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It’s Tuesday and it’s cold again. Warm up with these stories from WTTW News.
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Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton appears on “Chicago Tonight” on April 6, 2026. (WTTW News)
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Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton was victorious in the March 17 primary election, making her the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate and pushing her closer to possibly taking over longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat. Stratton faces former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy in the Nov. 3 general election.
If she wins, Stratton will be the sixth Black woman to serve as a U.S. senator and the second from Illinois.
Stratton joined “Chicago Tonight” to discuss her vision for Illinois and the country.
On the war in Iran:
Stratton is not in favor of the war, saying Trump pursued war actions “without any plan, without any clarity around why he was doing so. Look what we’re seeing right now. We are seeing the American people having to foot the bill. He wants more money for it. We even see his request for $1.5 trillion in military budget, and this is not what anyone asked for. We need to make sure that we are holding this president accountable. People are asking for health care. People want their grocery prices to go down, and that’s what this president campaigned on. He’s doing the exact opposite.”
On health care access:
“Health care has always been a priority for me. It’s something that I’m going to fight for. I believe that we need to pass ‘Medicare for All.’ I believe everyone who needs a doctor should be able to get access to one. We’re certainly seeing in our rural communities, for example, where potentially nine safety net hospitals could close, critical-access hospitals. This is a crisis and I’m going to fight for health care because I believe it’s a right and not a privilege.”
On the federal minimum wage:
Stratton proposes raising the federal minimum wage to $25 per hour. It’s been $7.25 per hour since 2009.
“What we cannot do is just tell people that it’s OK for them to have to work two and three jobs to try to just make ends meet. . In Illinois, I’m proud of our work to raise it to $15 an hour. That’s $31,200 a year. So there are people that deserve, I believe, working families that we have to stand up for to make sure that they can put money in their pockets, save a little, spend a little in our small businesses.”
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Sponsor Message
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Make your plans to celebrate in April with the Poetry Foundation, offering a full roster of FREE public programs, including:
- a poetry reading with Chicago’s own National Book Award winner Patricia Smith;
- a live performance by chamber music collective D+Composed;
- a library packed with more than 40,000 books of poetry for readers of all ages.
Visiting Hours: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 11 AM–5 PM; Thursday 11 AM–6 PM
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A still image taken from video footage released Thursday, Aug. 16 by the Chicago Police Department shows the immediate aftermath of the police-involved shooting of Harith Augustus, 37, on Saturday, July 14, 2018.
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An Illinois appeals court has ordered a new trial in a wrongful death case brought by the family of Harith Augustus, who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer during an encounter in the South Shore in July 2018.
The appellate ruling comes nearly three years after a Cook County jury ruled in favor of the police officers in deciding the civil suit. But in its ruling, the court found that attorneys representing the city of Chicago improperly used pretrial challenges to exclude two Black potential jurors.
The court in its ruling found that the city’s use of peremptory challenges during the jury selection process to exclude two Black people based on their race “is a violation of the equal protection clause of the federal and Illinois constitutions.”
Peremptory challenges allow parties at trial to remove potential jurors without stating a specific reason why. However, such exclusions made solely on the basis of the potential juror’s race, ethnicity or gender are unconstitutional.
“We are thrilled that the Appellate Court … saw the injustice of the first trial and ordered a new one,” Renee Spence, an attorney with the Loevy and Loevy law firm representing Augustus’ family, said in a statement.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department on Monday said they “strongly disagree with the court’s decision, which is not supported by the factual record or the governing legal standards.”
The department is “considering next steps,” the spokesperson said.
Some backstory:
Augustus, who was Black, was fatally shot by CPD officer Dillan Halley, who is white. His killing sparked protests as body camera footage of the shooting was made public.
Following the publication of edited footage from the incident by CPD, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability later released more video and audio clips of the shooting. That footage was used in “Incident,” an Academy Award-nominated documentary that retold the story of Augustus’ killing.
COPA later determined the officers who surrounded Augustus “clearly demonstrated a lack of clarity regarding how to engage."
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is pictured in Washington, D.C. (Greggory DiSalvo / iStock)
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The nonprofit Heartland Human Care Services will close all four of its shelters that have been used to house unaccompanied minors coming to the U.S.
