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A $50 Gift for Every Illinois Baby, Courtesy of Taxpayers
| Amanda Vinicky
Among the new laws taking effect in 2020 is a program that seeks to give Illinois children a leg up, before they’re even able to crawl.
Fight Over President Trump’s Finances Lands at Supreme Court
| Alexandra Silets
Can President Donald Trump block Congress from seeing his financial records? The Supreme Court has agreed to hear three cases to determine whether he can keep them private.
Crain’s Headlines: Boeing to Temporarily Halt 737 Max Production
| WTTW News
Bloomberg reports that Boeing will temporarily halt production of its grounded 737 Max jetliner next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.
City Attorneys Ask Federal Judge to Toss Jussie Smollett Countersuit
| Matt Masterson
Attorneys from Chicago’s Law Department argue in a new filing Monday that the former “Empire” star’s countersuit should be thrown out, in part, because that criminal case could be reopened.
Deeply Rooted Dancers Set the Stage on Fire
| Hedy Weiss
Two questions invariably come to mind when I see Deeply Rooted Dance Theater: Why is this company not more famous? And why isn’t it championed as Chicago’s counterpart of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater?
Lawsuit: ‘Deliberate Indifference’ of Board of Education Allowed Sexual Assault
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Board of Education and a West Side charter school are being sued by a female student who claims the school’s ex-basketball coach sexually assaulted her multiple times last year.
December 16, 2019 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Dec. 16, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Gumball Machine Pays Tribute to Art-O-Mat With a Poetic Twist
| Angel Idowu
If you spent any time as a child at the Chicago Cultural Center, you might remember the Art-o-mat machine that dispensed a piece of art in exchange for two tokens. That same machine has inspired a new concept for storytelling through poetry.
‘The Light in the Piazza’ Dimmed By a Grand-Scale Venue
| Hedy Weiss
Created for Broadway, “The Light in the Piazza” is a profoundly intimate work and belongs in a space that can fully embrace that intimacy. The Lyric Opera House, where it is now being presented, is not such a place.
House Vote, And on to the Senate: What’s Next in Impeachment
| Associated Press
The House will vote on the impeachment of President Donald Trump this week after spending the past three months investigating the president’s dealings in Ukraine and deciding whether his behavior was grave enough to qualify as high crimes and misdemeanors.
Packers Playoff Bound, Beat Bears in Rivals’ 200th Game
| Associated Press
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers’ wait to see if a long-time foe would help them clinch a playoff spot was a whole lot easier than the lateral-filled final play they had to survive to beat the Chicago Bears in the rivals’ 200th game.
‘Shop Early’: US Christmas Trees Supplies Tight, Prices Up
| Associated Press
Christmas tree supplies are tight again this year across the U.S., depending upon location and seller. The industry is still bouncing back from the Great Recession and trying to win people back from a shift toward artificial trees when times were especially tough.
Holiday Money-Saving Strategies That Can Backfire
| Associated Press
Holiday marketers have your number, and they know how to entice you to spend. However, you can position yourself to recognize – and overcome – overspending triggers.
The Week in Review: Trump Lashes Out After House Panel Vote
| Nick Blumberg
The House moves forward on Trump impeachment. Interim top cop Charlie Beck makes a big change. Is Chicago equipped to weather a recession? And the Bears head to Lambeau for a rematch with the Packers.
Durbin, Krishnamoorthi Propose Vaping Fee to Fund Prevention Program
| Kristen Thometz
As part of an effort to steer youth away from vaping, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi are proposing a new fee on e-cigarette manufacturers and importers to fund prevention programs.
Report: Patients Misdiagnosed in Catholic Hospitals to Get Contraception
| Kristen Thometz
Medical providers at Catholic hospitals face multiple barriers to providing contraceptive care to women, and such restrictions have prompted workarounds that can be harmful to patients, a new report from the University of Chicago finds.
House Gets 2 Trump Impeachment Charges After Judiciary Vote
| Associated Press
Democrats propelled President Donald Trump’s impeachment toward a historic vote by the full U.S. House on Friday, as the Judiciary Committee approved charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Dorothy Brown Associate Convicted of Lying Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison
| Matt Masterson
Federal prosecutors said that by lying to a grand jury, 58-year-old Beena Patel “threw a wrench in the wheels of justice and ground them to a halt.”
US Labor Board Rules for McDonald’s in Unionization Case
| Associated Press
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled in McDonald’s favor in a long-running case filed by 20 workers who were fired or faced retaliation for trying to unionize.
House Panel Delays Historic Trump Impeachment Vote
| Associated Press
The House Judiciary Committee abruptly postponed a historic vote late Thursday on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, shutting down a 14-hour session that dragged with partisanship.
New Year, New Taxes: What Will Cost More in 2020
| Amanda Vinicky
Illinois’ income tax will hold steady in 2020 and despite warnings from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s new budget avoids a major property tax hike. But before you go on a holiday shopping spree, a word of caution.
‘Labor of Love’ Drives Meticulous Stivers Coffee Operation in Pilsen
| Evan Garcia
For more than 30 years, Stivers Coffee has used a large, gas-driven machine to roast coffee beans from all over the world for Chicago’s restaurants, offices, farmers markets and more. We go for a look.
Behind the Scenes of ‘The Light in the Piazza’ with Renée Fleming
| Marc Vitali
Following a run on London’s West End and at LA Opera, the Tony Award-winning musical “The Light in the Piazza” now comes to Chicago. We visited the cast during a recent rehearsal.
Crain’s Headlines: 4 South Side Hospitals in Consolidation Talks
| WTTW News
Plans are afoot to consolidate financially struggling hospitals that serve Chicago’s poorest residents on the South Side.
Bears, Packers Meet for 200th Time as Both Teams Eye the Playoffs
| Crystin Immel
It may be the best rivalry in all of sports. Former Bears offensive lineman James “Big Cat” Williams joins us to preview the 200th meeting of the Bears and Packers.
December 12, 2019 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Dec. 12, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
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