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Need A City Sticker? Chicago Clerk’s ‘Mobile City Hall’ Events Kick Off This Weekend, Run Through September
| Eunice Alpasan
At these pop-up events, Chicago residents can obtain a free CityKey card and purchase a city vehicle sticker, dog licenses and residential parking daily permits.
Illinois Bet on Solar to Meet Its Climate Goals. Trump Has the Industry in His Crosshairs
| Andrew Adams — Capitol News Illinois
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans earlier this month curtailed federal tax incentives for the solar energy industry and for individuals and companies that purchase solar panels.
Key City Panel Votes 13-7 to Legalize Coach Houses, Granny Flats Across Chicago
| Heather Cherone
If approved by the City Council on Wednesday, the measure would weaken the decades-old tradition known as aldermanic prerogative that gives a City Council member the final authority over housing developments in their own wards.
Michael Madigan Asks Judge to Remain Free While He Appeals Corruption Convictions
| Matt Masterson
The former Illinois House speaker is asking that he be allowed to stay out of prison during his appeal in the federal bribery case — an area of criminal law his attorneys say is among the most complex and “rapidly evolving.”
Aldermanic Prerogative Showdown on Tap as City Council Confronts Affordable Housing Shortfall
| Heather Cherone
It is unclear whether Mayor Brandon Johnson has enough political muscle to convince at least 25 alderpeople to buck the tradition that calls on them to mind their own business and vote along with the alderperson whose ward includes the project.
The Median Time in Restrictive Housing in Illinois Prisons is 1 Week. But Some Assigned More Than 600 Days
| Blair Paddock
Many who’ve been through restrictive housing attest to extreme isolation and confinement in small, dark, windowless cells. Phone and tablet use can be restricted. Yard or outside time is limited.
July 14, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Elected officials are pushing back over masked immigration agents. And the uncertain future of a local campus group offering contraception.
Future Uncertain for DePaul University Student Group Providing Sex Education, Contraception
| Shelby Hawkins
Sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies are particularly common for college-aged people. A 2023 report from the CDC found that nearly half of all reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were among people aged 15 to 24.
Chicago Officials Call for Identification Requirements for ICE Agents: ‘We Are Asking for Accountability’
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
Immigrant rights advocates have reported seeing some ICE agents wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves during raids. Advocates say that creates fear and hinders accountability.
Measure Designed to Tighten Ethics Rules to Stop Mayor’s Office From Obstructing Probes Advances
| Heather Cherone
The measure unanimously endorsed by the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee had the support of both Inspector General Deborah Witzburg and Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry after negotiations stretched into the weekend.
Supreme Court Allows Donald Trump to Lay Off Nearly 1,400 Education Department Employees
| Associated Press
The Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track — and to go through with laying off nearly 1,400 employees.
Key City Panel Narrowly Rejects Push to Require City Council Super Majority to Authorize New Debt
| Heather Cherone
The rare rejection by the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee means the proposal will not advance to the full City Council for a final vote. Its sponsor said the measure would give 17 members of the City Council the power to stop Johnson from burdening future generations with massive debt obligations.
Former ComEd Lobbyist John Hooker Gets 18 Months in Prison for Role in Madigan Bribery Scheme
| Matt Masterson
John Hooker, one of the four former Commonwealth Edison officials convicted of conspiring to bribe ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. The sentence is well below the recommendation from federal prosecutors of 56 months. Hooker’s defense team had asked for a sentence of probation.
Senate Vote This Week Will Test the Popularity of DOGE Cuts to Public Media, Foreign Aid
| Associated Press
Senate Republicans will test the popularity of Department of Government Efficiency spending cuts this week by aiming to pass President Donald Trump’s request to claw back $9.4 billion in public media and foreign aid spending.
From Pritzker to Newsom to Emanuel, Democrats Already Lining Up for 2028 Presidential Race in Early Voting States
| Associated Press
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is having private conversations with key South Carolina Democrats, including presidential primary kingmaker Rep. Jim Clyburn, in which Emanuel indicated strong interest in a presidential run.
Meet Ferris, Bean and El. Chicago’s Piping Plover Chicks Receive Names Fit for City’s Newest Icons
| Patty Wetli
“This year, the names represent iconic Chicago landmarks woven into the city’s fabric and known to all visitors of our beloved city and community,” Chicago Piping Plovers said.
After Burke and Madigan Convictions, Push for Ethics Reform at Inflection Point: Analysis
| Heather Cherone
Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward) will ask the Ethics Committee on Monday to advance a proposal designed to prevent the city’s top lawyer from intervening in ongoing probes that risk “embarrassment or political consequences” for city leaders.
Week in Review: Pritzker and Johnson Warn of Fallout From Trump Cuts; Federal Agents Descend on Humboldt Park Museum
| Paul Caine
Federal agents descend on a local museum, with community leaders saying they meant to bully and intimidate. And the mayor and governor decry the president’s signature new spending bill.
Chicago’s Chipmunks Are Evolving in Front of Our Eyes, and That’s Not a Good Thing, Researchers Say
| Patty Wetli
Researchers studied specimens of small mammals in the Field Museum’s collection to explore the ways animals are adapting to urbanization.
July 10, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Could industries like agriculture and hospitality be exempt from immigration raids? And how disaster relief groups are working to address the needs of communities.
New Exhibition on Richard Hunt, Chicago Sculptor Who Made Monuments for the Nation, Provides an Intimate Look
| Marc Vitali
Richard Hunt created more public sculptures and monuments in the U.S. than any other artist — over 160 by the time he died in 2023. He spent more than 70 years grinding, welding and sculpting metal. A new exhibition provides an intimate look at his work.
How Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Could Impact the Illinois Farming Industry
| Abena Bediako
Nationally, construction and agriculture workforces had the highest shares of undocumented workers as of 2022, according to the American Immigration Council.
‘A National Movement’: Illinois, Other States Consider Laws Around Menopause Care and Training for Doctors
| CNN
At least two dozen bills have been introduced across 15 states this year. Most of the legislation is related to insurance coverage for menopause care, awareness and education, clinician training or menopause in the workplace.
CDC Finds Nearly 1 in 3 US Youth Have Prediabetes, But Experts Question Scant Data
| Associated Press
Scientists who study and treat diabetes noted that CDC officials released only a 600-word online summary of their new findings — not the raw data nor a peer-reviewed published paper describing how they arrived at the new figure.
State Department Firing More Than 1,300 Employees Under Trump Administration Plan
| Associated Press
While lauded by President Donald Trump as overdue and necessary to make the department leaner, more nimble and more efficient, the cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and the ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad.
Head Start Will Be Cut Off for Immigrants Without Legal Status, Trump Administration Says
| Associated Press
People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers.
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