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(WTTW News)

All Chicago Library Branches Open Sunday Afternoons For 1st Time Since 2011

Some Chicago Public Library branches added Sunday afternoon hours beginning in December 2019 after Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposed — and the Chicago City Council approved — an $18 million property tax hike as part of the city’s 2020 budget to fund the expansion.

(WTTW News)

No Bail For Chicago Man Charged With Attempted Murder of 4-Month-Old Son

A 26-year-old father allegedly shook and beat his infant child to the point where the boy suffered injuries consistent with a car crash and will require medical care for the rest of his life, prosecutors claimed.

(WTTW News)

Trio of Mass Vaccination Sites to Open Sunday in Cook County

Cook County and state officials are hosting a one-day mass vaccination clinic at three suburban locations for all eligible residents.

Katie Lucey administers a COVID-19 test on her son Maguire at a PCR and Rapid Antigen COVID-19 coronavirus test pop up on Wall Street in New York on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. (AP Photo / Ted Shaffrey)

CDC Endorses Schools’ Coronavirus ‘Test-to-Stay’ Policies

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to more firmly embrace the approach, already used by many school districts, after research of such policies in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas found COVID-19 infections did not increase when using the approach.

A member of the Philadelphia Fire Department prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site setup in Philadelphia, on March 26, 2021. (AP Photo / Matt Rourke, File)

CDC Recommends Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 Shots Over J&J’s

Most Americans should be given the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead of the Johnson & Johnson shot that can cause rare but serious blood clots, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

A Chicago artist has returned home to make her Broadway debut in a classic romantic comedy-turned-musical.  (WTTW News)

Chicago Artist Returns Home for Broadway Debut in ‘Pretty Woman’ Musical

A Chicago artist has returned home to make her Broadway debut in a classic romantic comedy-turned-musical. Arts Correspondent Angel Idowu introduces us to a performer who tells us how she made it from the classroom to the stage. 

(WTTW News)

December 16, 2021 - Full Show

Chicago’s would-be casino developers show us their cards. Utility giants selling sensitive information to immigration officials. We’re in Grand Boulevard. And a preview of the Bears game.

Located on Chicago’s South Side, the Grand Boulevard community is home to several historic institutions. (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Grand Boulevard

The area includes part of the Bronzeville neighborhood. And it has a rich history, from its churches to its hospital. We spoke with community leaders about that and efforts to bring people together this holiday season.

(WTTW News graphic)

Bears Lose All Three Coordinators to COVID Protocols Ahead of Monday Night Clash with Vikings

Rumors are swirling around the future of the Bears organization as big changes loom. Meanwhile, the team has to contend with all three coordinators possibly missing Monday night's game at home against the Minnesota Vikings due to COVID-19.

Utility giants have agreed to stop selling sensitive information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among other law enforcement agencies. (Steve Buissinne / Pixabay)

Utility Giants Agree to Stop Selling Data to ICE But Some Loopholes Remain

For years, companies have sold data from cable, phone and power bills -- including names, home addresses and more.

At the height of the holiday season, retail stores in Chicago and across the country are experiencing a rash of thefts. (WTTW News)

Multiple Downtown Stores Hit With Retail Theft Crimes

Multiple in-store thefts have been reported recently on the Magnificent Mile amounting to millions of dollars in stolen merchandise. But retailers say it’s not just about lost revenue — it’s about safety — and they’re calling for city officials to put more protections in place for businesses.

(WTTW News Graphic)

Chicago Casino Developers Show Their Cards

At an hourslong hearing Thursday, the public got a look at what a Chicago casino might look like and where it would go.

(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexxis Pons Abascal)

Biden Calls for Chicago’s Lead Pipes to be Removed Within 10 Years, As Slow Roll Out Continues in Chicago

The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill includes $15 billion to fund lead service replacement efforts, and $3 billion will flow to states and cities in 2022, officials announced.

