Stories by
Chicago Ethics Board Asks Watchdog to Probe Ald. Gardiner For Harassing Opponent’s Volunteers
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago Board of Ethics first asked the city's watchdog to probe Gardiner in 2021 after complaints he used his power as an alderperson to retaliate against critics.
Snow Heading for Chicago Late Tuesday and Early Wednesday as Winter Has Some Catching Up To Do
| Patty Wetli
The National Weather Service is trackiThe National Weather Service is tracking a storm set to hit late Tuesday, with peak snowfall during Wednesday morning’s commute. The greatest snow totals are expected east of I-55 and south of I-80.ng a storm set to hit late Tuesday, with peak snowfall during Wednesday morning's commute. The greatest snow totals are expected east of I-55 and south of I-80.
Pritzker Taps Political Scion as New Head of Illinois Department of Natural Resources
| Patty Wetli
Pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate, Natalie Phelps Finnie is poised to become just the second woman to head the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, following in the trailblazing footsteps of her immediate predecessor Colleen Callahan.
Citing Ukraine War and Specter of Nuclear Weapons, ‘Doomsday Clock’ Moves 90 Seconds to Midnight
| Associated Press
“We are really closer to that doomsday,” former Mongolian president Elbegdorj Tsakhia said Tuesday at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists annual announcement rating how close humanity is from doing itself in.
Rare 17-Pound Meteorite Discovered in Antarctica; Chicago Scientist Will Study Sample
| CNN
The exceptional find is heading to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, where it will be studied. And Maria Valdes, a research scientist at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History and the University of Chicago who was part of the expedition team, has kept some of the material for her own analysis.
Explainer: Crypto Firms Acted Like Banks, Then Collapsed Like Dominoes
| Associated Press
In a span of less than 12 months, nearly all of the biggest cryptocurrency equivalent of a banks have failed spectacularly. Last week, Genesis filed Chapter 11, joining Voyager Digital, Celsius and BlockFi on the list of companies that have either filed for bankruptcy protection or gone out of business.
Jan. 23, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Remembering a beloved local DJ. The latest on the legal tangle over the state’s assault weapons ban. A trans bus driver who was fired from the CTA. And how well do you know Chicago’s street grid?
Trans Former Bus Driver Sues CTA, Union for Discrimination and Wrongful Termination
| Nick Blumberg
In 2019, WTTW News covered his successful push for the CTA to add gender affirming care to its health insurance policy. The employee behind that push has since been fired and is now suing the agency and his union.
Multiple Lawsuits, Scores of Sheriffs Challenge Illinois’ New Gun Law
| Paul Caine
Multiple county sheriffs across the state have said they won’t enforce it. On Friday, a circuit court judge in downstate Effingham County issued a temporary restraining order blocking the new law — although that ruling only applies to the 850 plaintiffs and four licensed gun dealers named in the case.
US Health Officials Propose Yearly COVID Shots for Most Americans
| Associated Press
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus.
A Whale of a Show Opens the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival
| Hedy Weiss
The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, which runs through Jan. 29, will unquestionably change your conception on how puppets can be used in staged productions.
Ethics Board Asks City, CPS Inspector Generals to Probe Lightfoot Campaign Emails Sent to Teachers, College Instructors
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago Board of Ethics voted unanimously to ask both the Chicago inspector general and the Chicago Public Schools inspector general to probe emails sent by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s campaign to CPS teachers and City Colleges instructors.
WTTW News Explains: How Does Chicago’s Grid Street System Work?
| Paris Schutz
How exactly are streets organized in Chicago? WTTW News gives you a guided tour of the grid system that organizes the city’s streets and addresses.
Police Seek to Determine Why 72-Year-Old Gunman Shot Up LA Dance Hall, Killing 10 People
| Associated Press
The suspect, Huu Can Tran, who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday, had visited police in his town of Hemet twice this month to allege he was the victim of fraud, theft and poisoning by family members between 10 and 20 years ago in the LA area, spokesman Alan Reyes told The Associated Press.
This Hula-Hoop-Hauling Helicopter Will Be Hovering Over Illinois, Looking for Water
| Patty Wetli
A low-flying helicopter, towing what looks like a giant hula hoop, is set to pass over a wide swath of the state's midsection into Northwest Indiana, surveying the Illinois River watershed.
UIC Strike Suspended After Faculty, Administration Reach Tentative Contract Agreement
| Matt Masterson
Classes and labs will resume Monday as employees represented by the UIC United Faculty return to work after a four-year deal was struck during a nine-hour bargaining session Sunday.
Chicago Police To Increase Security at Lunar New Year Celebrations After Massacre in California
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Police Department officials, alderpeople, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other city departments spoke with leaders in the city’s Asian American Pacific Islander community Sunday night to discuss the California shooting that left 10 dead.
Biden’s Next Climate Hurdle: Enticing Americans to Buy Green
| Associated Press
It’s a public relations challenge that could determine whether the country meets President Joe Biden’s ambitious goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
30 People Shot, 6 Fatally, in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 27 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included two 18-year-olds who were killed in different shootings Sunday.
Chicago Police Face Renewed Questions About Extremist Cops as Lightfoot Dismisses Concerns
| Heather Cherone
Twice in the past three months, probes by the city’s watchdog have uncovered ties between members of the Chicago Police Department and far-right extremist groups that have clashed with the United States government.
Durbin: Biden Should Be ‘Embarrassed’ by Classified Docs Case
| Associated Press
Biden should be “embarrassed by the situation,” said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, adding that the president had ceded the moral high ground on an issue that has already entangled former President Donald Trump.
Lin Brehmer, Longtime WXRT Host and Chicago’s ‘Best Friend in the Whole World,’ Dies at 68
| Dan Lambert
Lin Brehmer, a stalwart of Chicago rock radio known for his poetic reflections on life and pop culture, has died. He was 68.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 21, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Safety and travel concerns over violence in Mexico. Street vendors under attack in Little Village. Construction career training. And it's game night.
DHS Outlines Protections for Immigrant Workers Experiencing Labor Violations
| Erica Gunderson
The new policy allows undocumented workers to make complaints about labor violations and to participate in investigations without fear of immigration-related retaliation.
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 21, 2023 - Full Show
| WTTW News
More cannabis dispensary licenses are in the works, but social equity applicants say challenges remain. Climate-friendly rides for North Lawndale neighbors. And Pullman National Park gets a new name and designation.
Addressing Root Causes of Drug Cartel Violence in Mexico and How It Affects the US
| Eunice Alpasan
The U.S. Department of State has put much of Mexico under a travel advisory, including an advisory not to travel to the state of Sinaloa due to crime and kidnappings.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Trending
2025 Chicago Festival Guide
Staff Shakeup at Fermilab and Argonne as Buyouts Follow Budgeted Funding Drop, Federal Research Shift
Potential ICE Raids, National Guard Intervention Poses Challenges for Chicago Police on the Ground
Feds Tout New Immigration Operation in Illinois as Communities Await ICE Raids
Cost to Settle, Defend Lawsuits Accusing CPD Officers of Misconduct During 2020 Unrest Tops $10.8M: Analysis
Sign up for the WTTW News newsletter