Stories by Marissa Nelson

The Week in Review: Republicans Prepare for Supreme Court Nomination

A Supreme Court confirmation battle rages. President Trump won’t commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose. Chicago reacts to the Breonna Taylor decision, and Bears fans mourn the death of the legendary Gale Sayers.

Ginsburg Makes History at Capitol Amid Replacement Turmoil

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state Friday at the U.S. Capitol as the first woman ever so honored, making history again as she had throughout her extraordinary life.

Family Demands Release of Evidence in Breonna Taylor’s Case

Breonna Taylor’s family demanded Friday that Kentucky authorities release all body camera footage, police files and the transcripts of the grand jury hearings that led to no charges against police officers who killed Taylor.

Aldermen Press Officials to Use Reserves to Fill Massive Budget Shortfall

Several aldermen on Friday urged Chicago’s chief financial officer to dip into the city’s $900 million savings account to wipe out the massive budget shortfall caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Judge Says 2020 Census Must Continue for Another Month

A federal judge has stopped the 2020 census from finishing at month’s end and suspended a year-end deadline for delivering the numbers needed to decide how many seats each state gets in Congress.

Chicago Police Announce Arrests From Operation Targeting Mid-Level Drug Traffickers

Superintendent David Brown said the charges came as part of “Operation Split Corners,” a three-month Chicago Police Department undertaking in the 15th (Austin) and 25th (Grand Central) Districts.

Illinois Records 2,500 New Coronavirus Cases as Infection Total Continues to Climb

State health officials also reported 25 coronavirus-related deaths, including seven in Cook County.

Teen Charged in Kenosha Shootings Fights Extradition

Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Friday fought his return to Wisconsin to face homicide charges that could put him in prison for life.

Ald. Cardenas: Inspector General Found I Took Improper Campaign Contributions

Ald. George Cardenas (12th Ward) told WTTW News that Inspector General Joseph Ferguson determined he had accepted improper campaign contributions, and he planned to return the funds.

Bears Undefeated But Questions Remain After 1st Two Games

The Bears are 2-0 but they barely beat the Giants last week after dominating the first half. What do the Bears need to remain undefeated?

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Little Village

Little Village on Chicago’s Southwest Side is known for its rich Mexican culture. But some residents and business owners fear a neighborhood staple could be in danger.

Chicago Portrait: Kweli Kwaza

Each Chicago neighborhood is built of out blocks. Those blocks are the bricks of the community, and the mortar is often the president of blocks. Kweli Kwaza is one of those presidents and heads a network of block clubs on the South Side.  

‘Unfathomable’: US Death Toll From Coronavirus Hits 200,000

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus topped 200,000 Tuesday, hitting the once-unimaginable threshold six weeks before an election that is certain to be a referendum in part on President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis.

Democrats to Redraft Virus Relief in Bid to Jump-start Talks

House Democrats are going back to the drawing board on a huge COVID-19 relief bill, paring back the measure in an attempt to jump-start negotiations with the Trump administration. 

Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan: ‘We Gotta Do Away with the Death Penalty’

Former Gov. George Ryan expounds on the death penalty in a new book with co-author Maurice Possley titled, “Until I Could Be Sure: How I stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois.”

‘Yes I’d Do It Again’: ‘Dreadhead Cowboy’ Speaks Out After Criminal Charges Filed For His Dan Ryan Protest

“Would I do it again? Yes I’d do it again,” said Adam Hollingsworth, also known as the “Dreadhead Cowboy,” when asked about his protest ride on the expressway Monday. He now faces criminal charges and prosecutors say his horse may not survive.

Officials Urge Residents to Get Flu Shot as State Reports 2,257 New Cases of COVID-19

With thousands still becoming infected with the coronavirus daily, health officials are urging Illinoisans to get a flu shot in order to avoid a dangerous co-infection.

Officials Plead for Calm Amid Anger Over Breonna Taylor Case

Authorities pleaded for calm while activists vowed to fight on Thursday in Kentucky’s largest city, where a gunman wounded two police officers during anguished protests following the decision not to charge officers for killing Breonna Taylor.

Progressive Aldermen Renew Push to Create Elected Board to Oversee CPD

In the wake of the outcry prompted by a grand jury’s decision not to indict three police officers for their role in the death of Breonna Taylor, the City Council’s Progressive Caucus called for the “creation of complete civilian oversight of the police.”

September 24, 2020 - Full Show

Watch the Sept. 24, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

Records: Mail Delivery Lags Behind Targets as Election Nears

Data obtained by The Associated Press shows postal districts are missing by wide margins the Postal Service's goals for on-time delivery, raising the possibility that scores of mailed ballots could miss deadlines for reaching local election offices.

City Extends Dates for Several Farmers Markets to Expand Access to Fresh Food

City-run farmers markets in the Austin, West Humboldt Park and Bronzeville neighborhoods have been extended further into fall in order to expand access to fresh food, officials said.

Spotlight Politics: Chicago Responds to Breonna Taylor Decision

The Breonna Taylor decision. Chicago’s massive budget shortfall. A Supreme Court battle ahead. Our politics team has the latest on those stories and more in this week’s roundtable.

In Breonna Taylor Case, Limits of Law Overcome Calls for Justice

“Criminal law is not meant to respond to every sorrow and grief,” Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the first African American elected to the job in Kentucky, told reporters after the grand jury announced its decision on Wednesday.

Police Officers Not Charged For Killing Breonna Taylor

A Kentucky grand jury on Wednesday brought no charges against Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor during a drug raid gone wrong.

Trump Won’t Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power if He Loses

President Donald Trump on Wednesday again declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election.
 

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