick Durbin is bracing for impact.
Lightfoot Calls for Moment of Silence in Chicago to Honor Breonna Taylor
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Chicagoans to observe a moment of silence at 7 p.m. Wednesday to honor Breonna Taylor, hours after a Kentucky grand jury declined to indict three police officers for their role in her death.
Prosecutors: Horse Ridden by ‘Dreadhead Cowboy’ on Dan Ryan May Not Survive
| Matt Masterson
The horse ridden on the Dan Ryan Expressway during an impromptu protest Monday by a man known as the “Dreadhead Cowboy” would not have survived without immediate treatment and may still be euthanized, according to prosecutors.
Halloween, Holidays May Look Different This Year, But There Are Safe Ways to Celebrate
“We are not canceling Halloween,” said Dr. Allison Arwardy, Chicago’s top doctor.
| Kristen Thometz
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines Tuesday to help people understand the potential risks associated with common fall and winter traditions, like trick-or-treating and holiday travel.
Cook County Forest Preserves Has Loads of Fun Planned for National Public Lands Day
| Patty Wetli
Visitors can choose from a slew of free activities at more than a dozen sites Saturday. Among the options, you can take a nature walk, learn the basics of camping, build a toy boat, meet some critters or join a scavenger hunt.
COVID-19 Positivity Rates Declining in Most of State, But Rising in Rockford Area
| Kristen Thometz
Gov. J.B. Pritzker provided an update on the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois on Wednesday, touting the state’s success with testing for the virus — and noting one particular geographic area that’s at risk of tighter restrictions.
6 Chicagoans Infected with West Nile Virus Mark City’s 1st Cases This Year
| Kristen Thometz
Chicago has reported its first cases of West Nile virus this year. Earlier this month, a DuPage County woman became the first known person in Illinois to contract the virus, which is transmitted through mosquito bites.
September 23, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Sept. 23, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Gale Sayers, Bears Hall of Fame Running Back, Dies at 77
| Associated Press
Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet” and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Gale Sayers died Wednesday, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Pot Entrepreneurs Get Another Shot From the State
| Amanda Vinicky
Illinois’ already-delayed marijuana expansion is on pause, but many of the entrepreneurs trying to be part of the industry are hoping that good things will come to those who wait.
House Easily Passes Stopgap Funding Bill, Averting Shutdown
| Associated Press
In a sweeping bipartisan vote that takes a government shutdown off the table, the House passed a temporary government-wide funding bill Tuesday night, shortly after President Donald Trump prevailed in a behind-the-scenes fight over his farm bailout.
What’s It Like to Be a Black Cop in Chicago in 2020? We Ask 3 CPD Officers
| Marissa Nelson
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and other police killings of Black Americans, calls to defund and reform the police have intensified. At the same time, Chicago is grappling with the coronavirus and a drastic increase in shootings.
Senate GOP Lines Up With Trump to Quickly Fill Court Seat
| Associated Press
Votes in hand, Senate Republicans are charging ahead with plans to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat before the Nov. 3 election.
ComEd Announces It Won’t Resume Power Shut-Offs Under Pressure From Lightfoot
| Heather Cherone
Commonwealth Edison announced Tuesday it will not shut off electricity in homes amid the coronavirus and recession — quickly meeting a key condition set by Mayor Lori Lightfoot if the utility giant is to extend its city contract.
City Clarifies Outdoor Dining Guidelines: Fire Pits Are Not Permitted ‘Heaters’
| Patty Wetli
The city’s guidelines for 2020’s unprecedented outdoor fall-to-winter dining season allow for several types of heaters, but fire pits aren’t one of them.
As Summer Turns to Fall, Extreme Weather Wracks US
| Quinn Myers
As Chicago gets ready for cooler weather, many parts of the country are being hit by wildfires, hurricanes and the aftermath of last month’s destructive derecho. We learn more with atmospheric scientist Scott Collis.
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