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Facing Tough Reelection Battle, Lightfoot Finds Herself Losing City Council Allies
| Heather Cherone
It is nearly unprecedented for City Council committee chairs to urge the defeat of the mayor that hand-picked them for their high-profile positions, which comes with power at City Hall and an annual budget of nearly $200,000.
Little Village Discount Mall Vendors Given Another Short-Term Extension as Future Remains Unclear
| Joanna Hernandez
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) recently hosted a meeting Tuesday with vendors to reassure them he will be fighting to keep the retail hub open. Novak Construction, the mall’s owner, extended vendors’ leases until the end of March.
Latina Entrepreneurs Help People Find Ways to Wellness
| Erica Gunderson
Fitness instructor NK Gutierrez and juice bar owner Anabelle Martinez are helping people meet their wellness goals.
Welcome Corps Program Allows Private Citizens to Sponsor Refugees to US
| Erica Gunderson
Refugees to America often find themselves starting from scratch, but a new program is offering everyday Americans a way to give refugees a softer landing.
MCA Chicago Speaks Spanish to Art Lovers
| Erica Gunderson
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has launched its first major bilingual exhibit. The museum plans to present everything, from its website to wayfinding signs, in both Spanish and English by 2024.
‘Toni Stone’ Shines Spotlight on Groundbreaking Baseball Player
| Angel Idowu
The Goodman Theatre's “Toni Stone” tells the story of the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues.
AP Black History Course Sparks Controversy, Debate
| Erica Gunderson
The College Board this week released its updated curriculum for an Advanced Placement African American studies course after receiving criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Feb. 4, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The controversy over an Advanced Placement African American studies course for high school students. Architecture writer Lee Bey gives us a South Side tour in his new documentary. And a woman hits a home run for the Negro Baseball Leagues.
Lee Bey Shows Off South Side Sites in ‘Building/Blocks’
| Erica Gunderson
There’s more to Chicago’s architectural legacy than its gleaming downtown skyline. All throughout the city, there are buildings that inspire — you just have to know where to look.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Feb. 4, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Proposed changes to the race and ethnicity boxes on government forms. Welcoming refugees in a new sponsorship program. And giving wellness some Latino flavor.
New US Race, Ethnicity Standards Proposed for First Time Since 1997
| Associated Press
The federal government’s standards haven’t been changed since 1997, two decades after they were created as part of an effort to collect consistent race and ethnicity data across federal agencies when handling censuses, federal surveys and application forms for government benefits.
Feb. 3, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Did the mayor retaliate against a private citizen for voicing an opinion at City Council? Why CPD solves far fewer crimes involving Black men. Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette Park. And a profile of a Grammy-nominated Chicago producer.
Chicago Producer Terry Hunter Brings House Music to Global Audience
| Angel Idowu
South Side native Terry Hunter is up for a 2023 Grammy Award for his remix of Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul.”
Homicide Clearance Rate Lower in Chicago’s Black Communities: Report
| Blair Paddock
For the past several years, the Chicago Police Department has solved an average of 50% of the city’s homicides per year. But that number, known as a clearance rate, is even lower for Black victims.
Chicago Police Eject Resident Who Spoke Against ComEd Deal from City Council Meeting
| Heather Cherone
Sean Estelle told WTTW News they believed they were “politically targeted” because their remarks angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Week in Review: Tensions Arise in Chicago Mayoral Race
| Alexandra Silets
Gloves come off in the Chicago mayoral debate as Paul Vallas cleans up cash and endorsements. City Council puts the breaks on Mayor Lori Lightfoot's ComEd deal. Migrants arrive in Woodlawn. And the complicated legacy of Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull.
New Rules Would Limit Sugar in School Meals for First Time
| Associated Press
The plan also seeks to significantly decrease sodium in the meals served to the nation’s schoolkids by 2029, while making the rules for foods made with whole grains more flexible.
Chicago Man Charged in Attack of CTA Worker at Downtown Blue Line Station
| Matt Masterson
James Jackson, 55, appeared in court Friday on charges of aggravated battery of a transit employee and aggravated battery of a victim over 60 years old after he allegedly struck a CTA worker at the Washington Blue Line station.
This Week In Nature: Bison Are Making Nights Brighter on the Illinois Prairie. Guess Who’s Not Happy
| Patty Wetli
New research shows bison are altering the landscape in unexpected ways when reintroduced to Midwest prairie ecosystems.
Bed Bath and Beyond Closing 87 More Stores, Including These 5 Chicago-Area Locations
| CNN
“As we continue to work with our advisors to consider multiple paths, we are implementing actions to manage our business as efficiently as possible,” a Bed Bath and Beyond spokesperson said. “This store fleet reduction expands the company’s ongoing closure program.”
Unexpected Job Surge of 517K Confounds the Fed’s Economic Models
| Associated Press
For months, the Fed has been warily watching the U.S. economy’s robust job gains out of concern that employers, desperate to hire, will keep boosting pay and, in turn, keep inflation elevated. But January’s blowout job growth coincided with an actual slowdown in wage growth.
The Votes Are In and ‘Da Plow’ Is Ready To Hit Chicago’s Streets Along With Other Winners in Snowplow Naming Contest
| Patty Wetli
Chicago has announced the winners in its “name that snowplow” contest. Did your favorite make the cut?
Feb. 2, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Community uproar over migrants in Woodlawn. Pastor Corey Brooks is millions of dollars closer to to realizing his dream of a community center. And Woodstock Willie makes his Groundhog Day prediction.
‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: ‘Groundhog Day’ Leaves Lasting Legacy in Woodstock
| Amanda Vinicky
Pennsylvania may have Punxsutawney Phil, but Illinois has its own weather-forecasting rodent: Woodstock Willie, made famous by the movie “Groundhog Day,” which was filmed in Woodstock and released 30 years ago.
‘Rooftop Pastor’ Corey Brooks Gets $8M Donation for Woodlawn Community Center
| Paul Caine
The Rev. Corey Brooks brought attention to his Woodlawn community and his cause when he camped out on a Chicago rooftop for almost a year to raise funds for a new community center.
Defying Objections, City Opens Temporary Shelter for Immigrants in Shuttered Woodlawn School
| Heather Cherone
The former Wadsworth Elementary School had been set to open as a shelter in early January, but an uproar forced Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to delay her plans for nearly a month as she and other city officials sought to address concerns from residents.
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