Police reform advocates and progressive aldermen blasted Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to create a seven-member civilian board to oversee the Chicago Police Department, saying Tuesday that it would not help restore trust in the beleaguered department.

Fatal shootings, botched raids and police tactics at protests have all been the subject of criticism, calls for reform and even defunding. But many in law enforcement say they are given too few resources and too many restrictions to do what they believe is a difficult and dangerous job.

Mental health professionals say officer wellness has declined over the past year amid the pandemic, civil unrest and a growing distrust of the police — a job some former officers say is one of today’s most stressful.

The Chicago Police Department has been operating under a consent decree since 2019. The order, which was prompted by the 2014 police murder of Laquan McDonald, is the first consent decree the department has faced. But it’s not the first attempt at police reform in Chicago.

Community activists and lawyers engaged in efforts to reform the Chicago Police Department have blasted Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPD leadership for failing to move quickly on implementation of a court-mandated consent decree that is supposed to ensure change.

It’s a once-in-a-decade fight: We take a look at the proposed new maps of political power and get reaction from Republicans and a coalition of community groups.

The Chicago-based airline is encouraging frequent fliers to get vaccinated. Crain’s Chicago Business editor Ann Dwyer takes us behind the headline of that story and more.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, which supplies food pantries across the area, says in its more than 40-year history it has never seen a hunger crisis like the one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss the issue as part of WTTW’s Firsthand initiative exploring poverty.

Even by Bitcoin’s standards, last week was pretty wild. The price of the famously volatile digital currency fell nearly 30% at one point after the China Banking Association warned member banks of the risks associated with digital currencies.

Shareholders of Tribune Publishing, one of the country’s largest newspaper chains, approved a $630 million takeover bid by hedge fund Alden Global Capital on Friday, the company said in a brief statement.

A joint session of the City Council’s Public Safety and Finance committees declined to advance the measure backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and blasted by Inspector General Joseph Ferguson and other transparency advocates as nothing more than “smoke and mirrors.”

What’s on the docket for the final week of legislative session in Springfield? The future of the Chicago Tribune. The pandemic’s historic impact on hunger. United jumps into the vaccine reward game.

Chicago aldermen grade the mayor midterm. Live in Logan Square. A new WTTW documentary on trailblazing journalist Ida B. Wells. Preview Art on the Mart. And a calaboose on the loose in Lakeview.