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Pritzker Signs Law to Prioritize Placing Foster Children With Family Members

Kin-first foster systems decrease the risk of abuse and create a higher chance of achieving permanent placement for kids, according to Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest foundation focused on foster care.

City Clerk Briefly Removed Video of Contentious City Council Committee Meeting at Mayor’s Office Request

City Clerk Anna Valencia said she would take additional steps to ensure “this does not happen again.”

Aggressive Braking and Slippery Conditions, Not Alcohol, Cited as Causes for 2023 CTA Yellow Line Crash

While the train operator was found to have alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board determined that this was not what caused the Nov. 16, 2023, collision north of the Howard Street CTA station.

Brandon Johnson Will Testify to Congress About Chicago’s Sanctuary City Status on March 5

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appearance is likely to represent a flashpoint in the ongoing battle with the GOP-controlled U.S House and the Trump administration, which is attempting to strip self-proclaimed sanctuary cities of all federal funding.

Winter Making a Comeback, With Freezing Rain Likely to Snarl Wednesday’s PM Commute

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.

Adler Planetarium CEO Steps Down, Search Underway for Replacement

Adler Planetarium announced Wednesday that Michelle Larson is stepping down as president and CEO after more than a decade on the job.

Marco Rubio’s Years of Strong Support for USAID Stand in Contrast to His Sudden Criticism of the Aid Agency

A CNN review of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s past comments shows he has been for more than a decade a major supporter of foreign aid and USAID, which in fiscal year 2023 distributed more than $40 billion in foreign aid to more than 160 different countries.

CIA Sends ‘Buyout’ Offers to Entire Workforce as Part of Trump Effort to Shrink, Shape Federal Government

The offer — which tells federal employees that they can quit their jobs and receive roughly eight months of pay and benefits — had up until Tuesday not been made available to most national security roles in an apparent cognizance of their critical function to the security of the nation.

Donald Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order Put on Hold by a Second Federal Judge

U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman said no court in the country has endorsed the Trump administration’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. “This court will not be the first,” she said.

Donald Trump’s Suggestion the US ‘Take Over’ the Gaza Strip Rejected by Allies and Adversaries Alike

President Donald Trump’s suggestion came at a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who smiled several times as the president detailed a plan to build new settlements for Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, and for the U.S. to take “ownership” in redeveloping the war-torn territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Gene Barge, Renowned Sax Man and Producer Known as ‘Daddy G,’ Dies at 98

Gene “Daddy G” Barge, an admired and durable saxophone player, songwriter and producer who worked on hits by Natalie Cole, oversaw recordings by Muddy Waters, performed with the Rolling Stones and helped inspire the dance classic “Quarter to Three,” has died in Chicago. He was 98.

Breach Between Johnson, Business Leaders Widens Amid Renewed Focus on Tax Hike Push

The renewed tension between Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city’s business leaders comes after Johnson endured a bruising battle over the city’s 2025 budget and is under intense pressure from President Donald Trump.

Lawsuit Filed by Man Who Spent More Than 29 Years in Prison After Being Tortured, Wrongfully Convicted Set for Trial

James Gibson said he implicated himself in a 1989 double murder after being burned, punched, kicked and slapped by Chicago Police detectives supervised by disgraced former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge during a three-day interrogation.

Trump Won’t Rule Out Deploying US Troops to Support Rebuilding Gaza, Sees ‘Long-Term’ US Ownership

Trump’s audacious proposal appears certain to roil the next stage of talks meant to extend the tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

Feb. 4, 2025 - Full Show

How local leaders are responding to the Trump administration’s executive orders. And Republican lawmakers file a lawsuit over Illinois’ legislative districts.

Mayor Brandon Johnson Declines to Block Jan. 6 Rioters From City Jobs After Trump Pardons

Gov. J.B. Pritzker directed state hiring officials to block the employment of anyone who took part in the attack that claimed the lives of five members of the U.S. Capitol Police and injured an additional 174 officers.

Illinois Republicans File Lawsuit Asking State Supreme Court to Toss Legislative Map

Republicans argue the map is an example of “extreme partisan gerrymandering,” which renders it unconstitutional under state law.

Bird Flu Toll Continues to Rise in Chicago. Are Massive Die-Offs the New Normal?

Wildlife professionals and advocates are grappling with an avian influenza outbreak that seems to be growing more virulent among Chicago's wild birds.

Respiratory Illness Level ‘High’ in Illinois and Chicago Area, Driven by Increase in Flu Cases

There were about five times as many emergency department visits for flu as there were for COVID-19, according to IDPH data during the week ending Jan. 25.

Local Live Music Recommendations for Feb. 5-Feb. 11

Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.

Donald Trump Administration Drafting Executive Order to Initiate the Elimination of Department of Education

The Trump administration has begun drafting an executive order that would kick off the process of eliminating the Department of Education, the latest move by President Donald Trump to swiftly carry out his campaign promises, two sources familiar with the plans told CNN.

El Salvador Offers to Accept Deportees From US of Any Nationality, Including American Citizens

El Salvador President Nayin Bukele confirmed the offer in a post on X, saying El Salvador has “offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system.”

FBI Agents Sue Over Justice Department Effort to ID Employees Involved in Donald Trump-Related Investigations

The class-action complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington, seeks an immediate halt to the Justice Development’s plans to compile a list of investigators who participated in probes of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol as well as Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Trump Administration Opens Antisemitism Inquiries at 5 Colleges, Including Northwestern

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests. The cases were opened using the department’s power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of its investigations, which stem from complaints.

Feb. 3, 2025 - Full Show

A WTTW News special: Mayor Brandon Johnson and community stakeholders join us for a town hall discussion to address major issues facing the city like public safety, immigration, housing and much more.

Johnson Vows to Try Again to Hike Taxes on Sales of Million-Dollar Homes to Fight Homelessness

“At the point of which we go for this revenue again, let’s not allow the interests of the corporations as well as the ultra rich to dictate what working people deserve in this city,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “We have to pass Bring Chicago Home.”
 

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