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(WTTW News)

No Bail for Man Charged in Brazen ‘Execution’ of Woom Sing Tse in Chinatown

Alphonso Joyner, 23, was ordered held without bail during a court hearing Thursday following his arrest on charges including first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon stemming from the brazen killing of 71-year-old Woom Sing Tse.

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

Aldermen Set to Consider Settling Lawsuit Filed by Anjanette Young Over Botched Raid

The agenda for the meeting of the City Council’s Finance Committee set for 10 a.m. Monday does not identify the amount the city would pay Anjanette Young and her attorneys to resolve the case, an indication that a final agreement is close, but is not yet final, sources told WTTW News.

Bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. (USDA Forest Service)

Tyson the Bison Is on the Lam in Lake County, How Long Will She Roam?

Bison once roamed Illinois’ tallgrass prairies in some of the largest herds east of the Mississippi, but they’re so rare in these parts today, a single escapee from a Lake County farm is creating a social media stir.

(WTTW News)

December 9, 2021 - Full Show

Live from South Shore. In-stadium sports betting debate. A top Biden administration official on the latest with COVID. Justin Fields returns to take on the Packers. And WFMT celebrates a milestone.

The state’s gaming commission chose which developers will be allowed to build new suburban casinos — and where. This comes nearly two-and-a-half years after the state’s gambling expansion law passed. (WTTW News)

Illinois Gambling Revenue Tops $1 Billion

All bets are in. The state’s gaming commission chose which developers will be allowed to build new suburban casinos — and where. This comes nearly two-and-a-half years after the state’s gambling expansion law passed.

A public health advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office details how the pandemic has disrupted the lives of children, teens and young adults — causing them to inherit anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. (WTTW News)

US Surgeon General Warns Parents of National Youth Mental Health Crisis

A public health advisory from the U.S. surgeon general’s office details how the pandemic has disrupted the lives of children, teens and young adults, causing them anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

(WTTW News)

December 8, 2021 - Full Show

Which suburbs are betting on casinos, plus the odds on sports betting at stadiums in Spotlight Politics. A mental health crisis for young people. And the holiday season is here for small businesses.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot gambles on a 2% Chicago sports betting tax, but some aldermen aren’t playing.  (WTTW News)

Spotlight Politics: Sports Wagering Tax, Casinos Coming to Town

Sports betting, casinos, and COVID-19 bills in Springfield. Our politics team weighs in on that and more.

An aerial shot of the newly constructed Southside Recycling, 11600 S. Burley Ave. (Courtesy of Reserve Management Group)

Controversy Over Permit for Facility on Southeast Side

Citing investigations from the Environmental Protection Agency, local residents and activists say their neighborhood cannot withstand the pollution they believe the new Southside Recycling facility will bring.

Some small business owners say they hope the holiday season will provide a much-needed boost to revenue as retailers large and small face supply chain issues and inflation more than a year and a half into the pandemic. (WTTW News)

Chicago Small Businesses Deal With Supply Chain Issues, COVID Economic Impact

The holiday shopping season is underway and U.S. sales are on track to surpass spending records. Some small business owners say they hope the season will provide a much-needed boost to revenue as retailers large and small face supply chain issues and inflation more than a year and a half into the pandemic.

Actor Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, day seven of his trial in Chicago. (AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast)

Jussie Smollett Case in Jurors’ Hands at Chicago Trial

The deliberations began after a roughly one-week trial in which two brothers testified that Jussie Smollett recruited them to fake the attack near his home in downtown Chicago in January 2019.

Amazon drivers wait next to a Crunch Time station as their logistics systems is offline at the Amazon Delivery Station in Rosemead, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.  (AP Photo / Damian Dovarganes)

Explainer: What Caused Amazon’s Outage? Will There be More?

A major outage in Amazon’s cloud computing network Tuesday severely disrupted services at a wide range of U.S. companies for hours, raising questions about the vulnerability of the internet and its concentration in the hands of a few firms.

