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New Cannabis License Process Aims to Focus on Social Equity

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the latest timeline and application process for obtaining a cannabis dispensary license.

Equiticity Offers Lawndale Residents Stipends for Climate-Friendly Transportation

The Mobility Opportunities Fund will provide stipends that help limited-income residents of North Lawndale purchase conventional bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and electric vehicles.

Volunteers Work to Protect Little Village Street Vendors Amid Uptick in Robberies

Vendors have rallied in front of the Chicago Police Department headquarters, asking for more police presence in the morning, when many vendors are out as early as 4 a.m.

Addressing Root Causes of Drug Cartel Violence in Mexico and How It Affects the US

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.

Puerto Rican Culture, Hospitality on the Board at the Stay and Play Game Cafe

Owners Yesenia and Jose Maldonado hosted game nights for years before taking the leap and converting a former bar into a bright, tropically tinged haven for game play.

Constructing a New Career with Free 11-Week Job Training Program at YWCA

The YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is now accepting applications for a free 11-week program that pays its trainees a stipend to learn the basics of construction and utilities trades.

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 21, 2023 - Full Show

Safety and travel concerns over violence in Mexico. Street vendors under attack in Little Village. Construction career training. And it's game night.

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 21, 2023 - Full Show

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.

Judge Temporarily Blocks Illinois Assault Weapons Ban for Plaintiffs in Lawsuit

The ruling only applies to 850 plaintiffs listed in a lawsuit in Effingham County and four licensed gun dealers.

Week in Review: Mayoral Candidates Define Their Visions

Mayoral candidates share their visions for the city. Lawsuits against the Illinois assault weapons ban come fast and furious. Peoples Gas and ComEd seek a bevy of rate hikes. And the Bears introduce their new president.

Illinois Medics Charged in Patient’s Killing Bound for Trial

An Illinois judge ruled Friday that two emergency medical professionals should face first-degree murder charges after a patient they strapped facedown to a stretcher suffocated.

This Week in Nature: Stars Are Fading From View. Not Even Orion Can Compete With Streetlights

Looks like we’re going to have to come up with replacements for terms like “starstruck” and “starry-eyed.” Scientists say the visibility of stars is rapidly fading as light pollution increases.

Supreme Court Leak Report Findings: Lax Security, Loose Lips

Eight months, 126 formal interviews and a 23-page report later, the Supreme Court said it has failed to discover who leaked a draft of the court’s opinion overturning abortion rights.

New 988 Mental Health Crisis Line Sees ‘Eye-Opening’ Increase in First 6 Months, Data Shows

Since transitioning to a new line, in the past six months, about 2.1 million calls, texts and chats to the new 988 number have been routed to a response center and, of those, around 89% were answered by a counselor, according to a CNN analysis of data from SAMHSA, which oversees 988. 

Negotiations Resume Between UIC Faculty, Administration Amid Ongoing Strike

University officials said the sides had agreed to resume bargaining Friday and could continue talks into the weekend to secure a new contract agreement.

Google Cuts 12,000 Jobs, Layoffs Spread Across Tech Companies

It is the company’s biggest-ever round of layoffs and adds to tens of thousands of other job losses recently announced by Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook parent Meta and other tech companies as they tighten their belts amid a darkening outlook for the industry. Just this month, there have been at least 48,000 job cuts announced by major companies in the sector.

Chicago Police Warn Residents After Wave of Vehicle Thefts on Northwest Side

According to a Chicago Police Department community alert published Friday, 22 Hyundai and Kia vehicles have been stolen across the 25th police district in early 2023.

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: West Garfield Park Community Coalition Receives $10M Investment

A coalition of community-led groups just received $10 million from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation to help fund a wide-ranging project. It’ll bring together a range of services and opportunities — from health and wellness, to arts and culture and beyond.

Jan. 19, 2023 - Full Show

Toxic “forever chemicals” found in fish caught in the Great Lakes. A controversial rail yard in Englewood gets put on hold. We report on a community health initiative from West Garfield Park. And will state lawmakers take another shot at graduated income tax?

Wealthy Illinois Residents Would Pay More in Income Tax Under New Proposals

No matter how much money a person makes, Illinois residents all pay the same income tax rate. A pair of new proposals could change that by taking aim at the bank accounts of high earners.

Freshwater Fish Are Full of Dangerous ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Study Finds

PFAS are called "forever chemicals" because they fail to break down easily in the environment. Chemicals leach into the nation's drinking water and accumulate in the bodies of fish, shellfish, livestock, dairy and game animals.

Pullman National Monument Upgraded to National Historical Park — and the Name Change Makes a Big Difference

Monuments can be created by the stroke of a president’s pen, and undone by the same. As a national historical park, Pullman now has added protections.

Englewood Rail Yard Expansion Derailed After Ald. Taylor Balks at ‘Disrespect’

A years-long effort by the Norfolk Southern Railway to double the size of its storage yard in Englewood failed to pass the Chicago City Council after Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th Ward) blocked a vote. 

Illinois Man’s Family Files Lawsuit After Paramedics Charged With Murder

Prosecutors have separately charged two paramedics with first-degree murder, accusing them of tightly strapping Earl Moore on a stretcher after Springfield police who initially responded to a 911 call at Moore’s home requested an ambulance. 

Lawsuit Alleges DCFS Has Left Children Jailed Despite Orders For Their Release

A federal lawsuit alleges that rather than housing children in appropriate settings, DCFS allowed them to remain locked in juvenile jails without access to proper educational, medical and mental health supports.

Pritzker Meets With Political, Business Leaders in Switzerland at World Economic Forum

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called himself the state’s chief marketing officer during a trip to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum. He couldn’t name any specific projects that have been secured after his Swiss schmoozing but said Illinois’ commitment to 100% clean energy by 2050 is an “important calling card here.”
 

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