(WTTW News)

Illinois Records Nearly 12,000 COVID-19 Cases in a Day

The number of new COVID-19 infections reported Thursday – 11,858 – is the highest total reported in a 24-hour period in all of 2021, according to data from state health officials.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Vaccine Mandate Upheld for Most City Employees, Firefighters

The ruling gives the unions’ employees until Dec. 31 to get their first shot of one of the three approved COVID-19 vaccines, and until Jan. 31 to get the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer BioNtech vaccines.

(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)

Can Your Pet Get COVID-19?

Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, otters, hyenas and white-tailed deer are among the animals that have tested positive, in most cases after contracting it from infected people.

The spike of an agave plant at Garfield Park Conservatory is just beginning to emerge, and should reach 6 feet. This is the beginning phase of the plant's first, and last, bloom. (Courtesy of Garfield Park Conservatory)

It’s ‘Agave Watch’ Time at Garfield Park Conservatory as Plant Begins Its Death Bloom

Visitors to the Garfield Park Conservatory have a rare and exciting opportunity to witness a plant in its spectacular death bloom as an agave prepares to flower for its first and last time.

Students at Chicago Public Schools walk along a hallway in this file photo. (WTTW News)

Chicago’s Top Doc ‘Confident’ CPS Won’t Return to Remote Learning Citywide

“We’re gonna have to see what happens with omicron, but I do not expect that we will be making plans to move entirely remotely and certainly not for extended periods, even if that were a thing,” Dr. Allison Arwady said Thursday.

Anjanette Young and her attorney Keenan Saulter speak outside the James R. Thompson Center on June 16, 2021. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)

Retired Judge Picked by Mayor to Probe Botched Raid Finds No Wrongdoing by Lightfoot

Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not purposefully conceal information about the handling of the February 2019 raid that left Anjanette Young handcuffed while naked and pleading for help, according to the results of a probe ordered by the mayor released Thursday.

Steve Easterbrook, President & CEO of McDonald's, speaks during an event in McDonald's Chicago flagship restaurant Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. (AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh, File)

Ousted McDonald’s CEO Returns $105M After Misconduct

“During my tenure as CEO, I failed at times to uphold McDonald’s values and fulfill certain of my responsibilities as a leader of the company,” Steve Easterbrook said in a prepared statement issued Thursday by McDonald’s. 

Numerous Chicagoans woke up to scenes of downed tree limbs like this one in Lincoln Square after strong winds blew through the region. Dec. 16, 2021. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

How Wild Was the Weather? 74-MPH Winds, Record High Temps and Smoke Blowing in From Kansas

Wednesday saw record high temperatures across the region, wind gusts above 60 miles per hour and even the smell of smoke, which rode in on winds all the way from brush fires in Kansas.

The names of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, left, are displayed on the Stanley Cup in the lobby of the United Center during an NHL hockey news conference on June 11, 2013 in Chicago. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

Chicago Blackhawks Settle Lawsuit With Kyle Beach

The confidential settlement was announced after the sides met Wednesday with a mediator for the first time. 

(Credit: Jonathan Michael Castillo)

Photographer Tells Story of Immigration Through Lens of Small Business Owners

Many immigrants dream of owning and operating a small business. A Chicago-based photographer has a personal understanding of immigration, and he has spent years documenting small businesses. He calls his project “Immigrant Owned,” and it’s about to be expanded in a big way.

(WTTW News)

December 15, 2021 - Full Show

A dramatic day at City Council. The latest from City Hall. Our Spotlight politics team breaks it all down. We’re learning more about the omicron variant. And a new effort to reduce opioid overdoses.

A new effort is underway to help reduce the number of overdoses in Chicago— by distributing fentanyl test strips. (Courtesy Cook County Department of Public Health)

Chicago Public Health Department Distributing Fentanyl Tests

The city’s public health department has been distributing the tests since October to try and reduce the number of deaths due to the drug. The city has distributed somewhere between 14-1500 kits.

“This was so terrifying to me that two years later, I'm still dealing with it,” Anjanette Young said during a press conference Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. (WTTW News)

Chicago to Pay $2.9M to Anjanette Young To Settle Botched Raid Lawsuit

The Chicago City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $2.9 million to resolve the lawsuit brought by Anjanette Young after police officers handcuffed her while she was naked and ignored her pleas for help during a botched raid in February 2019.