As Chicago's PBS station, WTTW is committed to producing and presenting independent, trusted, best-in-class content fueled by a distinctly Chicago sensibility. https://t.co/QTmgsrKIajhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muzessibag27The nonprofit SkyART, which provides free arts programming to young people on Chicago’s South and West sides, aims to reduce the waitlist for its programs through a recently announced expansion of its South Side studio space. https://to.wttw.com/4hjgcJB08 Sep 2026 15:50 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muzessibag27https://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muu7blrj2a2dChicagoans are invited to vote on the next improvement to the city’s front yard, Grant Park. Will it be bathroom upgrades, a redesigned dog park or picnic tables and benches? https://to.wttw.com/4qRWqcb06 Sep 2026 14:28 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muu7blrj2a2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3musiabjx7l2b Illinois tourism reached new peaks last year, breaking records on visitor spending and generating over $88 billion in total economic impact, Gov. JB Pritzker's office announced. https://to.wttw.com/4xQ0YCw05 Sep 2026 22:03 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3musiabjx7l2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mus3pqmfvt2rNearly five years after construction crews started moving dirt on the $350 million renovation of the Illinois State Capitol’ s north wing, there are finally glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel. https://to.wttw.com/3TeEkVx05 Sep 2026 18:19 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mus3pqmfvt2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mups6mtlve2lTravelers this Labor Day weekend should expect busy airports, heavy road traffic and higher costs, according to national and local transportation groups. Here's what Chicagoans should know. https://to.wttw.com/4xEaOYa04 Sep 2026 20:23 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mups6mtlve2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mupmi67tko24Chicago public safety officials are urging caution for boaters and anyone else planning to enjoy time on Lake Michigan during the extended Labor Day holiday weekend. https://to.wttw.com/4gNPYP304 Sep 2026 18:41 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupmi67tko24https://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mupescrnvo2sA proposed $200 million transformation would include a new CTA bus terminal, reconstructed streets, sidewalks and a publicly accessible plaza. But, some community members worry about what an industrial campus could mean for the health of the neighborhood. https://to.wttw.com/4ybXQ3G04 Sep 2026 16:23 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupescrnvo2shttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mup6xgjim62jAccording to Daniel Valenzuela, he and other incarcerated deaf people do not have equal access to the prison’s phone program compared to non-disabled people. The lawsuit was filed against Latoya Hughes, the director of the IDOC. https://to.wttw.com/4qRPnQS04 Sep 2026 14:39 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mup6xgjim62jhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muoxw4fxa32rAs the city celebrates the holiday and workers get to stay home, the local arts and culture scene will still be going strong. Whether it’s music, theater or art, you’re in luck for things to do this extended weekend. https://to.wttw.com/4iQHyJ404 Sep 2026 12:33 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muoxw4fxa32rhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3munedq6atf2oThe Army Corps had halted work on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project in late July, prompting widespread backlash from politicians and advocacy organizations across the Great Lakes. The Corps did not provide information on the reason for the stoppage. https://to.wttw.com/4xIkils03 Sep 2026 21:10 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3munedq6atf2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muna7g2kdg2tCurated by Mike Reed, the booker and jazz musician who co-founded the gone-too-soon Pitchfork Music Festival, the Sound & Gravity festival is Chicago’s best new addition to its stacked summer festival lineup, @joshterry.bsky.social writes. https://to.wttw.com/4yjSOlW03 Sep 2026 19:56 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muna7g2kdg2thttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mun2lz6l3j2rQuestions remain about possible gaps in state oversight nearly a month after an investigation turned up 56 decomposing bodies at the South Chicago Chapel funeral home. Industry leaders and lawmakers are looking at what needs to change. https://to.wttw.com/4gBmWDh03 Sep 2026 18:15 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mun2lz6l3j2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mumwuqme5d2sChicago Public Schools is canceling all outdoor activities Thursday unless they can be moved inside amid another day of extreme heat across the city. https://to.wttw.com/4gRYooA03 Sep 2026 17:09 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumwuqme5d2shttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mumvohxi722sAutomatic license plate readers, specifically Flock cameras, have recently gained national attention as critics voice concerns about surveillance of private citizens. In recent months, several Chicago suburbs have taken action against Flock cameras. https://to.wttw.com/4cTWXEQ03 Sep 2026 16:47 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumvohxi722shttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mumtowawlz27Mayor Brandon Johnson said Thursday