Stories by Associated Press
84% of the World’s Coral Reefs Hit by Worst Bleaching Event on Record: ‘Changing the Face of our Planet’
| Associated Press
The bleaching event has been so severe that NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program has had to add levels to its bleaching alert scale to account for the growing risk of coral death.
Chicago Firefighter Dies From Injuries After Battling Blaze in Austin Neighborhood
| Eunice Alpasan
Captain David Meyer, 54, died from injuries after a garage collapsed from a West Side fire early Wednesday morning. He joined the Chicago Fire Department in 1996.
Black Churches Back Embattled Smithsonian African American History Museum After Trump’s Order
| Associated Press
In a March 27 executive order, President Donald Trump alleged that Smithsonian exhibits had disparaged the nation’s history via a “divisive, race-centered ideology.” A group of pastors is pushing back.
Local Live Music Recommendations for Apr. 23-29
| 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.
Judge Holds Off on Dismissing Indictment of Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin, as Feds Insist She Is Healthy Enough to Stand Trial
| Heather Cherone
U.S. District Court Judge John F. Kness granted federal prosecutors’ request to hold an evidentiary hearing about whether the former alderperson is healthy enough to stand trial.
Dick Durbin Announces He Will Not Run for Reelection, Setting Off Scramble for Rare Open U.S. Senate Seat
| Heather Cherone
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced Wednesday he will not seek a sixth term in the U.S. Senate, setting off a scramble for a rare open seat that will reshape Illinois politics.
Riot Fest Announces 20th Anniversary Lineup With Headliners Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer and Jack White
| Eunice Alpasan
More than 90 bands will be performing during the three-day festival held Sept. 19-21 in Douglass Park.
April 22, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The president’s fight to end birthright citizenship is headed to the Supreme Court. And possible signs of life on a faraway planet.
Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Trump’s Plan to End Birthright Citizenship
| Andrea Guthmann
President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally has been halted nationwide by three district courts around the country. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings.
2 Months After Mayor Johnson Formed Task Force to Rid CPD of Extremist Groups, No Public Sign of Progress
| Heather Cherone
The task force, formed in February, has met twice, and the next meeting is set for Wednesday, Deputy Mayor Garien Gatewood said.
Cambridge Astronomers Detect Tentative Signs of Life on Distant World
| Paul Caine
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers said they were able to detect signs of sulfur-based molecules called dimethyl sulfide or DMS, which on Earth are only produced by life, primarily marine phytoplankton.
Illinois University Leaders Join Condemnation of Trump Administration’s ‘Unprecedented Government Overreach’
| Eunice Alpasan
Leaders from several Illinois universities signed onto a public statement Tuesday, alongside more than 200 university leaders across the U.S., speaking out against the Trump administration’s efforts to change university policies under the threat of cutting federal funding.
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez Tapped to Become Next Massachusetts State Education Commissioner
| Matt Masterson
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 9-0 in favor of selecting the embattled CPS chief from a pool of three finalists to become the state’s next Department of Elementary and Secondary Education commissioner.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Captures Mahler’s Magic: Review
| Hedy Weiss
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra took their place on stage for three performances led by visiting conductor Jaap van Zweden. The sheer immensity of Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 7” was immediately evident.
Pritzker Balances Messaging as Some Dems Encourage Party to Avoid LGBTQ Issues
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has made supporting LGBTQ rights a regular part of his platform as governor, including speaking at dinner events for the HRC and Equality Illinois in recent months. He’s set to speak to the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Sunday – one of the first Democratic presidential primary states.
Brandon Johnson Blasts Rahm Emanuel for Giving Trump ‘Script’ to Target Chicago
| Heather Cherone
“The Emanuel administration had immense disdain for public education, particularly for Black, Brown and poor children, and he was vocal about it,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “And now he is prancing around this country, asking people to reconsider him. It is not just frustrating. It is beyond offensive.”
Top ‘60 Minutes’ Producer Quits, Says He Can No Longer Make Independent Decisions
| Associated Press
The top producer at “60 Minutes” said Tuesday that he is quitting the show, saying that it has become clear that he would no longer be able to run it as he has in the past.
From ‘The Bear’ to the Blues, Chicago Piano Man Johnny Iguana at Home Playing All Kinds of Music
| Marc Vitali
The new LP “Johnny Iguana – At Delmark” includes standards such as Junior Wells’ “Messin’ With the Kid” and unexpected tunes like Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” and AC/DC’s “Riff Raff” — all instrumental and all on piano.
Monarchs’ Great Migration Has Reached Illinois as Butterflies Push North
| Patty Wetli
Monarchs left Mexico in late March and have now crossed into Illinois, according to reports.
Nearly Half of American Teens Say Social Media Is Bad for Young People’s Mental Health, New Report Finds
| CNN
Nearly half of U.S. teens say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age — and almost the same proportion say they’re cutting back on social media use, according to a Pew Research Center report.
TGI Fridays Has Just 3 Remaining Restaurants in Illinois, 85 Nationally
| CNN
TGI Fridays didn’t directly comment to CNN about the closures but said in a statement that the company is “now led by franchisees, with a franchisee advisory board empowering and shaping brand-wide decisions.”
As Controversies Pile Up, Donald Trump’s Allies Turn to the Infighting That Plagued First Term
| Associated Press
The latest turmoil threatens to engulf the Pentagon, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed out top advisers and faces fresh controversy over sharing sensitive information about airstrikes in Yemen outside of classified channels.
70% of Remaining 200K Jewish Holocaust Survivors Will Be Gone in the Next 10 Years, a Report Shows
| Associated Press
Eighty years after the Holocaust, more than 200,000 Jewish survivors are still alive but 70% of them will be gone within the next 10 years — meaning time is running out to hear the voices of the last generation who suffered through one of the worst atrocities in history.
Pope Francis’ Funeral Will Be Held Saturday, With Public Viewing Starting Wednesday
| Associated Press
Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff.
Dept. of Energy Official to Retire From Fermilab Oversight Role Amid Federal Workforce Reductions
| Jared Rutecki
Roger Snyder, who worked at the Department of Energy for decades, will leave the Fermi Site Office in May, WTTW News has confirmed. The site manager works closely with the director of the national lab as part of the federal government.
April 21, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Remembering the life of Pope Francis. And why some advocates are speaking out against the Trump administration’s approach to autism research.
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