Dec 16 Watch 6:13 Meet Northwestern University’s 1st class of incarcerated graduates By Brandis Friedman, WTTW The men in Northwestern University’s Prison Education Program have been called many things — mostly inmates. But these residents of a maximum security state prison in Illinois have been adding new titles: student, scholar, author, and now, college graduate. Chicago… Continue watching
Dec 05 Illinois scraps plan for building migrant winter camp due to toxic soil risk By Claire Savage, Melissa Perez Winder, Associated Press Despite recent assurances from Mayor Brandon Johnson's office that the shelter site was safe for temporary use, Pritzker's office pulled the plug on the project Tuesday. Continue reading
Dec 01 Illinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett’s convictions and sentencing By Ed White, Associated Press An appeals court has upheld the disorderly conduct convictions of actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and then lying about it to Chicago police. Continue reading
Oct 16 Killing of Muslim boy outside of Chicago was hate crime in response to Israel-Hamas war, police say By Sophia Tareen, Ed White, Associated Press A 71-year-old Illinois landlord upset over the Israel-Hamas war attacked a Palestinian American woman with a knife when she proposed they “pray for peace” and killed her 6-year-old son, authorities said Monday. Continue reading
Oct 15 Illinois man accused of killing Muslim child, wounding woman is charged with hate crime By Sophia Tareen, Associated Press A 71-year-old Illinois man was charged Sunday with a hate crime, accused of fatally stabbing a young boy and seriously wounding a woman because of their Islamic faith and the Israel-Hamas war, authorities said. Continue reading
Oct 01 Authorities investigate Illinois truck crash that killed 5, caused toxic chemical leak By John O'Connor, Colleen Slevin, Associated Press Authorities resumed their investigation Sunday of a central Illinois truck crash that killed five people, injured five others and prompted an evacuation for hundreds of residents after a toxic chemical leak. Continue reading
Aug 24 Watch 3:15 A Brief But Spectacular take on making and remaking identity Hala Alyan is an award-winning poet, author, and clinical psychologist. She was born in Illinois but spent time in several other states as well as in Kuwait and Lebanon. Alyan shares her Brief But Spectacular take on how those experiences… Continue watching
Aug 07 Illinois to outlaw gun advertisements that appeal to children, pose safety threat By John O'Connor, Associated Press Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produce a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally. Continue reading
May 23 Hundreds of Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused thousands of children, AG finds By Kathleen Foody, Michael Tarm, Associated Press Illinois’ attorney general released the results of a sweeping investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy on Tuesday, saying investigators found that 451 clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950. Continue reading
May 17 Supreme Court lets Illinois keep ban on sale of some semiautomatic guns for now By Associated Press The high court denied an emergency request from people challenging the law, which bans so-called assault weapons. The law's opponents had asked the court to put the law on hold while a court challenge continues. Continue reading