Also in the news:  The College of Lake County is offering free COVID vaccination clinics over the next few weeks; Indiana healthcare providers have been given an ultimatum from Republican leaders of the legislature: Lower prices or they’ll force the issue; A sports producer - who says he was carjacked at gunpoint near the United Center yesterday - says he hopes his story will help keep others safe; A western suburb is planning a tribute to Betty White - who died December 31st at the age of 99; and much more.

Also in the news tonight: Mayor Lightfoot says she met with top Chicago police commanders today to stress the need for everyone to work together to avoid a repeat of last year's rise in violence in the city last year; Illinois US congressman Bobby Rush announced today that he will not seek reelection in November; a teenager from Florida has finished a fleet-footed tribute to two fallen first responders from the Chicago area; we're just finding out now about a cyberattack that stole millions of dollars from a non-profit organization that you've probably never heard of; and much more.

Also in the news: Governor J.B. Pritzker is responding to continuing protests against his strategy to fight the current wave of coronavirus cases across Illinois, What used to be the Chicago Board of Trade’s largest trading floor will become a ComEd sub-station;  The Chicago Public Schools inspector general has issued a report showing what happens when CPS doles out millions-of-dollars without putting things in writing; and much more.

In other stories tonight: the head of the Chicago Public Schools says he's working to figure out why thousands of COVID-19 testing kits were not processed before the end of winter break; family, friends, and neighbors are remembering Marcell Wilson as always helping neighbors and having a sense of humor; we've just come out of what can be a busy season of family get-togethers and celebrations and if the change feels sudden to you, an expert says you're not alone; this is the first day the city of Chicago has mandated workers and patrons at a lot of businesses show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry; and much more.

Also in the news: There have been nearly 150 cancellations at O'Hare and Midway this morning following a weekend that saw thousands of flights taken off the board; Some Chicago Public School parents are reconsidering sending their kids back to school this morning;  If you’re among the many people looking for at-home COVID tests before returning to school or work an Evanston teenager has setup a website to help; Chicago police are not yet saying whether the shooting death of a 12-year old boy last night was accidental; and much more.

In other news: The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation is hard at work clearing the roadways this morning; Three men were killed yesterday in a wrong-way crash on the Eisenhower Expressway in the western suburbs; Police are looking for the gunman who shot two people on the West Side; and much more.

In other news: Quite a display last night in Chicago with the largest fireworks in the city's history; Police say the first violent death of the year happened in Grand Boulevard on the South Side; A Will County judge has agreed to hear convicted wife-killer Drew Peterson's motion to toss out his conviction; and much more.

In other stories tonight: police in the Kankakee County town of Bradley are expected to update reporters any moment on the investigation of this morning's shooting that killed a police officer; Chicago Public School administrators say they're ready for students to return to class amid a surge in COVID-19 cases; leaders in Naperville say all government offices will be closed starting Monday and stretching through the Martin Luther King holiday on January 17th; Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton is the latest elected official in Illinois to test positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19; and much more.

Also in the news:  The Fraternal Order of Police is continuing to pressure Chicago Police brass to quote do the right thing and designate the COVID-related death of officer Joey Huerta as being in the line of duty; Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown is warning people not to fire shots into the air this New Year's Eve;  One of the new Illinois laws taking effect next year is geared to helping crime victims. It allows employees who are victims of violence or who have family or household members who are victims to take up to 12-weeks of unpaid leave in any 12-month period; and much more.

Also in the news tonight: due to an increase in COVID-19 cases statewide, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is announcing that all Secretary of State departments will NOT conduct in-person transactions, including Driver Services facilities, starting Monday and extending until January 17th; the city has been busy with planning for the New Years celebration, with the centerpiece being a fireworks display along the Chicago River and Navy Pier. And there are concerns about how it will play out; and much more.