Leanna Arcila, 7, is licked by Watson, a therapy dog with the Pawtucket police department, as she receives her COVID-19 vaccination from Dr. Eugenio Fernandez at Nathanael Greene Elementary School in Pawtucket, R.I., Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.  (AP Photo / David Goldman)

COVID Cases Spike Even as US Hits 200M Vaccine Milestone

New cases in the U.S. climbed from an average of nearly 95,000 a day on Nov. 22 to almost 119,000 a day this week, and hospitalizations are up 25% from a month ago. 

Dr. Manjul Shukla transfers Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe, Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, at a mobile vaccination clinic in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo / Steven Senne, File)

Pfizer Says COVID Booster Offers Protection Against Omicron

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said that while two doses may not be protective enough to prevent infection, lab tests showed a booster increased by 25-fold people’s levels of virus-fighting antibodies. 

(WTTW News)

Man Charged in Fatal Chatham Shooting Following Fight

Charleston Harris, 37, was ordered held without bail Wednesday following his arrest on a single count of first-degree murder stemming from the fatal July shooting of 44-year-old Theodore Smith.

(Pexels / Madison Inouye)

Has Chicago Ever Gone a Year Without Snow? We’re Getting Close

It’s been 268 days, and counting, since Chicago recorded its last measurable snow. The record of 290 days is within reach.

Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo attendees dressed up as characters from “Game of Thrones” at 2020’s event. (C2E2 / Facebook)

10 Things to Do This Weekend: Dec. 9-12

Superheroes and villains, a reimagined “Nutcracker,” vision boards and holiday plays usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is shown during his talks with U.S. President Joe Biden via videoconference in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Biden, Putin Square Off as Tension Grows on Ukraine Border

With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on the Ukraine border, the highly anticipated call between the two leaders came amid growing worries by the U.S. and Western allies about Russia’s threat to its neighbor.

(WTTW News)

City Investing $1 Billion in Affordable Housing Projects

“We envision a city where every resident, no matter age, income, identity, ability, has the opportunities and the resources to lead comfortable lives in the communities they call home,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday.

(RJA1988 / Pixabay)

Second Holiday Season With COVID-19: How Religious Leaders Are Celebrating

This time last year, many people celebrated the holidays virtually, as the COVID-19 vaccine was not yet widely available. But this year, the faithful can plan some in-person gatherings to celebrate the holidays.

New Book Argues Focus on Profit and Lax Oversight Led to Deadly Boeing Crashes

Boeing’s former CEO defended the company’s safety record after a pair of deadly crashes, and implied some of the blame lay with insufficiently trained pilots. But a new book argues changes in corporate culture and government oversight led Boeing to prioritize profit over safety.

(WTTW News)

Competing COVID-19 Vaccine Bills Proposed in Illinois

One bill would require all unvaccinated individuals who are hospitalized or need other medical treatment because of COVID-19 to pay any related costs out of pocket. The other would forbid discrimination against anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated out of religious or personal beliefs.

(WTTW News)

Sun-Times, BGA Report Reveals Costly Toll of ‘Dead-End’ Drug Arrests

An analysis of 280,000 drug possession cases between 2000 and 2018 revealed about half of those cases were dismissed. In 2018, such dismissals rose to 72% of cases, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times and Better Government Association.

(WTTW News)

Omicron Variant Detected in Chicago, Officials Announce

The omicron variant of COVID-19, which is believed to be highly transmissible, has been detected in Chicago, state and city health officials announced Tuesday. 

Cordelia Dewdney as Kit in “Mr. Dickens’ Hat.” (Photo by Michael Brosilow)

A Tip of the Hat to ‘Mr. Dickens’ Hat’ and Its Beguiling Twist on Charles Dickens’ Legacy

Every performer in this demanding show is multitalented and able to deftly shift from one character and mood to another in record time. 

(WTTW News)

Alexa, When Will the Amazon Outage End? Cloud Computing Woes Bring Services, Apps to a Halt

Amazon’s cloud computing technology experienced major technical difficulties Tuesday, and brought half the world to a halt — or at least it felt that way to clients and consumers reliant on applications or services such as Alexa, Amazon Prime Video, Ring and Canvas.