Residents of a shelter on the Magnificent Mile have been evicted to make room for occupants of a tent encampment being cleared ahead of the Democratic National Convention. Illinois’ House Republican leader is confident they’ll win back some seats in Springfield this year. The Chicago-set Hulu TV series “The Bear” received a record-breaking number of Emmy nominations this morning.
Jul 17, 2024•3 min
Major Taylor was both a world champion American cyclist who once held seven world sprint records and an activist who demanded equal treatment in the face of racist competitors and race organizers. Brenda Dixon, the president of the board for the Major Taylor Trail Keepers, puts Major Taylor on par with Jesse Owens, Arthur Ashe and other trailblazing American sports heroes who “stand on his shoulders without even realizing it.” “He was an activist before his time,” Dixon said of Taylor, who compe...
Jul 17, 2024•15 min
A former congressman from New York shares some tips on how to reach voters in larger cities. Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to fill a long vacant leadership post in the City Council. Severe storms Monday night left behind severe damage as several tornadoes touch ground throughout the Chicagoland area.
Jul 17, 2024•5 min
An update on the latest WBEZ reporting from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Chicago’s Police Superintendent is talking up the city’s preparedness for next month’s Democratic National Convention in the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump from a rooftop. Thousands of ComEd customers are still without power and a Northwest Indiana woman was killed during last night's severe weather.
Jul 16, 2024•4 min
As many as 10 tornadoes were reported in the Chicago area Monday night. Illinois Republicans are reacting to Former President Donald Trump’s selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate. Chicago alderpersons approved more than $11 million to settle allegations of gender and disability discrimination within the Chicago Fire Department.
Jul 16, 2024•5 min
Following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, Illinois Republicans showed a united front as they arrived in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention this week. Demonstrators who plan to march at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month are prepared for tighter security following the attack on the former president. Some Chicago area schools are considering taking stricter measures to limit cell phone use in schools.
Jul 15, 2024•4 min
Artist David Lee Csicsko uses bright colors, a dash of cubism and a touch of folk art in his portraits of LGBTQ+ icons like Alvin Ailey, Freddie Mercury, Keith Haring, Josephine Baker, and more. "[I'm] trying to sort of make that person as lively as I can make them so that you want to read about them," Csicsko said. "Because the further we get from those people, they can fade away, and I'm trying to keep them alive." An exhibit of Csicsko's work is open through July 27 at the Epiphany Center for...
Jul 15, 2024•19 min
Illinois Republicans are rallying around Donald Trump even more after Saturday’s assassination attempt as the RNC gets underway. Chicago hospitals are asking patients to be flexible during the Democratic National Convention next month. Illinois transit leaders are asking state lawmakers for more money.
Jul 15, 2024•6 min
Bally’s has announced it has secured the financing needed to complete the construction of its permanent Chicago casino and entertainment complex. The State of Illinois’ African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission will hold its first public hearing Saturday. Rural homelessness is a growing issue nationwide.
Jul 12, 2024•3 min
Jeremiah Paprocki got his current gig as the voice of Wrigley Field when he was 21 years-old—but you probably wouldn’t guess it from his voice. Now, at 24, Paprocki is breaking into TV with his own late-night show, “Late Nights in Chicago.” “We really want this show to be as Chicago as possible,” Paprocki said. “We’re looking forward to highlighting the city.” He talked with Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez about sports announcing and what inspired him to venture into late night.
Jul 12, 2024•19 min
The head of the DNC insists Biden is the nominee despite growing calls for him to step aside, Illinois Republicans are on the verge of choosing a new state party chair, and an iconic Chicago-based grocery chain celebrates 50 years
Jul 12, 2024•5 min
A north suburban congressman is the second congressional Democrat from Illinois to call for President Joe Biden to end his re-election bid. Chicago Public Schools says it has figured out how to close a $500 million budget deficit. Chicago and Illinois leaders are speaking out against the violence over the Fourth of July weekend.
Jul 11, 2024•4 min
Hollywood icon George Clooney has Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on a shortlist of potential Democratic replacements for President Joe Biden. Chicago leaders are speaking out against the wave of violence this past Fourth of July weekend. The Ashland bus route could be extended a mile north later this summer.
Jul 11, 2024•5 min
Kroger and Albertsons have a list of nearly three dozen grocery stores in Illinois they plan to sell ahead of their planned merger. Chicago’s most marginalized students have almost no shot of getting into CPS’ top test-in high schools according to a WBEZ analysis of district data. Health insurance companies in Illinois have to start phasing out the practice of “step therapy,” where an insurer does not cover a treatment prescribed by a doctor until the patient first tries a less expensive option.
Jul 10, 2024•4 min
Anthony Spaulding was incarcerated at 16 years-old and spent 27 years in prison. When he got out in 2022, the world around him barely resembled the one he remembered. He, too, was a wholly different person than he’d been nearly three decades earlier. “I don’t wanna say it was a blessing that I got locked up,” said Spaulding. “But it definitely gave me the time to sit down and reevaluate my life.” He spent that time taking classes and developing as an artist under the mentorship of legendary arti...
