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It’s already Wednesday. After you catch up on our latest stories, plan ahead and join WTTW News on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at our studio for a live forum featuring U.S. Senate candidates Juliana Stratton and Don Tracy.
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The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite)
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There wasn’t much of a summer break for the U.S. Supreme Court justices this year, with a busy emergency docket covering cases ranging from mail-in voting changes to the White House ballroom construction. Nevertheless, the nation’s highest court started a new term Monday.
Here are just a few cases in a packed docket to watch:
Cook County Assault Weapons Ban
One case with clear local implications is the court’s review of Cook County’s assault weapons ban. More than 125 types of rifles fall under the county law, originally adopted in 1993.
After several unsuccessful attempts by gun rights activists to overturn the ban, the current challenge in front of the Supreme Court was filed in 2021.
“The Supreme Court decided in 2008 — which is not that long ago — that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to have a handgun in your home for self-defense,” said David Franklin, a law professor at DePaul University and former clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Since then, Franklin said, the court has doubled down on an “originalist” view of the Second Amendment. Because of that, states or localities seeking to regulate gun ownership need to show their regulations have roots going back centuries.
The Cook County ban applies to semi-automatic rifles that can use high-capacity magazines, including the AR-15. One question the court will have to ask is whether these types of weapons were included in the intent of the Second Amendment’s authors.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Across the country in Boulder, Colorado, a lawsuit against several oil companies to recoup costs from fighting climate change could have national impacts. Similar to past lawsuits against the tobacco and opioid industries, local governments are saying the oil companies knew the harms of greenhouse gas emissions and should be on the hook for damages.
The question for the court to consider — “is it permissible for a state, through its judicial process, to regulate what a company from another state did in that other state,” Franklin said.
Catholic Preschool Funding
Another Colorado case with national implications is playing out over the use of taxpayer money at religious schools. At stake is the question of whether religious freedom takes precedence over state nondiscrimination laws.
In St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy, a Catholic school is arguing it should be granted state funds for universal preschool even though it does not accept students who themselves, or their parents, are members of the LGBTQ community.
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Sponsor Message
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Journey through the 18th century with five composers pushing orchestral music in bold directions, led by Nicholas Kraemer. Concertmaster Gina DiBello takes center stage in one of Vivaldi’s most intriguing violin concertos, while the orchestra revels in the buoyant brilliance of J. S. Bach’s First Orchestral Suite and the restless invention of his son, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Telemann’s cosmopolitan flair shines in a dazzling double concerto, and Haydn’s dramatic Symphony No. 80 completes the program.
Go beyond Vivaldi and experience a century of orchestral transformation, October 18 in Skokie and October 19 at the Harris Theater downtown.
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A Cornell University sign stands in Ithaca, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. (AP Photo / Heather Ainsworth)
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Sexual assault on college campuses is making headlines across the country.
It comes as a former student at Cornell University filed a lawsuit earlier this month accusing the school and local law enforcement of mishandling her report alleging she was gang raped in a fraternity house for hours.
A New York prosecutor has since reopened her case, but it has set off a firestorm of commentary about how universities and society at large respond to these cases and how survivors are supported.
“We’re once again getting a window into how rape is mostly responded to by institutions like universities, and the state itself,” said Kaethe Morris Hoffer, executive director of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE).
And while the details that have emerged put scrutiny on the response from the university and local law enforcement, Morris Hoffer said the victim’s experience is “not the exception, it is the epitome of what survivors go through.”
According to Anne Kirkner, a professor of criminal justice at Roosevelt University, the options students have to look for recourse often leave victims of sexual assault unsatisfied with the outcomes.
For Title IX investigations, the length of the process and a lack of transparency from the university “just show the survivor that the process is sort of the punishment,” Kirkner said.
“It’s not focused on their well-being, it’s more of a compliance process,” Kirkner said. This can lead to underreporting of cases.
Meanwhile, a 2020 report from CAASE found the small percentage of survivors who bring reports to the Chicago Police Department also faced long wait times and few charges brought against the accused.
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(Courtesy of Northwestern University)
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After two years of construction, Friday marked a new era of football at Northwestern University as the team continued its winning season in the brand new Ryan Field.
The Wildcats defeated Penn State 34-13 during the stadium’s sold-out debut, exactly 100 years to the day since the last Northwestern stadium opened.
