The city’s public health department has been distributing the tests since October to try and reduce the number of deaths due to the drug. The city has distributed somewhere between 14-1500 kits.
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Chicago to Pay $2.9M to Anjanette Young To Settle Botched Raid Lawsuit
The Chicago City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $2.9 million to resolve the lawsuit brought by Anjanette Young after police officers handcuffed her while she was naked and ignored her pleas for help during a botched raid in February 2019.
Yearlong BGA Investigation Reveals City’s Failed Promises in Cabrini-Green
Cabrini-Green residents were promised jobs and housing after its demolition. A new investigation from the Better Government Association reveals how those promises fell short.
Data Indicate Omicron is Milder, Better at Evading Vaccines
The findings released Tuesday are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed — the gold standard in scientific research — but they line up with other early data about omicron's behavior, including that it seems to be more easily transmitted.
As Lightfoot Decries Segregation, City Council Defies Aldermanic Prerogative to Approve Apartments
The proposal from Glenstar at 8535 W. Higgins Road will build the 41st Ward’s first affordable housing in decades amid a cluster of hotels and office mid-rises along the Kennedy Expressway near O’Hare Airport and steps away from the CTA Blue Line.
City Council Green Lights Sports Betting at Chicago’s Pro-Sports Arenas
A full-court press from the owners of the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks helped the measure backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot hit the jackpot despite the opposition of Chicago billionaire and Rivers Casino Des Plaines operator Neil Bluhm.
The $850 Million Question: Who Can Pay for Invasive Carp Defense Project?
Great Lakes Governors Say, ‘Not Us’
Great Lakes governors are asking the federal government to fund costs of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project on the Des Plaines River, designed to block the incursion of invasive carp into the lakes.
Indicted Ald. Carrie Austin Collapses During City Council Meeting
Indicted Ald. Carrie Austin (34th Ward) collapsed during Wednesday’s City Council meeting and was treated by former firefighter Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) before reviving and being taken out of the Council Chambers on a stretcher.
Board Approves $9M Settlement for Fired Black CPS Teachers, Staff
Chicago education officials approved a settlement Wednesday that will put an end to years of litigation with the Chicago Teachers Union over a series of layoffs that disparately impacted hundreds of Black teachers and paraprofessionals.
US Faces a Double Coronavirus Surge as Omicron Advances
The White House on Wednesday insisted there is no need for a lockdown because vaccines are widely available and appear to offer protection against the worst consequences of the virus.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Dec. 16-19
Christmas tubas, seasonal concerts, a craft fair and a reimagined “A Christmas Carol” usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.
Special Prosecutor Asks Judge to Release Report on Jussie Smollett Investigation
“The trial of Mr. Smollett being complete, it is now appropriate for the seal on the (Office of Special Prosecutor’s) Summary Report to be lifted and for it to be publicly available,” Dan Webb wrote in a new motion Wednesday.
Omicron Variant Detected in Suburban Cook County, Officials Announce
The first case of the omicron variant in suburban Cook County was reported Tuesday, according to county health officials.
Chauvin Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Floyd’s Death
Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of violating George Floyd’s civil rights, averting a trial but likely extending the time he is already spending behind bars on a state conviction.
Congress Sends Biden $2.5T Debt Limit Hike, Avoiding Default
Capping a marathon day, the House gave final approval to the legislation early Wednesday morning on a near-party-line 221-209 vote, defusing a volatile issue until after the 2022 midterm elections.
House Votes to Hold Mark Meadows in Contempt in Jan. 6 Probe
The near-party-line 222-208 vote is the second time the special committee has sought to punish a witness for defying a subpoena.
‘8-Track’ Brilliantly Taps Into the Emotional Heat and Exuberance of Songs From a Turbulent Era
While its score may be classic retro, the songs are performed with great authenticity by artists who came of age decades after the baby boomers and Generation Xers who grew up with them.
Illinois Establishing Midwife License
Decades ago, the state of Illinois outlawed midwifery. Now the state’s in the process of changing course with a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Chicago Sees Overwhelming Demand for Santa This Season
Families are lining up around the city to meet with the big guy himself. In some places, there's a struggle to meet the demand.
COVID Toll Hits 800,000 to Close Out Year Filled With Death
The U.S. on Tuesday hit another depressing pandemic milestone — 800,000 deaths. It’s a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.
Independent Humboldt Park Library Fighting to Keep Doors Open
For nearly 16 years, the Read/Write Library has been operating in the community, providing unique publications like creative books, neighborhood newspapers and personal narratives by people who are incarcerated.
COVID-19 ‘Surging Again’ Across the Country: Chicago’s Top Doc
Chicago's updated travel advisory includes 42 states, announced Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
140-Foot Carvana Auto Dispenser Proposed in Skokie Poses High Threat to Birds. Will a Compromise Fly?
A 140-foot-tall transparent structure that’s brightly illuminated 24/7, located across the street from Harms Woods nature preserve, along a key migratory greenway, is a triple threat to birds, environmentalists say.
Zoning Committee OKs Far Northwest Side Apartments, Dealing Blow to Aldermanic Prerogative
The committee vote represents a nearly unprecedented rebuke of the decades-old tradition of giving alderpeople the final say over housing developments in their wards.
Man Accused in July Homicide Now Faces Charges in Separate West Englewood Killing
A man accused in a fatal shooting after a traffic accident earlier this year now faces charges in a separate West Englewood homicide in which he allegedly killed a man as he stood outside a vehicle that had two young children inside.
China Dismisses UK, Canada Olympic Boycott as ‘Farce’
China dismissed the decision by Canada and the United Kingdom to join Washington’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games as a “farce.”
