Conditions are not good for migrants living temporarily in police station lobbies. Gun sales are up while Illinois’ assault weapons ban is on pause. The deadline is May 10 for creative workers hit hard by the pandemic eligible for the state’s Back 2 Business grants.
In advance of the 2024 election, Chicago Public Media is launching a new initiative,The Democracy Solutions Project, where journalists from WBEZ and The Chicago Sun-Times dig into the big themes and questions surrounding democracy in the United States. Expect installments of the project to appear from both outlets, in partnership with The University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government. We talk with Tracy Brown, CPM’s Chief Content Officer, about what readers and listeners can expect fro...
Chicago is struggling to provide care for the thousands of migrants who have been arriving in the city since August. Incoming Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team is preparing to take over. A federal judge in southern Illinois temporarily blocked enforcement of the assault weapons ban.
WBEZ’s Spring Culture Guide has everything you need to say goodbye to winter in style, and we’re rounding up our favorite recommendations from the guide. In today’s episode: visual art, theater and opera. It’s always tough to know which shows and exhibits are worth your time. So host Erin Allen sat down with WBEZ producer and curator Julia Binswanger and producer Sarah Stark to talk about the productions in Chicago you shouldn’t miss this spring, including several from underrepresented voices....
A wide majority of parents in Chicago think their children are on track at school, but that's not the case. Chicago daytime talkshow host Jerry Springer died yesterday. The Chicago Bears selected Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft.
A bill sponsored by Illinois Democrats would put guardrails on Crisis Pregnancy Centers and has led anti-abortion protesters and Republican lawmakers to speak out. A West Side school serving students with autism abruptly announced it will close at the end of the school year. A physician at University of Illinois Health says men are living about six years fewer than women because they have to get dragged to the doctor’s office.
There’s a weird discrepancy in the field of particle physics: basically, it’s unclear why we all exist. All the matter and antimatter particles produced during the Big Bang should have annihilated one another, according to Sam Zeller, a physicist at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. But our presence on Earth – as well as the presence of Earth, and everything else – is evidence that didn’t happen. In an attempt to solve this mystery, Fermilab is conducting a new flagship experiment called the Deep U...
Cook County state’s attorney Kim Foxx is not running for re-election. Jury deliberations continue today in the ComEd trial. And the NFL draft kicks off tomorrow.
Cannabis production programs are popping up at Illinois’ colleges and universities. Local advocacy groups are holding a summit today to encourage landlords to rent to people who were in prison. An Illinois Senate council will meet today to discuss mandating full day kindergarten state wide.
Ọmọlará Mino is a social worker and educator from Englewood whose goal is to connect Black students with their African roots. “It’s all with the idea of us reclaiming our history, reclaiming our truths, reclaiming parts of ourselves that we’ve been taken away from,” she says. Mino is also a musician known artistically as Omo Nyame. As part of the “Chi Sounds Like” series from WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo, we hear some of Mino’s tracks, and she explains why she’s teaching Black youth to love thei...
Illinois abortion providers say they are relieved by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that preserves widespread access to a key abortion pill — for now. Chicago's incoming mayor says developing more affordable housing will be a priority under his administration. Local clergy led a march over the weekend to show support for Chicago’s youth.
Eddie Sanders, Eric “Phero” Lopez and Pilar McQuirter founded The New Vanguard , a coalition of BIPOC creators, during the pandemic. Not long after, Chelsey Carter-Sanders entered the mix. She’s a prolific, Chicago-based fashion designer and founder of the Alex Carter brand. Plus, if you clocked that last name, she and Eddie are married. Chelsey’s debut art exhibit is part of “Creatives of Color,” a partnership between WNDR Museum and The New Vanguard. In this episode, Chelsey and Eddie talk abo...
Chicago’s interim police superintendent announced he will retire the same day Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson takes office. Chicago parents hoping to prevent more downtown chaos have a new way to be notified of mass youth gatherings. A study by DePaul University makes the case for why Chicago needs to keep its downtown Greyhound Bus station from closing.
For the first time in Illinois, about 100 cannabis workers from three dispensaries under the same company umbrella went to the picket lines. Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson spent time in Springfield to start building relationships with Illinois lawmakers. Chicago Park District officials are “extremely disturbed” to learn how their employees have allegedly defrauded a federal pandemic-aid program.