At $870 million, the new Ryan Field is the most expensive college football stadium ever.
The stadium was funded, in part, by a $480 million gift from the Ryan family, the largest donation in Northwestern’s history. No taxpayer dollars were used to help fund the stadium rebuild.
Pat Ryan Jr., CEO of Ryan Sports Development, said the new stadium was needed to set up Northwestern for future success.
“These are hundred-year decisions,” Ryan Jr. said. “How do you make a hundred-year decision? You make something that’s gonna stand the test of time. And the other piece is that Northwestern, with everything Northwestern does — whether it’s nanotechnology, the performing arts, economics, life sciences — everything is done at the highest order of excellence, and so we were really just bringing the football facility up to the kind of quality that the other facilities on campus are at.”
Ryan Jr. said additions like a standing-only student section, a plethora of food options and plans for concerts in 2027 are the way to keep fans coming back.
“You ask the question, ‘Why do people go to games?’” Ryan Jr. said. “They go to games to share experiences. No one goes to a game alone. They go with friends, they go with family, they go with classmates, they go for a set of experiences, which ultimately are the happy memories you have in your life.”
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More From WTTW News:
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Via WTTW Playlist: In case you missed it last week, the finalists for the Banchets, Chicago's respected local food awards, were announced.
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Back in the Day: October 7, 1991 - Harold Washington Library Center Opens
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Forty years ago, Chicago Mayor Harold Washington approved plans to build a new central location in downtown for the Chicago Public Library System, but he died in 1988 before ground broke on the project. On this day 35 years ago, the Harold Washington Library Center officially opened its doors. The 972,000-square-foot structure replaced its 19th-century central library (now the Chicago Cultural Center). It boasts 10 floors of amenities that feature striking architecture, massive rooftop owl sculptures and a lush indoor garden. Designed by Thomas Beeby, it remains one of the city's most well-known architectural staples.
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Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for Oct. 7-13
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Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more.
Wednesday, Oct. 7:
Alejandro Escovedo at Metro. Tickets.
The storied songwriter joins novelist Silas House and moderator Mark Guarino in a conversation about the legacy and craft of the late John Prine. A performance is included alongside the discussion.
Sweet Pill, Heart to Gold, Emily How at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
Infectious and anthemic emo from Philly.
Thursday, Oct. 8:
Souvenirs: 80 Years of John Prine at Chicago Theatre. Tickets.
Hosted by John C. Reilly, this star-studded tribute event will feature performances by Nathaniel Rateliff, Valerie June, Margo Price, John’s brother Billy Prine, Shemekia Copeland, Steve Earle, Ratboys, Kathleen Edwards and more.
Gorillaz, Little Simz, Deltron 3030 at United Center. Tickets.
Damon Albarn and co. return to the city for an arena show.
Overmono at Outset. Tickets.
This electronic duo is a critical darling.
Audrey Hobert at Riviera Theatre. Tickets.
The rising pop star will likely graduate to bigger venues shortly.
Friday, Oct. 9:
Mike Reed's Separatist Party, Resavoir at Constellation. Tickets.
Two local jazz stalwarts celebrate two stellar album releases in one show.
Shaboozey at Aragon Ballroom. Tickets.
“Everybody at the Aragon Ballroom gettin' tipsy.”
Beck, Ionna Gilka, Wayne Faler at Auditorium Theatre. Tickets.
The veteran alt-rock and folk artist plays two shows in the Loop.
Audrey Hobert at Riviera Theatre. Tickets.
The rising pop star will likely graduate to bigger venues shortly.
Renny Conti, James Eichman, Free Range at Schubas. Tickets.
Sturdy folk rock songwriting in Lakeview.
The Dead Bolts, Cab Ellis at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
Local rock heroes return to Pilsen.
Saturday, Oct. 10:
Beck, Ionna Gilka, Wayne Faler at Auditorium Theatre. Tickets.
The veteran alt-rock and folk artist plays two shows in the Loop.
Armand Hammer, Quelle Chris, Open Mike Eagle at Thalia Hall. Tickets.
Some of the most forward-thinking artists in hip-hop share a bill.
Tuesday, Oct. 13:
White Denim, Arc Iris at SPACE. Tickets.
The prolific Texas psych-rocker brings his band to Evanston.
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What's your favorite musical artist or band from Chicago? Tell us why.
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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