Confusion surrounds the CPS return to school COVID-19 testing protocols. Restaurants push back against the vaccine mandate. COVID-19 cases explode in jails. And inside the life of photographer Vivian Maier.

Spiking omicron cases and major headaches with air travel. The region approaches a record snow drought. A halt on student debt payments. And remembering the late Lincoln Park Zoo chief Lester Fisher.

The holidays can be tough to handle. Advice from mental health professionals. Previewing the Bears Seahawks matchup. And a Mexican Catholic tradition celebrated in Buena Park.

The race for COVID-19 tests ahead of the holidays. The latest on Pfizer’s newly approved COVID-19 pill. How businesses are reacting to the mayor’s new vaccine mandate. And what’s behind a shortage of Santas.

The latest on Mayor Lightfoot’s sweeping indoor vaccination mandates. A look inside overstretched hospitals. An exclusive one-on-one with the Smollett special prosecutor on his scathing report into Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

New details on the Cook County State’s Attorney’s handling of the Jussie Smollett case. Inside the sale of the Thompson Center. Mayor Lightfoot addresses violence. A $10 billion telescope that could unlock secrets of the universe.

Chicago’s would-be casino developers show us their cards. Utility giants selling sensitive information to immigration officials. We’re in Grand Boulevard. And a preview of the Bears game.

A dramatic day at City Council. The latest from City Hall. Our Spotlight politics team breaks it all down. We’re learning more about the omicron variant. And a new effort to reduce opioid overdoses.

Illinois Congress members on Chicago violence. How more midwives across the state can reduce health care inequities. A suburban fight over a Carvana vending machine. And a Santa shortage. 

Neighbors in Illinois and other states clean up from deadly tornadoes. How contact tracers are doing their jobs nearly two years into the pandemic. Addressing violence in Chicago. And a COVID-19 outbreak for the Bulls.

Live from South Shore. In-stadium sports betting debate. A top Biden administration official on the latest with COVID. Justin Fields returns to take on the Packers. And WFMT celebrates a milestone.

Which suburbs are betting on casinos, plus the odds on sports betting at stadiums in Spotlight Politics. A mental health crisis for young people. And the holiday season is here for small businesses.

A call for those who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine to pay for the cost of their medical treatment. A billion dollar investment in affordable housing. And a second pandemic holiday season.

The impact of travel bans from certain countries as omicron spreads. Homicides in Cook County reach a historic level. How the U.S. is responding to Russian-Ukraine tensions. And the Hall of Fame for Minnie Minoso.

The latest on the City Council’s ward remap process and what it means for voters. One-on-one with Chicago’s top doctor as COVID-19 cases increase. And live in Andersonville for “In Your Neighborhood.”

City remap deadline comes and goes. Plus, the Supreme Court hears a major abortion case, how Chicagoans are marking World AIDS day, and Geoffrey Baer’s new special goes above and beyond Chicago.