The move is due to cuts from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which contracts with Heartland for its “unaccompanied alien children” program. At Heartland, immigrant children who have crossed the U.S. border receive residential and medical care, education and legal services before being connected with permanent homes.
“Without this federal funding, it’s kaput,” said Michael Brieschke, chairperson for United Human Service Workers, the union representing the impacted employees.
More context:
In February, Heartland planned to close three of its shelters in Rogers Park, Washington Heights and Uptown, with plans to keep its shelter in Bronzeville open as contract negotiations with ORR continued.
ORR decided not to renew the contracts with Heartland, Brieschke said. Now, the final shelter in Bronzeville will close, according to state filings with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Heartland Human Care Services said in a statement that it’s working in coordination with ORR to “support safe and appropriate” transition of children served through the impacted programs.
“We appreciate the public’s understanding as we prioritize the well-being of participants and staff and continue delivering mission-driven services through our non-impacted programs,” the statement reads.
In total, 337 employees are scheduled for layoffs, according to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
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More From WTTW News:
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Back in the Day: April 7, 1971 - Harry Caray Calls First White Sox Game
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Harry Caray was an iconic radio and television sportscaster who spent 25 seasons in St. Louis as the play-by-play announcer for the Cardinals and Browns, and ended his career with 16 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Later in his storied career, following a year-long stint in Oakland commentating for the Athletics, he spent 11 years on the South Side at Comiskey Park broadcasting for the White Sox. On this day 55 years ago, Caray announced his first game for the South Siders: a doubleheader versus his former employer, the A’s. The White Sox, who had tallied 106 losses the year prior, swept the A’s in that two-game series with Caray announcing, “Base hit! Left field! Sox win!
Sox win! Holy cow! The White Sox win!” He’d stay with the Sox until the 1981 season, where he moved up north to Wrigley Field to announce for the Sox’s crosstown rivals.
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This Week’s Staff Recommendations
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Every Tuesday, WTTW News staffers highlight their favorite things in Chicago. This week, it’s Crystin Immel, managing editor of television news for “Chicago Tonight” and WTTW News, on Wisconsin road trip destinations for locals.
Crystin Immel: I know, I know. My “favorite things in Chicago” is what I’m supposed to be writing about. But what’s the point of being a manager if I can’t break the rules every now and again? Plus, as a Wisconsin native and road trip aficionado, I feel like it’s my duty to highlight cities in America’s Dairyland that aren’t the typical vacation spots. So, with road trip season coming up, it’s a perfect time to plan some day trips or weekend getaways. The best part is, these three are only about 20-30 miles north of Milwaukee.
West Bend, WI.: While a lot of old Main Streets are fading away in America, West Bend’s is vibrant with a great selection of restaurants, boutique shops, a theater and much more. Their farmers market starts in mid-May and happens on Saturdays rain or shine. Grab a Bloody Mary while you peruse the farm-fresh produce, reasonably-priced flowers and tasty treats. Speaking of local eats, my favorite burger is at Brazen Head Pub (it was also voted the state’s “Best Burger” in
2025 by the Wisconsin Beef Council). If you want to work off that burger and catch a glimpse of the local wildlife, you can walk along the downtown riverwalk or on the Eisenbahn Trail.
Cedarburg, WI: As you stroll Washington Avenue, it’s hard not to be enchanted by the city’s local charm. This area is packed with boutique shops and antique stores. If antiques aren’t your thing, there’s also the delightful and ever-popular Strawberry Festival featuring live music, contests, and, you guessed it: strawberries.
Port Washington, WI: This scenic city is nestled right along Lake Michigan, so you can charter a fishing boat or take a walk along the marina. Love a good fish fry? Visit the third weekend in July to attend the popular three-day festival: Fish Days. Also, if you’re in the market for a new pair of men’s dress shoes, stop by Allen Edmonds, which was originally founded in nearby Belgium, Wisconsin, but is now headquartered in Port Washington. Fun fact: several U.S. presidents
have been among their loyal customers.
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What's your favorite book about Chicago?
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Debating the millionaire's income tax proposal in Illinois.
An interview with Justice Sanjay T. Tailor, the newest member of the Illinois Supreme Court.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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