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TikTok’s Algorithm Will Be Controlled by Oracle in the US After Trump-Backed Deal is Completed
| CNN
If completed, the deal will transfer control of TikTok’s U.S. operations to a new joint venture based in the United States, with majority American investors and run by a majority American board of directors, the official said.
ICE Denies Using Excessive Force as Agency Broadens Immigration Arrests in Chicago Area
| Associated Press
Across the city and surrounding suburbs, other teams were fanning out in support of “Operation Midway Blitz.” It has unleashed President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda on a city and state that has had some of the strongest laws preventing local officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement.
Week in Review: Kimmel Suspension Sparks Free Speech Debate; Tear Gas Used Against Broadview Protesters
| Paul Caine
An escalating row over free speech after the suspension of late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. And tear gas is deployed against protesters outside an ICE facility in Broadview.
ICE Arrests Nearly 550 in Chicago Area as Part of ‘Midway Blitz,’ Officials Say
| Associated Press
ICE launched its Chicago area operation dubbed “Midway Blitz” on Sept. 8, drawing concern from activists and immigrant communities who say there’s been a noticeable uptick in immigration enforcement agents.
Chicago Man Accused of Killing 2 Israeli Embassy Staffers Was Wearing Body Camera, Prosecutors Say
| Associated Press
Elias Rodriguez shouted “Free Palestine” during the shooting and then went inside the museum and said, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,” according to court documents.
Nuclear Power, Battery Storage Funding at Center of Energy Policy Debate in Illinois
| Andrew Adams — Capitol News Illinois
After twice failing to pass an energy reform package this year, lawmakers and renewable energy advocates are aiming to reach a deal in time for a brief legislative session in October.
Kennedy’s Vaccine Advisers Decline to Recommend COVID-19 Shot for All Americans
| Associated Press
In a series of votes, advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t specifically recommend vaccination but said people could make individual decisions.
Stewardship Programs Get Boost From Nearly $1M in Illinois DNR Grants
| Patty Wetli
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced nearly $1 million in grants to support stewardship activities in natural areas across the state. Organizations in Cook, Lake and McHenry counties were among the recipients.
Sale of Illinois Newspapers Puts New State Law to the Test
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
The law requires Illinois media companies to provide the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, local county government, the company’s employees and any Illinois nonprofit that might be interested in buying the business with 120 days’ notice before the sale happens.
‘Harder Than Losing in Basketball’: NBA Legend Derrick Rose on His Chess Obsession and How It Could Save Lives
| CNN
On the face of it, playing chess and competing in the NBA couldn’t be farther apart. But it seems there is more that links the two sports than initially meets the eye — just ask NBA legend Derrick Rose.
Man Pulled Over by the Same CPD Officers Who Stopped, Shot Dexter Reed Sues the City
| Heather Cherone
“It could have been me in the exact same way,” Shunza Walker, 41, told WTTW News.
Sept. 18, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Attempts to end temporary protected status creates uncertainty for local Venezuelans. And for the first time in nearly 100 years, there’s an open swimming event in the Chicago River.
First Chicago River Swim in Nearly 100 Years Set for This Weekend
| Blake Thor
The Chicago River Swim is an open water swim event organized by Douglas McConnell, the co-founder of A Long River Swim, which organizes open water swimming events to raise awareness and funds in the fight against ALS.
Uncertainty for Chicago’s Venezuelan Community as Trump Administration Seeks to End Temporary Protected Status
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
Tens of thousands of Chicago-area Venezuelans are in legal limbo as the Trump administration attempts to end temporary protected status. These deportation protections were granted to Venezuelans in 2021 and 2023, and were originally set to expire in October 2026.
As Immigration Arrests Spike in Chicago, Activists Escalate Tactics to Fight Back
| Associated Press
The Trump administration has singled out Chicago as its latest mark for immigration enforcement, using traffic stops in immigrant-heavy areas and targeting day laborers outside hardware stores.
Chicago International Film Festival’s Lineup is Out. Here Are the Local Filmmakers Being Featured
| Eunice Alpasan
The world premiere of filmmaker Kevin Shaw’s “One Golden Summer,” a documentary that revisits the trials and tribulations of the Jackie Robinson West Little League, opens up this year’s Chicago International Film Festival.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension is the Latest Display of Donald Trump’s Growing Power Over the Media Landscape
| Associated Press
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Great Britain on Thursday, Trump said federal regulators should consider revoking broadcast licenses for networks that “give me only bad publicity.”
Illinois AG Joins Lawsuit Accusing Ticketmaster of Illegal Ticket Resale Tactics
| Matt Masterson
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Thursday announced the lawsuit, which claims Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation have worked with scalpers to inflate ticket prices on the secondary market, costing fans millions of dollars every year.
Chicago Spent $119.7M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, 20% More Than Its Annual Overtime Budget: Watchdog
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago Police Department spent approximately 7% less on overtime during the first six months of 2025 than it did during the same period in 2024, records show.
From Film Festivals to a Ukrainian Band, Here Are 6 Arts Picks for the Weekend
| Marc Vitali
Summer is nearly gone with the wind. Thankfully, all’s fair in fall with a harvest of arts and culture, so indulge yourself in the abundance that we have in this great city.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Sept. 17, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Officials call out immigration agents amid ramped-up enforcement. And how a proposal to close the city’s budget gap could impact your property taxes.
Minority-Serving Colleges in the Chicago Area Push Back Against Federal Funding Cuts
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
The U.S. Department of Education is cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to universities serving predominantly students of color — known as minority-serving institutions.
ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel’s Show ‘Indefinitely’ After Remarks About Charlie Kirk’s Death
| CNN
Disney’s ABC is taking Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show off the air indefinitely amid a controversy over his recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer.
Budget Task Force Report Proves Chicago ‘Has a Revenue Problem, Not a Spending Problem,’ Johnson Says
| Heather Cherone
“We don’t have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday. “That’s why my budget is going to challenge the ultra-rich to pay their fair share in taxes.”
Vehicle Emissions Testing Self-Service Kiosk Launches at Chicago South DMV
| Eunice Alpasan
After passing an emissions test, motorists can purchase their vehicle registration sticker at the DMV’s annex building without having to pay the additional $9.50 charged by outside vendors, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.
Feds Threaten to Withhold CPS Grant Funds Due to Black Student Success Plan, Transgender Student Guidelines
| Matt Masterson
Federal education authorities have threatened to withhold grant money from Chicago Public Schools unless the district agrees to do away with its Black Student Success Plan and revises policies regarding transgender students.
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