Stories by CNN
Sonya Massey’s Family and Sangamon County Agree to $10M Settlement Over Fatal Shooting
| CNN
Sonya Massey was killed July 6 after two Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies responded to her 911 call about a possible prowler at her home. She was shot and killed following a dispute with one of the responding deputies involving a pot of boiling water in her kitchen, body camera footage showed.
Reform Groups Say CPD’s New Plan to Stop and Search Chicagoans Violates Constitution, Consent Decree
| Heather Cherone
The proposed policy “impermissibly allows officers to use race, ethnicity, and other protected characteristics when making decisions on whether to stop, frisk or search people, in violation of federal and state law,” according to the coalition led by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
Feb. 10, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The Trump administration plans to dissolve USAID — a look at the potential impact. And unlocking the secrets of life in some of the most extreme environments on Earth.
How Trump’s Plan to Shrink the Federal Workforce Could Impact Illinois
| Amanda Vinicky
The federal government is the second largest employer in Illinois, with 82,000 federal workers in the state.
UChicago Paleontologist Recounts Expeditions to Arctic, Antarctica in ‘Ends of the Earth’
| Paul Caine
University of Chicago paleontologist and author Neil Shubin has been on multiple expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica. Those trips have produced groundbreaking discoveries about the evolution of life.
Unspent Aid Worth Billions Lacks Oversight as Trump Dismantles USAID, Watchdog Warns
| Associated Press
The U.S. Agency for International Development has lost almost all ability to track $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid following the Trump administration’s foreign funding freeze and idling of staffers, a government watchdog warned Monday.
Superb Actors in a Tired Sam Shepard Play at Steppenwolf: Review
| Hedy Weiss
Take a seat in Steppenwolf’s mainstage theater and enter the world of “Fool for Love,” Sam Shepard’s 75-minute play dating from 1983.
Lurie Children’s Hospital Pauses Gender-Affirming Surgeries for Patients Under 19 Following Trump’s Executive Order
| Eunice Alpasan
Lurie Children’s Hospital will continue to provide hormone therapy and puberty blockers, a hospital spokesperson confirmed, and specifically noted that mental health care will also continue as part of the hospital’s gender care program.
Illinois and 21 Other States Sue the Trump Administration to Halt Cuts in Medical Research Funding
| Associated Press
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston challenges the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health over efforts to reduce funding that goes to so-called indirect costs — including lab, faculty, infrastructure, and utility costs.
Donald Trump Pardons Ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich 5 Years After Commuting His Sentence
| Associated Press
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted on charges that included seeking to sell an appointment to then-President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat and trying to shake down a children’s hospital.
Getting Rid of the Penny Introduces a New Problem: The Cost of Producing Nickels
| CNN
President Donald Trump says he has ordered the U.S. Mint to stop making pennies, which he correctly says cost more than one cent to produce.
Pritzker Signs ‘Karina’s Law’ to Remove Guns From Domestic Violence Situations
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela were shot and killed on Fourth of July weekend in 2023 at their Chicago home, allegedly by her husband. After more than a year of negotiations, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill in her honor that is designed to remove guns from domestic violence situations.
Supreme Court That Donald Trump Helped Shape Could Have the Last Word on His Aggressive Executive Orders
| Associated Press
President Donald Trump will need the Supreme Court, with three justices he appointed, to enable the most aggressive of the many actions he has taken in just the first few weeks of his second White House term. But even a conservative majority with a robust view of presidential power might balk at some of what the president wants to do.
Proposal to Pay Dexter Reed’s Family $1.25M to Settle Lawsuit Fails to Advance
| Heather Cherone
Finance Committee Chair Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd Ward) failed to hold a vote on the agreement as scheduled Monday, an indication that the deal does not have enough support to advance to the full City Council.
Final Tally: Chicago Taxpayers Spent At Least $107.5M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits in 2024, Analysis Finds
| Heather Cherone
During the past six years taxpayers have spent at least $472.4 million to resolve police misconduct lawsuits, setting a new record, according to a WTTW News analysis.
Prepare for a Slip-and-Slide Saturday, With More Ice in the Forecast
| Patty Wetli
Freezing mist and drizzle could turn sidewalks into treacherous sheets of ice on Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
Week in Review: Justice Department Sues Chicago; Mayor Reprises Pitch for Luxury Property Tax
| Paul Caine
The U.S. Department of Justice strikes at Illinois’ immigration laws. And a debate over a controversial piece of art at the Chicago Cultural Center leads to an alderperson’s ejection.
Judge Says He Will Temporarily Block Trump From Placing 2,200 USAID Workers on Paid Leave
| Associated Press
State Department officials and others were appealing to the Trump administration to allow more USAID workers to remain on the job at least temporarily, including to manage the return home of thousands of USAID direct hires, contractors and their families abroad.
Musk Team’s Access to Student Loan Systems Raises Alarms Over Personal Information for Millions
| Associated Press
Elon Musk’s DOGE team already has gained access to a database housing personal information on millions of students and parents with federal student loans, according to two people with knowledge of the issue.
Trump Official’s Directive Tying Transportation Grants to Birth Rates Could Hinder Blue States
| Associated Press
With hundreds of billions of dollars in transportation money still unspent from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, such changes could be a boon for projects in Republican-majority states, which on average have higher fertility rates than those leaning Democratic.
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Feb. 6, 2025 - Full Show
| WTTW News
The Trump administration is targeting Illinois over its protections for undocumented immigrants. And how deportations could affect Illinois’ farming industry.
Illinois Farm Workers, Consumers on Alert Amid Mass Deportation Threats
| Sean Keenehan
Undocumented immigrants account for 16% of America’s food supply chain, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 42% of farm workers are lacking legal immigration status.
How Trump’s Proposed Tariffs on Mexican Imports Could Impact Businesses, Consumers
| Abena Bediako
Fears are heightening over the potential of a new trade war and its possible impact across the country. President Donald Trump has agreed to a temporary pause on the 25% tariffs he is proposing on goods from Mexico and Canada — the country’s two largest trading partners.
Donald Trump Administration Sues Chicago, Cook County and Illinois Over Protections for Undocumented Immigrants
| Heather Cherone
The lawsuit is the latest indication that the Trump administration, which is attempting to strip self-proclaimed sanctuary cities of all federal funding, will target Chicago directly.
Supporters of Gender-Affirming Care Rally at University of Illinois Hospital Following Trump’s Executive Order
| Eunice Alpasan
Supporters of gender-affirming care called on the University of Illinois health care system to be clearer and more transparent about its commitment to providing gender-affirming care in light of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end such care for minors.
Judge Declines to Extend ‘Swipe Fee’ Injunction to Credit Card Companies
Ruling grants injunctions to national and out-of-state banks, denies it for Illinois banks
| Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois
Lawmakers passed the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act last spring as part of the legislative package that enacted the state budget. It’s the first of its kind in the country and prohibits credit debit and card companies from charging fees on the tax and tip portions of credit and debit card transactions beginning July 1.
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