Stories by Paul Caine

Loretto Hospital Reaches Tentative Deal With 200 Striking Workers

Loretto Hospital, 645 S. Central Ave., is located in the Austin community on Chicago’s West Side. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

Loretto Hospital in Austin has reached a tentative deal with about 200 striking workers who took to the picket line July 31.

Dangerous Heat Hitting the Chicago Area on Thursday, Friday

(Pixabay)

Parts of the Chicago area are under excessive heat warnings and heat advisories Thursday with temperatures expected to top out at 96 degrees along with a heat index into the triple digits, according to the National Weather Service.

WTTW News Explains: What Happened With Chicago’s Parking Meter Deal?

(WTTW News)

Maybe you’ve heard of the infamous Chicago parking meter deal. Here’s why it’s so unpopular and why it became a case study in worst practices.

Aldermen Optimistic Deal to Create Elected Board to Oversee Chicago Police Will Be OK’d

(WTTW News)

A proposal to create an elected board of Chicagoans to oversee the Chicago Police Department is likely to pass easily, now that it has the backing of a coalition of community groups and Mayor Lori Lightfoot, several aldermen told “Chicago Tonight” on Monday.

Aldermen Give Lightfoot Failing Grades on 2nd Anniversary

(WTTW News)

A trio of aldermen gave Mayor Lori Lightfoot poor marks for her accomplishments during her first two years in office, citing her record on crime and divisive governing style during an interview Thursday on “Chicago Tonight.”

Rethinking Policing: Can New Approaches Repair Police-Community Relations?

Protesters and National Guardsmen face off on East Lake Street, Friday, May 29, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo / John Minchillo)

Negative police interactions can have a lasting impact on individuals and entire communities. We speak with two activists and a mental health worker about the changes they believe would improve police-community relations.

Illinois Lawmakers Will Meet on Budget, COVID-19 Issues Next Week

(Meagan Davis / Wikimedia Commons)

Members of the Illinois General Assembly will meet May 20 for the first time since the coronavirus hit “to conduct the critical work of state government in this unprecedented pandemic.”

Pot Makes Pets Sick, Says Veterinary Group

(Pexels / Pixabay)

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.

No New Taxes in Cook County Budget

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019.

Two years after Cook County implemented and hastily repealed a notorious tax on sugary drinks, Board President Toni Preckwinkle proposed a $6.18 billion budget that’s balanced.

Move of Beachside Music Fest Prompts Pushback Over Endangered Birds

A piping plover on Waukegan Beach in 2018. (Ethan Ellis / Flickr)

Organizers of Mamby on the Beach want to move the music festival to Montrose Beach, but conservationists are pushing back because of two endangered birds living at the site. 

Analysis Links Black Residents’ Exodus from Chicago with Unemployment

(Giuseppe Milo / Flickr)

An analysis by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning posits economic conditions likely played a role in the yearslong exodus of black residents from the Chicago region.

Field Museum Exhibit to Toast Chicago’s Immigrant-Driven Beer History

Interior of a Chicago saloon, 1905 (Chicago Daily News negatives collection / Chicago History Museum)

Visitors to the Field Museum this fall will have a chance to soak up Chicago’s rich beer history, with a focus on the immigrant communities that established the city’s first breweries.

Jason Van Dyke Found Guilty of Second-Degree Murder

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, left, reacts to the verdict on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. His lead attorney, Daniel Herbert, sits beside him. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / Pool)

A 12-person jury has found Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke guilty of second-degree murder for the 2014 shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

Jury Deliberations Begin in Jason Van Dyke Murder Trial

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke listens to closing arguments Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / Pool)

After nearly three weeks of witness testimony from police officers, medical and law enforcement experts, and police Officer Jason Van Dyke himself, the 12-person jury began deliberations in the high-profile murder case.

Jason Van Dyke Takes Witness Stand, Tearfully Recounts Fatal Shooting

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke takes the stand on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / Pool)

The suspended Chicago police officer spent more than an hour on the witness stand Tuesday, recounting how and why he killed teen Laquan McDonald in 2014. Updates from the high-profile murder trial.

Astronomers Detect Colliding Neutron Stars in Historic Observation

A NASA animation shows the pending collision of two neutron stars. (NASA)

An international team that includes Chicago astronomers recently observed the collision of two high-density neutron stars, a historic discovery that confirms decades of scientific work. 

‘Robot Revolution’ Returns to Chicago

They can play blackjack, dance and climb walls. The Museum of Science and Industry brings back its interactive exhibition – with a few new additions.

Cool, Wet Weather Ideal for Spring Planting

It may not seem like gardening weather, but The Organic Gardener Jeanne Nolan says now’s the ideal time to plant lettuces, radishes and peas which thrive in cooler temperatures.

IL GOP Hopes for Unity Despite Absences at Republican Convention

With one of the most divisive presidential primaries in recent memory at an end, Illinois Republican officials are hoping the party comes together next week in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention.