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Prosecutors Seek 56 Month Prison Term for John Hooker, First of ‘ComEd Four’ to be Sentenced in Madigan Bribery Scheme
| Matt Masterson
The feds asked a judge to give John Hooker, a former ComEd exec, a prison sentence of 56 months following his conviction on charges including bribery conspiracy and willfully falsifying the utility company’s books.
Pritzker Taps Former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as Running Mate
| Heather Cherone
Gov. JB Pritzker called the little-known former state representative “a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois.”
June 30, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
What’s behind Chicago’s low homicide clearance rates. And the city’s queer ballroom culture takes center stage.
Inside Chicago’s Queer Ballroom Scene: ‘This Little Slice of Fantasy’
| Shelby Hawkins
Ballroom’s pageantry comes to life in the form of balls. Participants and houses compete in various categories for prizes, money and trophies. Some of the categories are: Runway, Vogue Femme, and Realness.
Chicago’s Pension Debt Decreases $1.3B in 2024 to $35.9B: City Analysis
| Heather Cherone
In all, Chicago owes $35.9 billion to its four employee pension funds representing police officers, firefighters, municipal employees and laborers, according to the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.
Chicago Ended 2024 With $161M Deficit: Officials
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago Police Department exceeded its nearly $2 billion budget, approved by the Chicago City Council, by $207 million, according to city data.
Illinois to Roll Out Direct Admissions Program for Most State Universities
| Andrew Adams — Capitol News Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating a direct admissions program. Along with it, he approved bills that implement new state standards for programs offering college credits to high school students, and new requirements for financial aid application assistance.
Contest Announced To Name Chicago’s 3 Piping Plover Chicks. Here’s How To Enter
| Patty Wetli
A contest is now open to submit names for Imani and Searocket’s three offspring.
EPA Employees Put Names to ‘Declaration of Dissent’ Over Agency Moves Under Trump
| Associated Press
More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation.
WTTW News Explains: What’s the Story Behind Chicago’s Piping Plovers?
| Patty Wetli
Chicago’s lakefront is famously open and free. So why is a prime section of Montrose Beach roped off every summer? Because it’s for the birds. Literally. The piping plovers. WTTW News explains.
Trump Administration Finds Harvard Failed to Protect Jewish Students, Threatens to Cut All Funding
| Associated Press
The finding from the administration is the latest intensification in the White House’s battle with Harvard, which lost more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants after rejecting a list of federal demands calling for sweeping changes to campus governance, hiring and admissions.
Supreme Court Takes Up a Republican Appeal to End Limits on Party Spending in Federal Elections
| Associated Press
Without the limits on party spending, large donors would be able to skirt caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate, supporters of the law say.
As Hearings Start on How to Fill Chicago’s Projected $1.2B 2026 Budget Gap, Officials Won’t Say How Much City Spent on Overtime in 2024
| Heather Cherone
Chicago officials held the first of four “budget engagement roundtables” designed to gather feedback about the city’s 2026 budget.
Week in Review: Pritzker Launches Bid for 3rd Term; CTU Calls for More Borrowing to Avoid Cuts
| Paul Caine
Gov. JB Pritzker makes it official — he’s running for a third term. And the interim CPS CEO says Chicago schools face an even higher deficit than had been reported.
Supreme Court Limits Nationwide Injunctions, but Fate of Trump Birthright Citizenship Order Unclear
| Associated Press
A conservative majority left open the possibility that the birthright citizenship changes could remain blocked nationwide. Trump’s order would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of people who are in the country illegally.
Supreme Court Preserves Key Part of Obamacare Coverage Requirements
| Associated Press
The 6-3 ruling comes in a lawsuit over how the government decides which health care medications and services must be fully covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama’s signature law, often referred to as Obamacare.
Supreme Court Says Maryland Parents Can Pull Their Kids From Public School Lessons Using LGBTQ Books
| Associated Press
The decision was not a final ruling in the case, but the justices strongly suggested that the parents will win in the end.
A Wave of Japanese Art and Culture Immerses College of DuPage in ‘Floating World’ Exhibition
| Marc Vitali
The exhibition “Hokusai & Ukiyo-e: The Floating World” transports visitors to a time when Japan was emerging from the feudal era and modern cities were booming.
Lupe Fiasco, JoJo, Elvis Crespo to Headline Taste of Chicago Concerts
| Heather Cherone
Lupe Fiasco, born Wasalu Jaco in Chicago, will bring his sharp-tongued raps like “Kick Push” and “Superstar” to Grant Park on Sept. 5.
New Interim CPS CEO Outlines Goals for District: ‘We Must Keep Students at the Heart of All That We Do’
| Matt Masterson
“I step into this role with a deep sense of responsibility and an unwavering commitment to the students, families and the educators who make this district extraordinary,” interim CPS CEO Macquline King said Thursday.
June 26, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
It’s official: Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s running for a third term. And we hear from some Congress members who got turned away from ICE facilities.
Illinois Congress Members Push Back After Being Denied Access to ICE Facilities
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
Some members of Congress are saying they’ve been turned away from local ICE facilities as they seek transparency on the conditions detainees are experiencing. Federal appropriations law allows members of Congress to perform oversight of these facilities, unannounced.
New Book Explores What It’s Like Working as a StreetWise Magazine Vendor
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
For the people who sell copies of the magazine, it’s more than just a job. It’s often their way out of challenges such as poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and mental health issues.
Bill Moyers, Acclaimed Journalist Who Created Wide-Ranging Programs at PBS, Dead at 91
| Associated Press
Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television’s most honored journalists with hundreds of hours of programming at PBS, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91.
Trump Administration Restores $1M in Frozen Anti-Terrorism Funds to Chicago, City Officials Announce
| Heather Cherone
Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson Lowry said the federal government gave the city no explanation for its decision to send millions of dollars to Chicago and other big cities that officials held in a deep freeze for nearly six months.
Horror-Themed Immersive Experience From Universal Coming to Chicago Near Bally’s Casino Complex
| Dan Lambert
A year-round immersive horror experience from NBCUniversal will open in Chicago across from the new Bally’s Casino. Universal Horror Unleashed: Chicago will be the company’s first branded experience in the Midwest.
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