Jul 10, 2024•17 min
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is renewing support for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid while also not ruling out his own potential White House run. The City of Chicago’s inspector general says the police department has every right to fire officers who have associated once with a far-right extremist group. Leaders of Pace, the CTA and Metra throw cold water on the idea of a merger.
Jul 10, 2024•5 min
The remnants of Hurricane Beryl are barreling into the Chicago area. Students at Larry’s Barber College on Chicago’s South Side spent time today learning how to identify and respond to opioid overdoses. White Sox ace pitcher Garrett Crochet will represent the South Siders at next week’s All-Star Game.
Jul 09, 2024•3 min
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants more federal help to address gun violence. The city is taking an inventory of this weekend’s NASCAR race, and wondering whether the 4th of July weekend is the best time for it. Chicago tenants are helping each other stay cool with a free AC lending program, at least while supplies last.
Jul 09, 2024•5 min
A pair of for-profit colleges in the Chicago area have abruptly shut down. The nonprofit HEAL Palestine is working to bring Gazan children to Chicago and other U.S. cities for serious medical care. Invasive jumping worms are likely to begin turning up in your garden beds and making a mess.
Jul 08, 2024•4 min
Think your lemon meringue pie could win an amateur baking contest? Well, you can put your baking chops to the test at the annual Chicago’s Best Baker Competition on July 20 in Uptown. “Chicago has a lot of baking competitions for people who are professionals,” said Genesis Winter, who started this contest back in 2018. “And so I wanted to do something that was just, you know, [similar to] a county fair. Your mom who's in the kitchen and she makes an amazing cookie and she wants to go show off an...
Jul 08, 2024•13 min
Some NASCAR fans say they saw a more diverse audience this past weekend in Chicago. The Chicago Teachers Union is calling out the head of the school district over the state of contract negotiations. Cook County is investing $100 million dollars into Provident Hospital on the South Side.
Jul 08, 2024•5 min
An 8-year-old boy has died from his injuries after being shot in a mass shooting in the early hours of the Fourth of July. Chicago officials are encouraging residents to attend a series of budget roundtables. The popular online homestay rental platform Airbnb is going to extra lengths to crack down on disruptive parties this holiday weekend.
Jul 05, 2024•4 min
Sorry Papi is a popular all-female traveling DJ party co-founded by Miriam Paz. “We were just thinking one day before COVID: ‘What if we throw an all-girls reggaeton party?” Paz said. Paz, whose stage name is DJ Miriam, talked with Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez about the genesis of the traveling party, the general prowess of female DJs, and why women feel safer partying with other women. Sorry Papi’s next party is July 6 at the Ramova Theatre in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood....
Jul 05, 2024•13 min
Highland Park families explain why they wanted to come to the community's first parade following the mass shooting two years ago. A new report shows how federal housing voucher renters can become voucher homeowners. Some Chicagoans are confused about how much to budget for their monthly student loan payments in the face of dueling court decisions.
Jul 05, 2024•5 min
The Jelly Belly Candy company will cease operations in North Chicago and lay off dozens of workers. Illinois ended its fiscal year with more money than expected. More than 1.7 million people are expected to travel through O’Hare and Midway airports this holiday weekend.
Jul 03, 2024•3 min
When the pandemic hit, Zeshan B was living in the Bronx. His wife works in health care, so her job was considered essential. Meanwhile, he lost all his work as a performer, and he channeled his lockdown angst into new music. “My industry was considered nonessential,” he said. “While I was on the back burner, the only thing I could do was write.” Now, Zeshan B and his family live in Chicago, and he’s preparing to release his new album, “O Say, Can You See,” later this month. In this episode, host...
Jul 03, 2024•20 min
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is stopping short of calling for Democratic President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race. Most of the Chicago school board candidates are being challenged. That could mean the wide open field of 47 candidates might be whittled down. Adult educators at City Colleges of Chicago were on the streets yesterday calling for a fair contract.
Jul 03, 2024•5 min
The Supreme Court declined to review Illinois’ ban on semiautomatic weapons, meaning that judgment will stand for now. Lurie Children’s Hospital says nearly 800,000 people may have been exposed in a cybersecurity attack this year. A new report from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows an increase in traffic stops last year – and that Black drivers were nearly twice as likely to be stopped by police than white drivers.
Jul 02, 2024•3 min
Illinois Republicans celebrate while Illinois Democrats lament Monday’s SCOTUS decision on presidential immunity. A Cook County employee says he was fired for talking about wrongdoing at a county agency. Officials agreed on a plan to protect the Great Lakes from the invasive carp.
Jul 02, 2024•5 min
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker still believes the door to prosecute former President Donald Trump is still open even after the Supreme Court ruled a president holds "absolute immunity" for official acts. A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows one in three students in Illinois are chronically absent – meaning they miss at least 10 percent of their school year. Loyola Medicine is working with a charity to erase about $112 million of medical debt this year for low-income patients.
Jul 01, 2024•3 min