Stories by WTTW News

Watch the March 10, 2021 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

A new program in Chicago will offer minority-owned firms that have city contracts access to financing from the federal government as part of the city’s effort to help businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Will two massive summer events take place this year amid an accelerated rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine — and the possible end to the pandemic? Or can Chicagoans expect another round of “re-imagined festivals” in 2021, with virtual concerts replacing in-person events?

Kyle Rittenhouse’s trial was scheduled to begin March 29, but both sides told a judge that they needed more time to prepare. Kenosha County Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder set a Nov. 1 trial start date, with a May 17 status hearing.

Michelle Obama is knitting and thinking about retiring from public life. The former first lady says in a new People magazine interview that she picked up knitting needles to pass time during the coronavirus pandemic. And now she’s hooked.

Batten down the hatches, or at least secure lightweight objects outdoors. There’s a wind advisory in effect Wednesday.

Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials.

The Illinois Tollway last month announced that it would no longer accept cash tolls, making permanent a change it rolled out early in the pandemic. But does a cashless society leave some people out?

A new report says anti-Asian hate crimes in 16 of America’s largest cities increased by 149% in 2020 compared to the previous year. We hear about local efforts to combat intolerance.

As the latest federal pandemic relief package makes its way to President Joe Biden’s desk, Americans may be wondering when the benefits will reach them. The $1.9 trillion known as the “American Rescue Plan” is massive. Here’s you need to know.

Before he was sentenced Tuesday afternoon, Jovan Battle asked for forgiveness and apologized to the family of 23-year-old Officer John Rivera, who was shot and killed inside his car following a night out with friends in the River North area in March 2019.

Watch the March 9, 2021 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Tuesday’s weather was one for the record books, with the mercury at O’Hare hitting 69 degrees, tying the highest temperature for March 9 set back in 1974, according to the National Weather Service. 

Frustrated that the mayor and City Council have yet to back a plan to create an independent commission to redraw the boundaries of Chicago’s 50 wards, a coalition of groups determined to change the way Illinois’ legislative boundaries are drawn announced they would take matters into their own hands.

As he settles into his role as one of the fiercest Republican critics of former President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger is embracing the political risks he’s facing by openly confronting Trump and his loyal base of supporters. It’s the latest front in the simmering GOP civil war that threatens to divide the party.

The legal wrangling over the Obama Presidential Center’s construction in Jackson Park is far from over, opponents say. Meanwhile, the Obama Foundation has just revealed a new architectural detail about the center’s tower.

As the spread of COVID-19 sparked restrictions and closures across the U.S. a year ago, organizations serving the homeless were forced to balance their work with the goal of keeping staff members safe. Here’s how some Chicago providers have handled the pandemic — and how they’re dealing with the latest set of challenges.

Visitors to Chicago from 26 states and Puerto Rico no longer have to quarantine for 10 days or record a negative test for COVID-19, according to the city’s travel order, updated on Tuesday.

Potential jurors must show they can set aside their opinions on the case and view the evidence fairly in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death.

Did a local attorney speak with the two brothers allegedly hired by Jussie Smollett to carry out a hoax hate crime against him two years ago? The answer could determine who represents the former “Empire” star at his criminal trial.

Even as the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered Tuesday morning at the United Center, confusion swirled over how many appointments remained available, who was eligible for those slots and when they would open for thousands desperate for the life-saving shot.

Roughly 4 in 10 Americans say they’re still feeling the financial impact of the loss of a job or income within their household as the economic recovery remains uneven one year into the coronavirus pandemic. 

The average commuter in the Chicago metro area spent 86 hours in traffic last year — that’s nearly four days — according to a new report from INRIX, a global mobility analytics company.

House Democrats passed sweeping voting and ethics legislation over unanimous Republican opposition, advancing to the Senate what would be the largest overhaul of the U.S. election law in at least a generation.

The work of the beloved children’s author is at the center of a controversy over racist and stereotypical depictions. Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which manages the author’s legacy, announced that six books would no longer be published because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

Women have lost more than five million jobs since February 2020, according to the National Women’s Law Center. Over the past year, women have borne the brunt of the employment fallout — and that effect has been even more acute among women of color.