Chicago faces a projected $882.4 million budget shortfall in the 2027 fiscal year, a smaller than expected gap during an election year. https://to.wttw.com/46DCVuJ03 Sep 2026 16:12 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumtowawlz27https://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mumpoxwjkf24Gloria Steinem, the celebrated author and activist who became one of the most visible symbols and potent voices of the U.S. women’s movement and a fierce advocate for feminist causes for over six decades, has died. She was 92. https://to.wttw.com/4gNBvCD03 Sep 2026 15:00 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mumpoxwjkf24https://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mummvf6osk2eTwo beluga whales died Wednesday afternoon at Shedd Aquarium: Rain, a recent rescue, and longtime resident Beethoven, officials announced. https://to.wttw.com/3SvaQT803 Sep 2026 14:10 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mummvf6osk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mul2ud4d5t26Even Chicago’s bridges are feeling the heat. The Chicago Department of Transportation reported that the DuSable Lake Shore Drive bridge “experienced a heat-related issue preventing it from fully closing.” https://to.wttw.com/4gOdnQr02 Sep 2026 23:15 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mul2ud4d5t26https://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukyojihpf2hMembers of Teamsters Local 700 and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County have come to terms on a contract extension, ending a 16-day strike by approximately 230 employees. https://to.wttw.com/4i9E98802 Sep 2026 22:36 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukyojihpf2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muktltwgjx2rJust days before trial, U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso on Wednesday denied a request from Luis Uribe to dismiss the case against him amid allegations of prosecutorial misconduct before the grand jury that indicted him. https://to.wttw.com/4yce1hy02 Sep 2026 21:05 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muktltwgjx2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukrnemnh226A steering committee reviewed a number of project ideas for Grant Park and narrowed them down to three finalists. Now any resident 13 years or older can help choose which option moves forward. https://to.wttw.com/4qRWqcb02 Sep 2026 20:30 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukrnemnh226https://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukpzedylx2jWhat's one Chicago business you miss dearly? Tell us why. Your response could be included in our newsletter, Daily Chicagoan. Subscribe here: to.wttw.com/4axsYlD 02 Sep 2026 20:01 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukpzedylx2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muko4kpatq2jThe city of Chicago in August saw its fewest homicides across any such month in more than a decade as violence levels remain in line with last year’s historic lows. https://to.wttw.com/4zSC1rM02 Sep 2026 19:27 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muko4kpatq2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukkmkiamu2hThree new Illinois laws seek to remedy some of the longstanding problems in women’s health care and education by shifting the topic of menopause out of the shadows and making it a main point of conversation. https://to.wttw.com/464i83e02 Sep 2026 18:24 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukkmkiamu2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukg33hodd2oWednesday is expected to be a repeat of Tuesday, when the heat index reached 106 degrees at Chicago’s Midway Airport and 103 degrees at O’Hare Airport. https://to.wttw.com/4gJZceS 02 Sep 2026 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukg33hodd2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukdfds6sl2lGet your lederhosen ready, because the Chicago area’s September food events calendar is packed with several Oktoberfests, specialty food festivals, wine strolls, and plenty of other ways to enjoy the last warm days of the year. https://www.wttw.com/playlist/2026/09/01/september-2026-food-events02 Sep 2026 16:15 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukdfds6sl2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3mukaiwvckj2tWhile the tariffs are expected to create uncertainty for businesses on both sides of the border, experts say the broader consequence could be a major shift in U.S. trade relations. https://to.wttw.com/3T9INbZ02 Sep 2026 15:23 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3mukaiwvckj2thttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muk5idcmce2mMayoral hopeful John Kelly is continuing to campaign in Chicago Fire Department stations, even as the Chicago Board of Ethics continues to probe him for violating the city’s ethics laws. https://to.wttw.com/3URIoLL02 Sep 2026 14:29 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muk5idcmce2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muidu5go532wThe first death from West Nile virus in Illinois this year was reported in Chicago, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced Tuesday. https://to.wttw.com/4iGUaCD 01 Sep 2026 21:18 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muidu5go532whttps://bsky.app/profile/wttw.bsky.social/post/3muibhbjvmi2mThe family of a man who was fatally stabbed on a Blue Line train early this year is suing the Chicago Transit Authority and a pair of private security firms, claiming the agencies failed to protect riders amid an uptick in violence. https://to.wttw.com/3UwVDBx01 Sep 2026 20:35 +0000at://did:plc:2iotnpqcz2pcanhti3apjs5j/app.bsky.feed.post/3muibhbjvmi2m