Twenty years ago, Illinois developed a safety net for children from low-income families who are in a mental health crisis. It’s called Screening, Assessment and Support Services, or SASS. After a six-month investigation, WBEZ found the program isn’t working for thousands of children. WBEZ reporters Sarah Karp and Kristen Schorsch catch us up on what’s happened since their initial reporting and look to potential solutions....
The CTA’s bus and train tracking technology needs an update. Chicago’s budget gap has narrowed significantly since the start of the pandemic. A state miscalculation is casting uncertainty over funding for after school programs serving thousands of kids.
City officials weigh in on what Chicago should do to prevent violent incidents downtown. New White House emissions restrictions mean more electric vehicles and expanding public charging stations in Illinois. Arts and culture has been the leading driver in downtown’s post pandemic recovery according to a new report.
WBEZ’s Spring Culture Guide has everything you need to say goodbye to winter in style, and we’re rounding up our favorite recommendations from the guide. In this episode: Chicago for the dance-curious. Whether you’re into ballet, hip-hop, or anything in between—including the Chicago-born hybrid “hiplet”—WBEZ external editor Cassie Walker Burke has got you covered.
Despite protests, Walmart moved ahead with its plan to close four of its stores in Chicago. Hundreds of teens gathered downtown over the weekend where crowds were dancing, stomping on cars and two teens were shot. Striking faculty at Chicago State University reached a tentative agreement with the school.
First it was faculty at University of Illinois Chicago. Now professors at Chicago State and Governor’s State are on the picket lines. What’s behind these faculty strikes and how is it affecting students? WBEZ’s higher education reporter Lisa Philip explains how low pay, small budgets and politics got us here, and what we can expect next.
A key drug used in medication abortion remains available in Illinois. Scientists examining Americans' COVID behaviors have published their 100th report. Chicago residents are getting a chance to share what they want from the city’s next top cop.
Leaders with the Chicago Transit Authority say they’re making progress toward its hiring goals, but it’s still not enough to bring service back to pre-pandemic levels. Chicago is preparing to host a NASCAR street race around Grant Park in July, and the public has some questions. Officials say they will work to ensure the economic impacts of next year’s Democratic National Convention extend beyond downtown.
Through The Nap Ministry, Tricia Hersey organizes communal naps and spreads her message that rest is resistance. Her New York Times bestselling book, aptly titled “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto,” came out last fall. In part two of her conversation with Erin, she talks about rest within the framework of Black liberation, plus what happens to the living things around us when we rest.
Hosting the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago could elevate the profiles of some of Illinois’ top Democrats. Students from three public universities across Illinois rallied behind their striking professors Tuesday. More than 800,000 people in Illinois have had cannabis related arrest records expunged, according to newly released data.
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson joined Chicago State University faculty and staff on the picket lines. The University of Chicago is focusing on Black maternal health through new technologies. It’s going to be unseasonably beautiful the next few days in Chicago.
If you don’t know Tricia Hersey’s name, you’ve probably seen her work. Hersey founded The Nap Ministry, perhaps best known for its popular Instagram account , with the hope of teaching others how to rest in a society that glorifies grind culture. In her New York Times bestselling book “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto,” Hersey explores the lifelong project of rest and grapples with the impact of capitalism on our ability to thrive. In the face of these systemic issues, Hersey talks about resting ...
Pro-choice demonstrators marched in downtown Chicago Saturday to denounce a federal judge’s decision to block a commonly used abortion drug. There’s a question about what Chicago’s next mayor can do to improve the public’s understanding of policing. Downstate Carbondale elected the first out transgender person to a city council seat in Illinois.
In episodes of “When Magic Happens,” three Black women from different generations talk hair, work, representation and anything else they find cringey or life-giving. It’s WBEZ’s newest podcast, and Erin talks with two of the hosts Jennifer “Shae Love” Long and Taylor Coward about opening up to vulnerable conversations, finding magic in small moments, and how hosting a show by and for Black women has transformed them.
Brandon Johnson kicked off his transition to the mayor’s office by meeting with Lori Lightfoot. The Chicago Transit Authority estimates it will spend $6.5 million this year making improvements to 29 rail stations across its system. Via Crucis kicks off at 9 a.m. today in Pilsen.
Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson’s seat on the county board is up for grabs. Illinois’ largest teachers union called Tuesday’s local school board election results a “win for public education.” A new app by Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago aims to help identify signs of abuse in babies and young children.
