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With $900K Grant, Big Improvements Coming to Big Marsh Park — Including City’s 1st Campground
| Patty Wetli
A grant from the state will help fund creation of the Chicago Park District’s first campground and a fully accessible 3-mile trail at Big Marsh, a natural area rising up from the waste of big steel on the city’s Southeast Side.
10 Things to Do This Weekend: Jan. 23-26
| Kristen Thometz
A Chinese New Year celebration, a play about Nancy Pelosi, sweet bread and an icy dip in the lake usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.
Crain’s Headlines: New York Investor Buys ‘Big Red’ for $370M
| WTTW News
One of the standouts on Chicago’s skyline is changing hands.
AP-NORC poll: Public Doubts Senate Trial Will be Revealing
| Associated Press
Americans are sharply divided along party lines about whether President Donald Trump should be removed from office, and they doubt the Senate impeachment trial will do anything to change their minds, according to a new poll.
Trump: Travel Ban Expansion Coming, Nations Aren’t Yet Final
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. would soon be imposing visa restrictions on more countries — though it’s not clear yet how many nations will be affected by his expansion of the travel ban.
US Seeks to Tighten Rules Covering Service Animals on Planes
| Associated Press
The days of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles and birds on planes as emotional-support animals could be ending.
Lawsuit: Convicted CPD Officers Used ‘Bogus’ Warrants to Raid Women’s Homes
| Matt Masterson
In separate incidents, two Chicago women say multiple Chicago police officers fabricated evidence in order to unlawfully search their homes and make arrests for drug violations that were later dismissed.
Cook County Jail Inmates Turn Vegetable Oil into Diesel Fuel
| Evan Garcia
A small group of detainees are learning how to make biodiesel fuel from reclaimed cooking oil. Hundreds of gallons have so far been produced – and thousands of dollars saved – but officials also tout the program’s rehabilitative value.
R. Kelly Will Face Trial in Alleged Sex Assault of Former Hairdresser
| Matt Masterson
The woman says she was 24 years old and working for R. Kelly when the R&B singer allegedly tried to make her perform oral sex on him in 2003.
CPS Seeking to Combat Truancy Through Attendance Tracking Program
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Public Schools is proposing a new agreement with a South Side nonprofit to help monitor attendance at nine high schools through home visits and other services in an effort to ward off truancy.
Does Illinois Have the Energy to Opt out of FERC?
| Amanda Vinicky
A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling issued in December could lead to a spike in your energy bills – but then again, maybe not. It’s the latest energy battle set to play out in Springfield.
The Impact of Citizens United, 10 Years Later
| Andrea Guthmann
On the 10th anniversary of one of the United States’ most divisive Supreme Court rulings, two legal analysts share their differing views on the impact Citizens United has had on campaign funding and the nation’s political process.
Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones Share Spotlight at Oak Brook Museum
| Marc Vitali
There is now more to explore at a local museum that really rocks. We visit the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, which recently reopened to the public.
How Should Chicago Handle a ‘Climate Emergency’?
| Evan Garcia
Ald. Matt Martin recently introduced a resolution in City Council declaring a state of climate emergency. The plan calls for citywide budgetary measures and policies to reduce carbon emissions, but some worry about its economic impact.
Pot Makes Pets Sick, Says Veterinary Group
| Kristen Thometz
Marijuana may produce pleasurable affects in people, but for pets, the mind-altering substance can be dangerous and even lethal, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. “We don’t want people to think it’s benign or harmless,” said Michael San Filippo of the AVMA.
Impeachment Arguments as Seen by Democrats, Trump Team
| Associated Press
A look at the main points Democrats are making as they argue for President Donald Trump’s removal from office, and Trump’s response as the defense team pushes for his speedy acquittal.
Crain’s Headlines: Boeing Looks to Summer for 737 Max Approval
| WTTW News
Bloomberg reports that Boeing is telling customers the grounded 737 Max jet won’t be approved to fly until June or July. That’s months later than previously anticipated.
Chicago Legal Group: COPA Should Handle Sexual Misconduct Cases Involving Police
| Matt Masterson
Citizen complaints of sexual misconduct lodged against Chicago police officers are handled by the department’s own Bureau of Internal Affairs. Why a group of Chicago lawyers and legal analysts say that should change.
US Gets 1st Case of Mysterious New Chinese Illness
| Associated Press
Late last week, U.S. health officials began screening passengers from Wuhan in central China, where the outbreak began, at three U.S. airports. On Tuesday, the CDC announced it will add Chicago’s O’Hare airport and Atlanta’s airport to the mix later this week.
In ‘Juliet,’ A Mother and Her Children in Time of Extreme Political Distress
| Hedy Weiss
At once haunting, sad and beautiful, Andras Visky’s “Juliet” – now in production by Theatre Y – is a work of both real life and pure poetry.
Tired of Your Exercise Tunes? Michelle Obama Shares Her Workout Playlist
| Kristen Thometz
The former first lady’s 2020 workout playlist includes hits by Beyonce, Lizzo, Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean, BJ the Chicago Kid and more. Get the full list.
Captured Coyote, Named Mercy, Won’t Be Euthanized
| Patty Wetli
The coyote, confirmed to have bitten a young boy, won’t be released back into the wild but will be placed in an educational setting to raise awareness of the need for peaceful coexistence.
Democrats Decry McConnell’s Impeachment Rules as ‘Cover-Up’
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial quickly burst into a partisan fight Tuesday at the Capitol as Democrats objected strongly to rules proposed by the Republican leader for compressed arguments and a speedy trial.
Chicago Educator, Civil Rights Activist Reflects on Legacy of MLK
| Tonia Hill
Martin Luther King Jr. was known for speaking out against racial segregation, voter disenfranchisement and economic inequality. We discuss his life and legacy with a man who marched with him: Paul Adams III.
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