Daisy Zamora is a proud Latinx Chicagoan out here bettering her community. She’s both a volunteer doula who supports new mothers during childbirth, and an activist who leads conversations to create healing between communities. Zamora facilitates “community solidarity circles,” and says that these kinds of discussions among young people can help create a radically inclusive Chicago. This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series....
Jul 24, 2023•11 min
Illinois’ prisons need billions of dollars in repairs, according to a report, leaving officials wondering if it’s time to close some facilities. Newly seated Chicago Board of Education members are asking questions about whether metal detectors in schools make kids safer. A new initiative meant to produce 4 million Latino homeowners kicks off in Chicago.
Jul 24, 2023•6 min
Evictions in Cook County are back to pre-pandemic levels. More than 800 people were evicted from their homes in the month of May, the highest total in four years. Why? WBEZ data reporter Amy Qin explains her recent findings : that wages aren’t keeping up with rising rents, that eviction enforcement disproportionately affects Black residents in one South Side zip code and that Cook County’s eviction process can be particularly devastating. “It is a costly process. It is emotionally traumatic for ...
Jul 21, 2023•16 min
A record number of basements were flooded this month in Chicago, according to a WBEZ analysis. SAG-AFTRA members rallied in Grant Park for a new contract. A new south suburban craft cannabis grow facility aims to help areas affected by the War on Drugs.
Jul 21, 2023•6 min
The Chicago City Council is considering a citywide snow plowing program, but not everyone is happy about it. Northwestern University is facing lawsuits based on accounts of widespread hazing and sexual abuse. Unionized workers at Loretto Hospital on the city’s West Side have authorized a strike. An earlier version of this episode said Waukegan is about 3 hours north of Chicago. That has been corrected to say "about one hour north of Chicago."
Jul 20, 2023•5 min
Thousands of migrants have made their way to Chicago over the last year. Today you’ll hear the stories of one migrant who’s seeking asylum in the city, an attorney who’s trying to help her, a woman who offers clothes and showers to people sleeping outside police stations, and more. WBEZ reporters Mariah Woelfel and Kristen Schorsch discuss what life is like for these migrants, the folks helping them, and what being a “sanctuary city” really means. Reporting in this story was from Mariah Woelfel,...
Jul 19, 2023•19 min
The Illinois Supreme Court upheld a law eliminating cash bail throughout the state. The head of a Chicago agency investigating alleged sexual misconduct by police officers involving migrants said they haven’t identified any victims yet. The next leader for Rainbow PUSH said he plans to keep the organization in Chicago.
Jul 19, 2023•6 min
A new report ranks Chicago among the worst big cities for cyclists. Chicago aldermen agree to settle a 2018 federal lawsuit alleging the city’s police department had a policy of unconstitutional stops. Eight former Northwestern University football players have retained lawyers for an anticipated lawsuit.
Jul 18, 2023•6 min
It’s World Emoji Day! In honor of these handy companions that have helped us emote in an ever evolving digital world, we’re returning to an episode we did about them on The Rundown podcast last year: As helpful as emojis can be, there’s some tension and disagreement between age groups on what they mean and how they should be used – especially in the workplace. Erin talks with some WBEZ colleagues and a communications expert on the emojis that make Millennials smile and Gen Z cringe.
Jul 17, 2023•9 min
Vice President Kamala Harris visits Chicago as civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson announces plans to step down from Rainbow PUSH. Chicago area actors joining the SAG-AFTRA strike say they’re in a fight for their livelihood and art. Workers at the Starbucks Chicago Roastery on Michigan Avenue announced they have filed for a union with the National Labor Relations Board.
Jul 17, 2023•6 min
A months-long investigation found strong evidence of hazing on Northwestern University’s football team. The particulars of the investigation were enough for university president Michael Schill to place the team’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald on a two-week suspension. Then, student reporters got involved. The Daily Northwestern published detailed accounts of sexual abuse from an anonymous former player, and subsequent allegations of racism on the team dating back to the mid-2000s. Just two days late...
Jul 14, 2023•21 min
A citizen panel sent Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson three finalists for police superintendent. Northwestern Medicine has new findings from a study looking at long COVID that show people are still suffering. Cleanup continues after severe weather blew through the region this week.
Jul 14, 2023•5 min
Severe weather made its way through the Chicago area Wednesday night, including confirmed tornadoes. A Northwestern researcher found evidence of underground climate change in Chicago’s Loop. Precious Brady-Davis is now the first Black transgender appointee to a public office in Cook County history.
Jul 13, 2023•4 min
People who used federal food assistance and healthcare programs received expanded benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. But now that the pandemic emergency declaration is over, people are starting to feel the effects of a return to the status quo. That means fewer people qualify for Medicaid – the federal healthcare program for low-income individuals. And families on SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – are getting fewer dollars for groceries. “These are choices that we mak...
Jul 12, 2023•16 min
Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation related to the flooding over the July 4th weekend, and we have more rain expected this week. Northwestern University professors urge the school to pump the brakes on new football stadium plans. Street closures will continue to impact downtown.
