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The Trump Impeachment Hearings Highlight Immigrants’ Stories
| Associated Press
Several witnesses who testified in the House impeachment inquiry this week chose to highlight their immigrant backgrounds, sharing their families’ stories in highly personal opening statements.
New World Record for Hula-Hooping Set by Jenny Doan in Chicago
| Kristen Thometz
The 29-year old Wicker Park resident has been hula-hooping for more than 75 hours straight, breaking the Guinness World Record for longest marathon hula-hooping session, but she’s not giving up until she reaches her personal goal of 100 hours.
‘Slave for Sale’ Craigslist Post Leads to Hate Crime Charges
| Associated Press
A suburban Chicago 14-year-old faces hate crime and other charges for allegedly posting on Craigslist a picture of an African American classmate with the caption, “Slave for sale.”
Will Illinois’ Marijuana Law Meet its Social Equity Aims?
| Amanda Vinicky
When he signed a law that will make it legal for adults to use marijuana starting in 2020, Gov. J.B. Pritzker proclaimed it to be the most equity-centric in the nation. But is it? And what exactly does that mean?
The Shifting Political Messaging of Impeachment
| Quinn Myers
How has the impeachment testimony of former National Security Council adviser Fiona Hill and other witnesses impacted political messaging on both sides of the aisle? Jason DeSanto, a senior lecturer at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, weighs in.
November 21, 2019 - Full Show
| WTTW News
Watch the Nov. 21, 2019 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”
Too Young to Prosecute? 9-Year-Old Boy Facing Murder Charges
| Alexandra Silets
A 9-year-old boy returns to court Friday to face five counts of first-degree murder after an April fire killed five people in central Illinois. Joining us to discuss the highly unusual case are a reporter covering the story and a juvenile justice advocate.
Bears Hope to Rebound Against 2-Win Giants
| Crystin Immel
Is there still hope for the Chicago Bears? Former Bears offensive lineman James “Big Cat” Williams joins us to preview their matchup with the New York Giants on Sunday.
Blues Prodigy Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram Hits Chicago
| Marc Vitali
Buddy Guy called him “the next explosion of the blues” when he was still a teenager. The debut album by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram arrived this summer on Chicago’s Alligator Records – and this week earned a Grammy nomination.
New Book Critiques the ‘Myth of Journalistic Objectivity’
| Quinn Myers
For decades, the concept of journalistic objectivity has been a central value of the mainstream news media. But does objectivity actually exist? And if so, who and what does its pursuit serve? Author Lewis Raven Wallace joins us to discuss “The View from Somewhere.”
Crain’s Headlines: PepsiCo Signs 8-Year Lease for Old Post Office
| WTTW News
Soft drink giant PepsiCo has officially joined the party at the Old Post Office. The company signed an eight-year lease to move its Chicago office and 1,300 employees late next year to the redeveloped building.
Chicago Opera Theater Captures Extreme Passions in Pair of Life-and-Death One-Acts
| Hedy Weiss
As Robert Frost famously wrote: “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some in ice.” And in a very real sense it was those two opposing endgame scenarios that Chicago Opera Theater conjured this past weekend as it opened its 2019-2020 season.
Family of Mercy Hospital Shooting Victim Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
| Matt Masterson
The father of slain pharmacist Dayna Less is suing Mercy Hospital and its security firm, claiming their “systemic failures” allowed a domestic violence incident “escalate into a triple homicide.”
Federal Prosecutors to Participate in ‘Project Guardian’ to Target Chicago Gun Crime
| Matt Masterson
Federal prosecutors in Chicago say their office is entering into a new Department of Justice initiative aimed at reducing gun violence through coordinated prosecutions and new or improved background check enforcements.
‘On Whose Authority?’: What to Watch in Impeachment Hearings
| Associated Press
Former National Security Council adviser Fiona Hill and U.S. diplomat David Holmes are the eighth and ninth witnesses to testify publicly before the House impeachment hearings against the 45th president. Watch live.
Trump Directed Ukraine Quid Pro Quo, Key Witness Says
| Associated Press
Ambassador Gordon Sondland declared to impeachment investigators Wednesday that President Donald Trump and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani explicitly sought a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine, leveraging an Oval Office visit for political investigations of Democrats.
Police: Chicago Teen Hurt in Gunfire Likely Shot by Officer
| Associated Press
A 15-year-old Chicago high school student who was wounded during a gun fight between a bank robbery suspect and investigators was likely shot by a suburban police officer, Chicago police said Wednesday.
Spotlight Politics: Will Smollett Saga Sway State’s Attorney’s Race?
| Amanda Vinicky
“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is back in the headlines as the state’s attorney whose office cleared him of charges announces she’s running for re-election. Our politics team digs into that story and more in our weekly roundtable.
Mayor: Progressive Pushback to City Budget ‘Untethered’ from Reality
| Amanda Vinicky
By this time next week, Chicago alderman will have voted on the city’s next budget. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is optimistic that her budget will pass, even as progressive groups say she’s breaking campaign promises.
Tetsuya Ishida’s First US Show Features Moody Portraits of 20th Century Life
| Marc Vitali
An artist with a cult following in Japan and Europe has his first show in the United States, and it is in Chicago. We visit the exhibition “Self-Portrait of Other” for a strong dose of surrealism and satire.
Ask Geoffrey: The Oliver Typewriter Company
| Quinn Myers
Geoffrey Baer shares the story behind a unique Chicago-made typewriter and the ornate 1907 building that served as its headquarters.
Women Forced to Choose Between Food and Menstrual Products
| DePaul’s Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence
Nearly 25 million American women living below the poverty line are faced with a terrible choice every month: whether to spend money on menstrual hygiene products or other necessities. We explore what’s called period poverty – and the movement to end it.
‘Silver, Sword and Stone’: Author Writes Sweeping History of Latin America
| Paul Caine
Peruvian American journalist Marie Arana talks about her new book, “Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story.”
Crain’s Headlines: Tribune Stock Soars After Alden Global Purchase
| WTTW News
Tribune Publishing stock soared as much as 15% Wednesday after Alden Global, a hedge fund known for making deep cuts to newsrooms, bought out Tribune’s largest stockholder.
World Record Attempt: 31 Hours In, Hula-Hooper is Sore But Optimistic
| Kristen Thometz
Jenny Doan is planning to hula-hoop for 100 hours straight in order to break the Guinness World Record. We check in with her 31 hours into the challenge. “It’s been tiring,” said the 29-year-old Wicker Park resident.
State Board of Education Calls for End to Student Isolation Following Investigation
| Nick Blumberg
An emergency action from the state board of education comes a day after a Tribune-ProPublica investigation revealed thousands of cases in which schools put students into seclusion. We speak with two of the reporters behind that story.
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