Stories by Evan Garcia
Windy City Times to End Print Edition, Publish Online Only
| Evan Garcia
After 35 years, the Windy City Times will end its print edition and move forward as an online-only publication in October. We discuss the news with the publication’s co-founder and publisher, Tracy Baim.
Pritzker Pushes Residents to Complete Census: ‘We Have 21 Days Remaining’
| Kristen Thometz
A census undercount of just 1% in Illinois could result in the loss of $195 million in federal funds, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday as he urged residents to participate in the once-a-decade count.
Stephen Douglas Name Officially Removed From Park, But There’s a New Wrinkle To Renaming It for Frederick Douglass
| Patty Wetli
After a three-year, student-led grassroots campaign, the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners voted to officially remove the name of Stephen Douglas from what’s now temporarily known as Park 218.
Lightfoot Blasts Barr’s ‘Victory Lap’ as ‘Factually Inaccurate’
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday blasted Attorney General William Barr for claiming that President Donald Trump’s decision to send approximately 100 federal agents to Chicago was responsible for a drop in homicides.
Barr Touts Fed’s Role in Decreasing Chicago’s Violent Crime, But Homicides Still Up 50%
| Matt Masterson
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said 500 arrests have been made and 124 defendants charged in federal court in connection with Operation Legend, a partnership between federal and local law enforcement agencies aimed at combating violent crime.
Pritzker: No Set Date for Phase 5 of Reopening Plan
| Kristen Thometz
With the race for a vaccine underway and President Donald Trump claiming one could be available before the November election, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reiterated Wednesday that safety would guide the state’s reopening.
Plan to Keep Woodlawn Residents In Their Homes Near Obama Center Approved
| Heather Cherone
The City Council on Wednesday approved a $4.5 million package designed to prevent the planned Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park from supercharging gentrification in Woodlawn.
Teen Denied Bond in ‘Methodical’ Stabbing of Walgreens Employee
| Matt Masterson
A Cook County judge has denied bond for the 18-year-old high school student who is accused of calmly and methodically stabbing a Walgreens employee to death Sunday inside the Wicker Park store where she worked.
DuPage Resident Marks 1st Case of West Nile Virus in Illinois This Year
| Kristen Thometz
With people spending more time outdoors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the state’s top doctor is urging people to protect themselves from the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.
Aldermen Approve Scaled-Back Ban on Flavored Tobacco Products
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago City Council voted 46-4 Wednesday to ban the sale of most flavored liquid nicotine products in Chicago, after an effort to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products failed to advance.
September 9, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Sept. 9, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Halt of Coronavirus Trial is ‘Safety Valve’ at Work: Fauci
| Associated Press
The top U.S. infectious disease expert said AstraZeneca’s suspension of final testing of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows “one of the safety valves” built into the studies to spot any potential problems.
Is Chicago’s Historic Building ‘Bible’ Out of Date and Out of Touch?
| Patty Wetli
The Chicago Historic Resource Survey, completed in 1995, has been an invaluable tool for preservationists. But it’s beginning to show its age, and the lack of sites of significance to the Black and Latino communities is notable.
Renée Fleming on Virtual Lyric Concert, Performing During COVID-19
| Quinn Myers
The coronavirus has shuttered concert venues around the world, but that hasn’t stopped artists and musicians from finding new ways to share their work. Soprano Renee Fleming tells us about Lyric’s upcoming concert.
Will a Coronavirus Vaccine Be Available By November? Health Experts Weigh In
| Marissa Nelson
What you need to know about the race for a coronavirus vaccine.
Emmett Till’s Family Home Given Preliminary Landmark Status
| Patty Wetli
The Chicago Commission on Landmarks unanimously approved preliminary landmark status for Emmett Till’s former home, calling the red brick two-flat a “modest home that is monumentally important.”
Tech’s Sudden Sell-Off Continues; Nasdaq Sinks 10% in 3 Days
| Associated Press
Big technology stocks tumbled again on Tuesday, continuing the Icarus-like flight path for companies that just a week ago were the high-flyers carrying Wall Street to record heights.
Appeals Court Agrees R&B Singer R. Kelly Should Stay Jailed
| Associated Press
R. Kelly can remain behind bars awaiting multiple trials on child pornography and other charges in three states, an appeals court in New York said Tuesday.
Teen Suspect Charged in Fatal Stabbing of Walgreens Employee Inside Store
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police have charged Sincere Williams, 18, with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a Walgreens employee as she was stocking shelves inside a Northwest Side store Sunday.
More than $31M Distributed by Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund
| Kristen Thometz
More than 1,650 organizations throughout the state have received grants through the fund, which distributed $7.5 million in its final round of funding to organizations primarily serving Black and Latino communities.
September 8, 2020 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Sept. 8, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Crain’s Headlines: $10 Million Condo Buyer Sues Vista Tower
| WTTW News
The developer for what will be Chicago’s third-largest tower is getting sued by a prospective buyer. Crain’s Chicago Business Editor Ann Dwyer joins us with the stories behind the headlines.
Get Your Oktoberfest in a Box From Chicago’s German American Cultural Center. Just Add Beer
| Patty Wetli
DANK Haus is offering all the fixings for a classic German feast this weekend, in lieu of what would have been the 100th anniversary of Chicago’s annual German Day celebration.
Preckwinkle Urges Municipalities to Apply for ‘Use It or Lose It’ COVID-19 Funds
| Kristen Thometz
Cook County officials are urging suburban municipalities to apply for $51 million in CARES Act funds before the Sept. 30 deadline. “This is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition,” said Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
8-Year-Old Girl Killed in Drive-By Shooting One of 53 People Shot in Chicago Over Holiday Weekend
| CNN
The girl was killed Monday evening after gunshots were fired into an SUV she was traveling in, Police Chief of Operations Brian McDermott said at a press conference.
Effort to Expand O’Hare Cargo Operations With City Borrowing Stalls Amid Questions About Diversity Goals
| Heather Cherone
An effort by city officials to finish a project to expand cargo operations at O’Hare Airport by borrowing $55.6 million stalled amid objections from aldermen angry that the company that would benefit from the funds failed to hire enough Chicagoans.
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