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In ‘La Ruta,’ the Plague of Unavenged Murders of Poor Mexican Women
| Hedy Weiss
Full of raw emotion, Isaac Gomez’s play, now receiving its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre, explores the brutal killing of hundreds of women and girls in Ciudad Juárez between 1993 and 2013.
Tourists Dismayed That Lincoln Home Closed by Government Shutdown
| Associated Press
The ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government has prevented visitors from touring Abraham Lincoln’s former home in Springfield.
Appellate Court Sides With Chicago on Tobacco Tax Ordinance
| Associated Press
After clearing a legal hurdle, the new Chicago ordinance will raise the prices of cigars, self-rolled tobacco and chewing tobacco.
Ryan Expressway to Obama Expressway? Ryan Family Says No
| Associated Press
A suggestion by Chicago mayoral candidate Bill Daley to rename the Dan Ryan Expressway after former President Barack Obama has drawn criticism from the Ryan family.
Chicago Police Seize More Than 9,600 Illegal Guns in 2018
| Associated Press
The Chicago Police Department says the illegal gun seizures are part of a strategy that has helped significantly reduce the number of homicides, robbery and other violent crimes in 2018.
An Uneven ‘Fiddler’ Revival Arrives at an Ideal Moment
| Hedy Weiss
The eternal themes that drive “Fiddler on the Roof” made it an instant classic, but the new touring production featuring contemporary additions makes the show feel uneven.
Bill Daley Unveils Partial 2017 Tax Returns
| Paris Schutz
The Daley campaign provided “Chicago Tonight” the cover sheets for his 2017 federal income 1040 form. They show that Bill Daley paid an effective tax rate of 37 percent on adjusted gross income of just over $2.5 million.
Web Extra, The Week in Review: Looking Back on 2018’s Biggest Stories
| Evan Garcia
Eddie Arruza and guests discuss Mayor Rahm Emanuel's decision not to seek re-election, the NFL's national anthem policy controversy and more.
The Week in Review: Are Mendoza and Preckwinkle the Mayoral Front-runners?
| Evan Garcia
Chicago mayoral candidates Susana Mendoza and Toni Preckwinkle are leading the crowded race, says a new poll. Two Chicago police officers are killed in the line of duty. And the Bears are headed to the playoffs.
Man Says He Found Gun that Led Chicago Cops to Train Tracks
| Associated Press
Edward Brown, 24, was ordered held on $200,000 bond Thursday during his first hearing since he was charged with felony reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.
Chicago Archbishop to Have Leading Role in Sex Abuse Reforms
| Associated Press
Cardinal Blase Cupich expressed regret for “our failures to address the scourge of clerical sexual abuse” in a statement responding to the attorney general's report.
Chicagoans Armed with Knowledge, Naloxone to Fight Opioid Crisis
| Kristen Thometz
Dozens of Chicagoans trained to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses in their communities have distributed more than 7,000 naloxone kits across the city since March.
Can Chicago Bears Keep Momentum Going into Playoffs?
| WTTW News
The Bears are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. James “Big Cat” Williams breaks down the season.
Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park Prepares to Close After 42 Years
| Paul Caine
After more than four decades, a beloved Rogers Park restaurant is shutting down – possibly for good – at the end of the year.
Vallas Calls on All Mayoral Candidates to Release Their Tax Returns
| Amanda Vinicky
The majority of candidates running for mayor of Chicago have not yet released their tax returns – and some may not at all. “This is no time for a mayor to be veiled in secrecy,” said candidate Paul Vallas.
Celebrating the Holidays with Jazz Singer Dee Alexander
| Marc Vitali
Dee Alexander sings holiday songs and talks about playing with a big-band jazz orchestra.
2 Years In, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Looks Back, Ahead
| Alexandra Silets
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx ran – and won – on a platform of being a reformer, expressing a desire to move the office from being “tough on crime to being smart on crime.” Foxx joins us in discussion.
Apollo 8 Astronauts Recount Historic Mission at ‘Rocket Men’ Book Launch
| Eddie Arruza
A Chicago reunion of the Apollo 8 astronauts as a new book by local author Robert Kurson celebrates the historic first human flight to the moon.
BBB Warns of Online Puppy Scams During Holiday Season
| Alex Ruppenthal
The holidays are a popular season to bring home a pet, but that impulse can leave consumers vulnerable to a growing number of online scams, according to an alert issued this week by the Better Business Bureau.
AAA: Christmas Eve Will Be Worst Day for Holiday Travel in Chicago
| Matt Masterson
The holiday travel season is officially underway, but if you’re planning to leave the Windy City, it might be best to hit the road sooner rather than later.
Illinois AG Finds 500 More Catholic Clergy Accused of Abuse
| Associated Press
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a blistering report about clergy sexual abuse, saying, “The preliminary stages of this investigation have already demonstrated that the Catholic Church cannot police itself.”
Planned Great Lakes Oil Pipeline Tunnel Clears Final Hurdle
| Associated Press
A proposal to run an oil pipeline beneath a crucial section of the Great Lakes cleared its final hurdle Wednesday, gaining approval of a Michigan panel created a week earlier.
Man Charged After Train Deaths of 2 Chicago Police Officers
| Associated Press
Edward Brown is facing two felony weapons charges in connection with the deaths of two Chicago police officers who were struck and killed by a commuter train while they were chasing him.
12 Things to Do This Holiday Weekend: Dec. 20-25
| Kristen Thometz
Trains, tubas, TV parodies and a winter wonderland usher in the long holiday weekend. Here are a dozen things to do in and around Chicago.
Ask Geoffrey: Was There an Egg Factory in Bronzeville?
| Erica Gunderson
A viewer says her uncle used to swipe eggs from a factory in Bronzeville in the 1940s or ‘50s. Chicago history eggs-pert Geoffrey Baer has the surprising answer to that and other questions.
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