Illinois state Sen. Scott Bennett, a Democrat who represented Champaign and surrounding areas in central Illinois, died Friday from complications of a brain tumor.
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Feds Pour Big Money Into Coastal Restoration Projects, and Chicago’s Hegewisch Marsh Comes Out a Winner
The federal government has just announced its most significant investment to date in nature-based projects aimed at creating "climate-ready" coastlines, and Chicago is among the communities that will benefit from this latest round of funding.
Kim Foxx Unveils New Search Warrant Policy For State's Attorney’s Office
Cook County prosecutors are enacting new changes to an existing search warrant policy this month, with an aim at improving communication and accountability while eliminating mistaken raids at incorrect locations.
Lincoln Park Zoo Is on Lion Watch, New Cub Due in January
"A birth represents preservation of a species that has faced many challenges in the wild,” said Mike Murray, curator of mammals and animal behavioral husbandry.
Kanye West’s Honorary Doctorate Rescinded by Prestigious Chicago Art College
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has revoked an honorary doctorate awarded to Kanye West, as the fallout from the rapper’s offensive remarks about Black and Jewish people continues.
Brittney Griner Back Home in US After Russian Prisoner Swap
“So happy to have Brittney back on U.S. soil. Welcome home BG!” tweeted Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
This Week in Nature: Winter Olympics a Climate Casualty? Wildlife’s Answer to Elf on a Shelf, and Some Resilient Area Eagles
It’s been another wild week on the nature beat. The United Nations’ biodiversity conference kicked off Tuesday in Montreal with the UN Secretary-General calling humanity a “weapon of mass extinction.” Nowhere to go but up from there.
‘Chicago Tonight’ In Your Neighborhood: Holiday Happenings in North Lawndale
Poverty and violence are part of the West Side community area’s story. But community members say there’s much more to it, and residents are making new traditions.
Push to Use Downtown Property Taxes to Fund Far South Side Red Line Extension Faces Key Vote
The city must match an expected federal grant of $2.16 billion before the first track can be laid — but it is not clear whether the City Council will give the project signal clearance.
Inner-City Muslim Action Network Opens New Art Gallery, Ceramics Studio
The Inner-City Muslim Action Network, or IMAN, is celebrating 25 years of commitment to community with a new art gallery and ceramics studio.
Calls to Remove Trump Tower Sign Pick Back Up As Investigations Continue
Few things have stirred as much architectural controversy in recent years as the “TRUMP” sign on the Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Chicago.
Dec. 8, 2022 - Full Show
Christmas in North Lawndale for our In Your Neighborhood series. A sit-down with U.S. Attorney John Lausch. Calls to remove the “Trump” from Trump Tower. And a longtime Chicago journalist turns the page.
U.S. Attorney John Lausch on Recent Convictions, Gang Cases and Political Corruption: ‘Always Open For Business’
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch on the high-profile cases his office is currently working through.
After Sun-Times Retirement, Longtime Journalist Maudlyne Ihejirika Reflects on Her Career in Chicago
A longtime Chicago journalist just stepped away from her job after 30 years of covering crime, politics, education and urban affairs.
CPS After-School Dance Club Instructor Charged With Sexually Abusing 2 Boys
Bryon Ortega, 19, was charged this week with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault and two child pornography-related charges after he allegedly abused two high school students.
Spurred by Death of 3-Year-Old, Key City Panel Advances Plan to Step Up Bike Lane Enforcement
The City Council’s Transportation Committee advanced the measure six months after 3-year-old Lily Shambrook died while riding in a carrier on her mother’s bicycle.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Dec. 9-11
Tons of toys, holiday markets, seasonal concerts and a photography exhibit usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.
Schumer Reelected Senate Leader After Democrats Expand Majority; Durbin Retains No. 2 Spot
Senate Democrats met behind closed doors at the Capitol to choose their leadership team for the new Congress that begins in January. The session was quick and upbeat, with no challengers.
WNBA Star Griner Freed in Swap for Russian Arms Dealer Bout
“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” President Biden said from the White House, where he was accompanied by Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and administration officials.
Bill Protecting Same-Sex, Interracial Unions Clears Congress
President Joe Biden is expected to promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, a relief for hundreds of thousands of couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized those marriages nationwide.
FDA Clears Updated COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under Age 5
The Food and Drug Administration’s decision aims to better protect the littlest kids from severe COVID-19 at a time when children’s hospitals already are packed with tots suffering from a variety of respiratory illnesses.
Scrap Plans for New Chicago Gang Database, Interim Police Oversight Board Urges
The dispute over the future of the gang database represents the first clash between the Police Department’s leaders and the commission made up of Chicagoans given the authority to set policy for the department in an attempt to restore trust in its operations.
Popular Photo App Lensa Spurs Debate Over Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Art
Users can submit photos of themselves that the app will use to generate multiple self-portraits in different art styles using artificial intelligence technology. But the trend has also reignited concerns about the ethics regarding the use of artificial intelligence in art.
While a Black-Owned Cannabis Dispensary Opens in Chicago, Critics Say State’s Equity Work Still Falling Short
The lag time for shops to open raises the question of whether Illinois has followed through on its pledge to use legal marijuana to lift communities and people who were previously punished by anti-cannabis laws.
Dec. 7, 2022 - Full Show
The governor quietly signs the new SAFE-T Act. Where things stand on new pot licenses. The brave new world of AI art. And a South Side comedian readies for his headlining debut at the Chicago Theatre.
Renowned Conductor Dalia Stasevska to Lead CSO in Three Performances
Dalia Stasevska has loved music since she was a child. She is carrying on that passion with three Chicago Symphony Orchestra performances.