Jul 12, 2023•7 min
Northwestern University fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The head of the union for rank-and-file Chicago officers is urging an end to rumors about an investigation of alleged sexual misconduct involving West Side officers and at least one migrant. Chicago’s North and Northwest Sides are seeing the biggest decline in affordable rental housing.
Jul 11, 2023•6 min
Cornbread dressing. Baked mac and cheese. Jamaican fried dumplings. Soul food is absolutely delicious, and National Soul Food Month – the soul food celebration that takes place every June – was founded by Chicagoan Charla Draper , the former food editor at Ebony Magazine. WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves recently broke bread with Draper. So, we had to talk with Greaves about the importance of soul food, the history of National Soul Food Month, our favorite soul foods and recipes, and why it’s so imp...
Jul 10, 2023•15 min
Migrants have been moved from the 10th District police station following allegations of sexual misconduct against officers. The state of Illinois is using $40 billion to tackle improvements around many modes of transportation. Northwestern University is considering even more penalties after suspending its football coach due to evidence of hazing by players.
Jul 10, 2023•6 min
It’s a challenging moment to be an immigrant in the United States. Some elected officials run on anti-immigration platforms, and new policies are targeting undocumented workers. With their very existence up for debate, immigrants have a lot at stake. In this episode, we discuss how immigrants participate in democracy. Naturalized citizens are able to take part in formal ways, like voting. But permanent residents and the undocumented population have many informal pathways open to them. Northweste...
Jul 07, 2023•19 min
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has a 223-page report filled with policy proposals to wade through after his transition committee released it Thursday. Illinois has a chance to improve its troubled prison healthcare. Chicago police are investigating allegations that multiple officers had sexual relations with migrants sleeping at police stations - including a claim an officer impregnated a teen girl.
Jul 07, 2023•6 min
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s picks for the Chicago Board of Education are steeped in grassroot organizing and advocacy. Business owners downtown are saying they saw mixed results during the recent NASCAR race weekend. A new Illinois law requires landlords to accept any type of rent payment – including cash.
Jul 06, 2023•6 min
Last week, the Supreme Court issued two rulings with big implications in the world of higher education. First, they ruled that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unconstitutional, effectively ending affirmative action at colleges nationwide. The next day, they ruled that an executive action by President Joe Biden – one that would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers – was beyond his authority, effectively killing...
Jul 05, 2023•27 min
Fourth of July looked different in suburban Highland Park, which spent the day marking one year since a deadly mass shooting. Chicago officials are taking inventory of recent damage caused by torrential rainfall and flooding. Millions in state funding will be made available to help people navigate the court system in Cook County.
Jul 05, 2023•6 min
Highland Park’s 2022 4th of July parade kicked off on a beautiful morning. But it wasn’t long before a shooter opened fire on the festivities. The mass shooting resulted in seven deaths and left 48 other parade goers injured. A year later, the community is coming together to process. Mayor Nancy Rotering has become an outspoken advocate for gun control, including the assault weapons ban that has since passed in Illinois. Rotering said young people in Highland Park expected a mass shooting in the...
Jul 03, 2023•15 min
The Chicago area saw record rainfall over the weekend, followed by flash flooding. The rain caused problems for NASCAR. More than a million student loan borrowers in Illinois asked for loan forgiveness through a Biden administration plan and the Supreme Court struck it down.
Jul 03, 2023•6 min
Where are the queer spaces outside of Northalsted for those who either cannot or don’t want to trek to Lake View? Adam Rhodes is a training director at Investigative Reporters and Editors and a former social justice reporter at The Chicago Reader, where they covered the Northalsted community during its period of recent tumult. On today’s episode, they talk about the history of Chicago’s main gay enclave and name some of the city’s welcoming spaces outside of it. To see a list of Rhodes' suggesti...
Jun 30, 2023•22 min
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action, local professors and state officials react. Wildfires, NASCAR and Independence Day celebrations have experts wondering how Chicago’s air quality will be over the next several days. There are now six remaining candidates under consideration to be Chicago’s next police superintendent.
Jun 30, 2023•7 min
We could get a break from unhealthy levels of air quality soon. The Cook County Juvenile Detention Center is facing questions over its use of physical restraint in the facility’s school. Chicago emergency officials are setting up a new security system ahead of NASCAR this weekend.
Jun 29, 2023•6 min
Chicago now has nine city council members who identify as LGBTQ+, and they’re working together as the “LGBT Caucus.” It’s the largest of its kind in the country, according to Block Club Chicago reporter Jake Wittich. He spoke with all of them, and in this episode of The Rundown he explains the humble beginnings of Chicago city council’s LGBT Caucus and what it hopes to accomplish with its newfound strength in numbers ....
Jun 28, 2023•20 min
Chicago’s air quality Tuesday was among the worst in the world, and it’s not getting much better. The CTA received $25 million in federal money to advance its electric bus fleet. Local health officials want to bring attention to a rising rate of maternal mortality in Cook County.
Jun 28, 2023•7 min
