Stories by Angel Idowu

Norman Teague’s Elmhurst Exhibit Uses Jazz and Black Aesthetics to Showcase a Unique Design Sensibility: Review

With musical accompaniment by John Coltrane’s album “A Love Supreme,” which gave the exhibition its name, Teague’s work is a reflection of his Chicago upbringing and classic design technique. 

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Feb. 14, 2024 - Full Show

Concerns over the state’s care of kids awaiting placement with DCFS. How this 120-year-old silent film still says so much. And a sneak peek inside a newly renovated Ramova Theatre.

Public Guardian Raises Concerns About DCFS Care for Kids Awaiting Placement: ‘It’s Devastating’

The person who advocates in court for children who’ve been abused or neglected said the state’s Department of Children and Family Services is not only failing to meet the needs of kids in its care — but that the situation is getting worse.

South Shore Voters to Weigh Need for Protection From Gentrification Sparked by Obama Presidential Center

Voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward will be asked whether Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson should “support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”

IDOT Workers Rally for New Contract Amid Negotiations With State

Last week, eight local Teamsters unions representing about 3,800 transportation-related employees authorized strikes amid the ongoing negotiations. A strike can still be avoided despite the authorization votes.

At Least 8 Children Among 22 Hit by Gunfire at End of Chiefs’ Super Bowl Parade; 1 Person Killed

It is the latest sports celebration in the U.S. marred by gun violence, following a shooting last year in downtown Denver after the Nuggets’ winning an NBA championship that injured several people, and gunfire last year at a parking lot near the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade.

Monty and Rose #4Ever. Park District Names Dune Habitat for Piping Plover Lovebirds, On Valentine’s Day No Less

The Park District Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to rename the plovers’ Montrose Beach meeting spot the Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat.

She Plays Richard III on Stage, Competed in the Paralympic Games and Worked With Phillip Seymour Hoffman — Meet Multitalented Actor Katy Sullivan

Actor and Paralympic athlete Katy Sullivan portrays the ruthless Richard III at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Cyberattacks on Hospitals Are Likely to Increase, Putting Lives at Risk, Experts Warn

Hospitals have shifted their use of online technology to support everything from telehealth to medical devices to patient records. Today, they are a favorite target for internet thieves who hold systems’ data and networks hostage for hefty ransoms.

Chicago Public Schools Set to Cut Ties With Aramark Cleaning Management Company

The Board of Education next week will vote on whether to replace Aramark with seven other vendor companies to provide custodial and professional services for district schools.

Feb. 13, 2024 - Full Show

As questions about age resurface in the presidential race, what you should know about brain health. Johnson moves to end the city’s controversial ShotSpotter contract. And a Chicago-area baker shows us how she makes hundreds of paczki at home.

Presidential Election Sheds Light on Brain Health as We Age, Portrayals of Aging in Media

“Aging is not a uniform phenomenon that happens equally,” said Jay Olshansky, professor of public health at the University of Illinois Chicago.

GOP-Led House Impeaches Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Over Border Management

The evening roll call proved tight, with Speaker Mike Johnson’s threadbare GOP majority unable to handle many defectors or absences in the face of staunch Democratic opposition to impeaching Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the first Cabinet secretary facing charges in nearly 150 years.

Mayor Brandon Johnson Cancels ShotSpotter Contract, Fulfilling Major Campaign Promise

Chicago will stop using the ShotSpotter technology by Sept. 22 — one month after the Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago and after the summer months that are often the most violent period of the year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced.

Illinois Finalizes Rules for Assault Weapon Registration, as New Lawsuit Seeks to Strike Law Completely

Illinois’ assault weapons ban passed after a July 4, 2022, mass shooting in suburban Highland Park. The law banned the sale of AR-15s and scores of other guns beginning in January 2023. People who previously owned guns subject to the law are allowed to keep them, but the weapons must be registered.

Flight Attendants Hold Airport Rallies to Protest Lack of New Contracts and Pay Raises

The unions are calling Tuesday’s protests a national day of action. It is not a strike — federal law makes it difficult for airline unions to conduct legal strikes.

Millions of People Have Long COVID, Including Children and Pregnant People, Studies Show

Millions of people deal with COVID-19 symptoms long after their initial infections. Two new studies give a better look at the burden from this health problem that doctors say often goes under the radar.

Humans Have Altered the Earth So Much That Many Migratory Animals Are Facing Extinction

Of the 1,189 creatures listed by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, more than one in five are threatened. They include species from all sorts of animal groups — whales, sharks, elephants, wild cats, raptors, birds and insects, among others.

Intent on Coaching Again, Pat Fitzgerald Pushing for December Trial Date in Lawsuit Against Northwestern

During a hearing Tuesday, Fitzgerald’s attorney Dan Webb argued that the case would have to go to trial later this year in order for Fitzgerald to have any chance of getting a job during the next coaching cycle ahead of the 2025 college football season.

It’s Been 10 Years Since ‘The Polish Luther’ Was Created. Chicago, How Will You Take Your Paczki This Fat Tuesday?

The paczki many Polish Americans grew up eating, made with plum, rose or raspberry fillings, aren’t the only kind available these days. We take a look at the Fat Tuesday tradition. 

With Monarch Butterfly Population at Near Record Low, Chicagoans Have Their Marching Orders: Every Milkweed Stem Counts

Aster Hasle, a conservation scientist at the Field Museum, said, “Our role in the Midwest is to build that population back up. There is a lot that we can do here to provide habitat that’s going to help.”

New Proposal Would Change How Minimum Wage Works For Tipped Workers in Illinois

Under a new proposal introduced last week in Springfield, all tipped workers in the state would have to be paid the equivalent of the Illinois’ regular minimum wage through a combination of wages and tips. If the tips fall short, their employers would have to make up the difference.

Feb. 12, 2024 - Full Show

A WTTW News analysis finds the city has spent just 29% of the COVID-19 relief money meant to transform Chicago. The push to eliminate subminimum wage expands to Illinois. And why you can’t buy cars on Sundays. 

Donald Trump Asks Supreme Court to Put Off His Election Interference Trial, Claiming Immunity

His lawyers have indicated they will file an emergency appeal with the court, just four days after the justices heard Trump’s separate appeal to remain on the presidential ballot despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020.

Trial of Former GOP Illinois Lawmaker Delayed Another Day as He Cancels Plan to Represent Himself

Former state Sen. SamMcCann’s trial has been delayed numerous times since his February 2021 indictment on fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion charges.   

Madigan’s Ex-Chief of Staff Tim Mapes Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison Following Perjury Conviction

U.S. District Judge John Kness will hand down the sentence during a hearing in a Chicago courtroom Monday — more than five months after Mapes was convicted of making false declarations and attempted obstruction of justice.
 

Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors

Thanks to our sponsors:

View all sponsors