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Illinois Reports More Than 12,000 New COVID-19 Cases in 24-Hour Period
| WTTW News
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 12,438 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, exceeding by more than 2,000 the previous record for new infections reported in a 24-hour period, which was set Friday.
Harris Becomes First Black Woman, South Asian Elected VP
| Associated Press
Kamala Harris made history Saturday, shattering barriers that have kept men — almost all of them white — entrenched at the highest levels of American politics for more than two centuries.
Illinois Governor Isolates After Possible COVID-19 Exposure
| Associated Press
Gov. J.B. Pritzker self-isolated Friday and was awaiting test results after learning that he may have been exposed to the coronavirus at a meeting earlier this week.
The Week in Review: Biden Inches Toward Victory
| Alexandra Silets
The count continues in the race for Electoral College votes. A congressional race in Illinois is too close to call. Top Democrats want Illinois House Speaker Madigan to step down as party chairman.
Biden on Cusp of Presidency After Gains in Pennsylvania
| Associated Press
Democrat Joe Biden was on the cusp of winning the presidency Friday night after he opened up narrow leads over President Donald Trump in critical battleground states.
Metra Debuts Bike Car This Weekend, Giving New Meaning to ‘Ride the Rails’
| Patty Wetli
The transportation agency’s first-ever Bike Car makes its debut Saturday on the Milwaukee District North Line as part of a pilot program that will run through spring 2021.
IDPH Publishes School-Based COVID-19 Data as Illinois Sets New Record for Cases
Gov. J.B. Pritzker enters isolation after possible exposure to virus
| Matt Masterson
As Illinois saw more than 10,000 new COVID-19 cases Friday, state health officials released new data showing there have been 10 school-based coronavirus outbreaks, while hundreds of schools have faced potential exposures.
Aldermen Skeptical Lightfoot’s Year-Old Public Safety Reorganization Will Work
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to create a new public safety office in an effort to save money by making the city’s law enforcement agencies more efficient has yet to show results — and aldermen are losing patience.
Smash ‘Em, Don’t Trash ‘Em. Keep Pumpkins Out of Landfills at Weekend Composting Events
| Patty Wetli
Pumpkin Smash events are taking place Saturday throughout the Chicago area as part of an effort to keep the hefty Halloween jack-o’-lanterns out of landfills.
Chicago’s Recycling Rate Stuck Between Bad and Terrible: Officials
| Heather Cherone
Between 8% and 9% of the trash produced every year by Chicago residents is kept out of landfills, officials said Friday — acknowledging that the city’s efforts to boost Chicago’s recycling rate remain stalled.
14th District Congressional Race Still Too Close to Call
Oberweis Claims Victory; Underwood Confident She’ll Win
| Amanda Vinicky
Republican Jim Oberweis believes there aren’t enough ballots outstanding that would allow incumbent Democrat Lauren Underwood to overtake his slim lead in Illinois' 14th Congressional district.
Back Off, COVID Grinch. Chicago Has an Official Christmas Tree
| Patty Wetli
The holidays are shaping up to be quite different in 2020, but Chicago is still officially putting on a festive face.
What Role Will Polling Play in the Next Election?
| Blair Paddock
A landslide from Joe Biden was predicted, but that has not been the case. How are pollsters justifying the continued use of polls?
Veteran Journalist Carol Marin Retires From Broadcast News, ‘Chicago Tonight’
| Marissa Nelson
After a decadeslong career, Carol Marin is retiring from TV news. “I love what I do,” Marin said Thursday. “I wanna leave when I think the work is still a proud example of decent journalism.”
‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Geneva
| Nick Blumberg
West suburban Geneva has been under tightened coronavirus mitigations for nearly two weeks, with some business complying with the rules and others defying them, including serving diners indoors.
Trump Tweets His Outrage in All Caps as Votes Are Counted
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump spent a second day in the White House on Thursday stewing over election results that suggested a path to victory was slipping from his grasp, even as his campaign projected confidence.
Biden-Trump Counting Presses Ahead 2 Days After Election Day
| Associated Press
Joe Biden’s victories in Michigan and Wisconsin put him in a commanding position, but President Trump showed no sign of giving up. It could take several more days for the vote count to conclude and a clear winner emerge.
Pritzker Says Madigan Needs to Go as Head of Illinois Dems
| Matt Masterson
“The Republicans, and the billionaires who sided with them, were effectively able to use the speaker as their foil and that hurt our ability, our state’s ability to get things done,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday.
COVID-19 Cases Reach All-Time High in Chicago: Officials
| Heather Cherone
“If we don't slow this down, and soon, we will have hundreds of thousands of new COVID cases by the end of the year in Chicago,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Lightfoot: Use $10M in Federal Funds To Help Restaurants, Bars Threatened by COVID-19
| Heather Cherone
Struggling restaurants and bars would be able to apply for $10,000 grants from the city under the plan Mayor Lightfoot unveiled at a Thursday afternoon news conference.
Illinois Reaches Grim Milestone, Tops 10,000 COVID-19 Deaths
| Matt Masterson
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 9,935 new cases of COVID-19, a single-day record, and 97 deaths. In Illinois, 10,030 have now died as a result of the virus.
City Official: No Funding for Taste of Chicago, Air and Water Show in 2021
| Patty Wetli
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated Chicago’s cultural landscape, and that pain is likely to continue into 2021, Mark Kelly, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said during Thursday’s budget hearings.
Fed Signals Readiness to Do More for Economy as Virus Rages
| Associated Press
The Fed announced no new actions after its latest policy meeting but left the door open to provide further assistance in the coming months.
Biden Pushes Closer to Victory in Race For the White House
| Associated Press
With just a handful of states still up for grabs, President Donald Trump tried to press his case in court in some key swing states. But it was unclear if any legal maneuvering over balloting would succeed in shifting the race in his favor.
November ‘Heat Wave’ Brings Record High Temps to Chicago
| Patty Wetli
Chicago tied a record Wednesday for high temperature when the mercury hit 74 degrees at O’Hare Airport, and more records could fall in the coming days.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson Signs Executive Order Designed to Protect Residents if Trump Sends National Guard, ICE Strike Team to Chicago
Chicago Faces $1.15B Budget Shortfall in 2026, $146M Gap in 2025: Johnson
Eight People Killed by Gunfire Over Labor Day Weekend in Chicago: Police
Chicago Spent $231.2M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits in 7 Months, Nearly Triple Year’s Budget: Records
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