Stories by Heather Cherone
Key City Panel OKs Plan Designed to Stop Gentrification Sparked by Obama Presidential Center
| Heather Cherone
The unanimous vote by the City Council’s Housing and Real Estate Committee means a yearslong fight to prevent longtime residents from being pushed out of South Shore is one step away from victory.
Sister Jean, Who Cheered on Loyola’s Men’s Basketball Team, Is Retiring at 106
| Eunice Alpasan
Sister Jean provided a message to Loyola students and faculty on her 106th birthday on Aug. 21, where she said she had a “bad summer cold and other health issues” that made her unable to celebrate her birthday on campus this year.
Broadview Fire Chief Demanding Federal Officials Remove Fencing Around ICE Facility
| Matt Masterson
A suburban fire chief has asked federal authorities to remove fencing placed up around an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center this week in Broadview.
Districts Around the US Are Mulling School Closures as Student Enrollment Falls
| Associated Press
Public school enrollment is projected to tumble 5.5% between 2022 and 2031, largely due to changing demographics, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Other factors include the shift by some students to private education or homeschooling and some immigrant families’ decisions to leave the country.
‘Nightmare Bacteria’ Cases Are Increasing in the US
| Associated Press
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs such as bacteria and fungi gain the power to fight off the drugs designed to kill them. The misuse of antibiotics was a big reason for the rise — unfinished or unnecessary prescriptions that didn’t kill the germs made them stronger.
Donald Trump’s Touting of an Unproven Autism Drug Surprised Many, Including the Doctor Who Proposed It
| Associated Press
Dr. Richard Frye told The Associated Press that he’d been talking with federal regulators about developing his own customized version of the drug for children with autism, assuming more research would be required.
Illinois Health Department Recommends COVID Vaccines for All Adults Despite Federal Guidelines
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
The recommendation bucks new and murky guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend vaccines only for people ages 65 and older.
Feds Accuse Chicago Police Officer of Straw Purchasing Firearms That Were Smuggled to Mexico
| Matt Masterson
A Chicago police officer is accused of using his official credentials to purchase an assault weapon and another firearm in an attempt to smuggle them into Mexico.
Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Sept. 24-30
| Josh Terry
Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Sept. 23, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Grassroots organizing in response to “Operation Midway Blitz.” And a local event raises awareness for suicide prevention.
Fundraiser Walk in Chicago Aims to Raise Awareness for Suicide Prevention
| Eunice Alpasan
The Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk, hosted by the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Montrose Harbor.
Northwestern University Lab Helps Shape the Future of Medical Monitoring
| Paul Caine
From flexible electronic monitors the size of a Band-Aid to tiny pacemakers that dissolve harmlessly in the body when no longer needed — the work of the Querrey Simpson Institute of Bioelectronics at Northwestern University at times seems truly miraculous.
Chicago’s Latino Communities See Surge in Grassroots Activism as Immigration Operations Continue
| Blake Thor
Nationwide, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports more than 2 million people have left the country since Jan. 20. The agency said it is on pace to deport nearly 600,000 people by the end of President Donald Trump’s first year back in office.
Hunger Researchers Put On Leave After Trump Administration Cancels Food Insecurity Report
| CNN
Days after announcing it was ending the government’s annual food insecurity report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture placed about a dozen researchers, supervisors and administrators on paid administrative leave.
Pritzker Directs State Agencies to Limit Spending in Response to Trump’s Economic Policies
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
The latest order requires most state agencies to, within 30 days, “identify immediate spending reductions, including efficiencies that will result in reduced spending.”
Chicago Is Making Holiday Plans. Search Is On for City’s Official Christmas Tree
| Patty Wetli
Applications are now open for the city’s official Christmas tree, which will stand at the center of celebrations in Millennium Park.
Trump Cancels White House Meeting With Democratic Leaders Despite Risk of a Government Shutdown
| Associated Press
In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected the sit-down that the White House had agreed to a day before. It would have been the first time the Republican president met with the Democratic Party’s leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, since his return to the White House.
ISBE to Host Listening Sessions on New Plan to Boost Math Performance Statewide
| Matt Masterson
The Illinois State Board of Education next month will begin hosting listening sessions around the state on the first draft of its Comprehensive Numeracy Plan, which the board said will provide guidance that supports educators, schools and districts in advancing student success in math.
Trump Makes Unfounded Claims About Tylenol and Repeats Discredited Link Between Vaccines and Autism
| Associated Press
The rambling announcement, which appeared to rely on existing studies rather than significant new research, comes as the Make America Healthy Again movement has been pushing for answers on the causes of autism.
Chicago Water Department Takes Heat for Sitting on Millions Earmarked for Lead Line Replacement
| Patty Wetli
The Chicago Department of Water Management is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for lead line replacement, with little progress made in terms of swapping out the toxic pipes. City Council members want to know why.
Plan to Legalize Coach Houses, Granny Flats Across Chicago Would Still Give Alderpeople Final Say
| Heather Cherone
A compromise proposal to allow Chicagoans to build basement, attic and coach house dwellings across the city would still give alderpeople the final say over whether the tiny homes could be built in their wards, officials said.
University of Chicago, Northwestern Ranked Among Top 10 Colleges in US News List
| Matt Masterson
The University of Chicago ranked sixth in the nation, jumping up five spots from eleventh last year, while the Evanston-based Northwestern University fell one spot into a tie for seventh.
Sept. 22, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Jimmy Kimmel is back — yet there are growing concerns about free speech and government overreach. And a new book explores why some women are stuck doing twice the amount of housework as their husbands.
Free Speech Advocates React to Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension; Comic to Return to Air Tuesday
| Associated Press
ABC suspended Kimmel indefinitely after comments he made about Kirk, who was killed Sept. 10, in a monologue. Kimmel said “many in MAGA land are working very hard to capitalize on the murder of Charlie Kirk” and that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
New Book Explores Why Some Women Do Twice as Much Housework as Their Husbands
| Blair Paddock
“Gender roles have converged in the workplace,” author Corinne Low said. “They haven’t converged in the home.”
Chicagoans’ Right to Compost Could Get a Boost From City Council
| Patty Wetli
The Chicago City Council could make it easier for people to keep organic waste out of landfill.
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