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Donald Trump’s Rhetoric About DC Echoes a History of Racist Narratives About Urban Crime
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump has taken control of D.C.’s law enforcement and ordered National Guard troops to deploy onto the streets of the nation’s capital, arguing the extraordinary moves are necessary to curb an urgent public safety crisis.
Lawyers Ask Judge to Expand Lawsuit Accusing CPD of Targeting Black, Latino Chicagoans With Traffic Stops to Include All Black, Latino Drivers
| Heather Cherone
Chicago taxpayers have already paid $1.46 million to defend the lawsuit that accuses the CPD of making more than 1.5 million traffic stops between 2016 and 2023 based on dubious evidence of minor violations that took direct aim at Black and Latino Chicagoans but spared White Chicagoans, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Aug. 11, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
How to address Chicago Public Schools’ budget problem. And outrage over the closure of an Uptown hospital.
Future Uncertain for 2 Chicago-Area Hospitals Amid Federal Funding Cuts, Mismanagement Allegations
| Shelby Hawkins
Federal funding cuts and allegations of mismanagement prompted the closures of most operations at Weiss Memorial Hospital in Uptown, while Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center is facing a similar fate.
Illinois Lawmakers on How to Fix Chicago Public Schools’ Budget Challenges
| Bridgette Adu-Wadier
CPS officials are faced with closing a whopping $734 million deficit by the end of the month. There is little wiggle room to cut costs or bring in revenue.
Johnson, Pritzker Dismiss Trump’s Threat to Send National Guard to Chicago
| Heather Cherone
After touting Chicago's significant and sustained drop in crime, Mayor Brandon Johnson accused the president of “spreading misinformation.”
The Perseid Meteor Shower Is Peaking in the Next 2 Days. Here’s How To Get a Decent View
| Patty Wetli
A bright moon will make it harder than usual to see the meteors as they streak across the night sky. But experts say it’s still worth a try.
Federal Judge Allows Chicago to Join Lawsuit to Stop Trump from Yanking Funding Sanctuary Cities
| Heather Cherone
U.S. District Judge William Orrick agreed to allow Chicago and 33 other cities and counties, including Los Angeles, Denver, Boston and Baltimore, to join the lawsuit that claimed the Trump administration was unlawfully trying to force local officials to help federal immigration agents conduct deportation efforts.
At Least 47% of Jobs Charged With Implementing Court-Ordered Police Reforms Are Empty, Another 226 Are Unaccounted For: Records
| Heather Cherone
Of 439 positions in the Chicago Police Department charged with implementing the consent decree, 207 positions, or 47%, were empty seven months into 2025, according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WTTW News. CPD officials failed to account for another 226 positions.
‘We’ve Been Tested’: Texas Dems Who’ve Fled to Illinois Enter Second Week of Quorum Break
| Matt Masterson
The Texas representatives, who are entering their second week of their quorum break, stood with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in Chicago Monday, days after a pair of bomb threats were called in to their St. Charles hotel.
Which Republicans Are Seeking Statewide Office in Illinois in 2026? So Far, Hardly Any
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
With U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Comptroller Susana Mendoza and others not seeking reelection in 2026, robust fields are growing in the Democratic primaries for the open seats. But on the Republican side, it’s a ghost town in primary races for statewide offices so far.
On the Front Lines in Eastern Ukraine, Peace Feels Far Away
| Associated Press
Recent suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that there will be some “swapping of territories” — and media reports that it would involve Ukrainian troops leaving the Donetsk region where they have fought for years defending every inch of land — have stirred confusion and rejection among the soldiers.
AOL Will Stop Offering Dial-Up Internet Service Next Month After More Than 30 Years
| CNN
The company that brought the internet to the masses in the 1990s and early 2000s recently posted a notice on its website saying that it “routinely evaluates its products and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet” on Sept. 30, ending more than three decades of operations.
Donald Trump Says He’s Placing Washington Police Under Federal Control, Deploying the National Guard
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump said Monday that he’s deploying the National Guard across Washington and taking over the city’s police department in the hopes of reducing crime, even as the city’s mayor has noted that crime is falling in the nation’s capital.
Week in Review: Texas Democrats Take Refuge in Illinois; DHS Secretary Noem Returns to Slam Sanctuary Cities
| Paul Caine
Texas Democrats hightail it to Illinois to stymie a redistricting effort. And Chicago Public Schools grapples with its fiscal crisis as a budget deadline approaches.
Want to Represent the 27th Ward on the Chicago City Council? Here’s How to Apply
| Heather Cherone
Walter Burnett, who represented parts of the West Side and the West Loop for 30 years on the Chicago City Council, retired July 31.
James Lovell, Apollo 13 Moon Mission Leader Who Settled in Chicago Suburbs, Dies at 97
| Associated Press
James Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13 who helped turn a failed moon mission into a triumph of on-the-fly can-do engineering, has died. He was 97. Lovell died Thursday in Lake Forest.
Chicago Bungalow Garden Contest Winners Work Wonders in Small Spaces — From a Backyard Oasis to a Pollinator Haven
| Patty Wetli
Chicago’s bungalows may be modest in size, but that doesn’t keep their owners from having grand ambitions when it comes to gardening.
Illinois Newsrooms Receive $4M From State Through Tax Credits
| Capitol News Illinois
Most of the funding went to organizations outside the Chicago metro area. Nonprofit outlets received 30% of the money. The vast majority of news organizations in Illinois are for-profit.
College Endowment Tax is Leading to Hiring Freezes and Could Mean Cuts in Financial Aid
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump signed the tax increase into law last month as part of his signature spending bill.
Trump Seeks to Change How Census Collects Data and Wants to Exclude Immigrants in US Illegally
| Associated Press
Any changes in the conduct of a national census, which is the biggest non-military undertaking by the federal government, would require alterations to the Census Act and approval from Congress, which has oversight responsibilities, and there likely would be a fierce fight.
Homeland Security Head Noem Criticizes Pritzker, Johnson in Illinois Visit While Local Officials Brand Her a ‘Liar’
| Matt Masterson
Kristi Noem, whose office oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), visited suburban Lombard on Friday to criticize Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, whom he claimed have “worked so hard to protect these dangerous criminals” through their refusal to cooperate with ICE officials.
Chicago Park District Will Stagger Pool Closings as Summer Heat Lingers, But Lifeguards Are Heading Back to School
| Patty Wetli
The district's goal is to continue to provide Chicagoans with cooling options to the extent possible, even as many of its lifeguards head back to school.
Appeals Court Rules Serious CPD Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public
| Heather Cherone
The ruling, which is likely to be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, endorses the effort backed by the city’s largest police union to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers.
Abrupt Closure of Illinois-Based Newspaper Chain Leaves Dozens of Communities Without a News Source
| Associated Press
News Media Corp., which owns local newspapers across five states, said it will close 14 operations in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five in Arizona, four in South Dakota and one in Nebraska.
Aug. 7, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
A wide-ranging one-on-one with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. And Illinois wildlife just got more interesting — we explain.
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