Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first budget lays the groundwork for his campaign promises while not raising property taxes. A new report says Uber and Lyft deactivated thousands of Chicago drivers. Many are still struggling to recover three months after record setting storms flooded thousands of homes.
The first 12 weeks postpartum are stressful for new parents, especially for new mothers. “It’s not something that’s really talked about,” said WBEZ photojournalist Manuel Martinez. He took dozens of powerful photographs of new mothers for the WBEZ multimedia series The First 12 Weeks , which is now a free interactive photo exhibit on Navy Pier through Nov. 30. In this episode, Martinez explains his process for taking photos during such an intimate time in a person’s life, as well as how he and h...
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker added his voice to those condemning the actions of Hamas in Israel. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will lay out his proposal Wednesday to close a half-a-billion-dollar budget gap. New research shows that the way Chicago funds its public schools is helping its neediest students.
Illinois lawmakers are calling for peace and de-escalation in wake of growing tensions between Israel and Palestine. Italian Americans in Chicago are continuing to call for statues of Christopher Columbus to be replaced in the city’s parks. Chicago transit officials claim significant progress in rebuilding its workforce.
For Mary Mitchell, retirement isn’t sticking. Lucky for us, she’s coming out of retirement to write a new column about aging called “Starting Over.” “I think we should embrace aging as opposed to making fun of it,” Mitchell said. She wants us to celebrate aging and use this opportunity to impart her wisdom to the next generation. In this episode, we talk to the Chicago Sun-Times columnist about what it means to reinvent ourselves later in life.
Israelis and Palestinians in Chicago are watching as casualties mount on both sides in Israel, following a declaration of war over the weekend. Native American people are celebrating their centuries-long history of resilience on Indigenous Peoples Day. Chicago Marathon fans were out in earnest cheering on runners during Sunday’s race where two world records were set.
Black drivers accounted for over 30% of all traffic stops in Illinois last year, even though the state’s adult population is only 13.6% Black. There’s also been a fivefold increase in the number of Black drivers stopped for non-moving violations and then let go with a warning. That’s all according to a recent data analysis by WBEZ and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity, which found that Black driver involvement in Illinois traffic stops has reached its highest level on record. In this ...
Chicago City Council members will vote on a proposal to eliminate the commonly known “sub-minimum wage.” Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus, considered the gold standard for middle linebackers, has died at the age of 80. Northwestern University’s former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald is suing the university for more than $130 million in damages for “wrongful termination.”
The head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services resigns. Mayor Brandon Johnson says he will soon visit the southern border to assess the migrant situation himself as the number being brought to Chicago continues to grow. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle proposes a budget with no new taxes for next year.
Growing up in Missouri, singer Chappell Roan didn’t think of queerness as an option. Now that she’s an openly queer pop star, she wants to use her platform to empower LGBTQ+ communities. So she’s booking local drag queens to open for her in every city on tour. “Drag is just inspirational throughout my whole project,” Roan said. “It would be only right to have drag open for me.” Enter Boyj, a Chicago-based drag artist. He also didn’t see himself reflected in the mainstream growing up. He said que...
Illinois saw a spike in hate crimes and speech over the last three years. Chicagoans can weigh in on a proposal to increase a tax on high-end property sales to fund homelessness prevention. Nurses want Illinois state lawmakers to regulate how many patients they treat at a time.
This past month, Chicago had fewer murders than any September since 2014. Cook County announces a Digital Equity Action Plan to expand internet access. Groups demand work permits for all undocumented immigrants – not just Venezuelans
The Guatemalan civil war brought Nestor Gomez and his family to the United States when he was a teenager in the 1980s. “In many ways I didn’t have a voice at all,” he told Erin Allen. “I didn’t have a voice because I couldn’t vote as an undocumented person, I didn’t have a voice because I stuttered and I didn’t have a voice because I didn’t know the language.” Decades later and Nestor is somewhat of a legend in Chicago’s storytelling scene. He’s won The Moth's Story SLAM over 70 times and the Ch...
Mexicans in Chicago who face wrongful convictions may now seek free legal aid from their local consulate. More than 5,000 employees at the Chicago Ford plant joined the auto workers strike on Friday. Chicago may have two baseball teams – but neither made it to the postseason.
If you watch any shows set in Chicago, you’ve probably seen LaRoyce Hawkins. He plays Kevin Atwater in “Chicago P.D.” and its many crossover shows and is in “South Side” as Michael “Shaw” Owens. Even if Hawkins hasn’t appeared on your TV, you might’ve seen him around town. He’s the tall guy with the toothpick, coordinating fundraisers for community organizations in and around Chicago. But he’s also a lifelong poet and comedian, and currently touring his show “Poetry OVER Prose.” In this episode,...
Gov. J.B. Pritzker expresses concerns about a controversial security firm tapped to build tent shelters for migrants in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools lays out just how much it would cost to modernize its aging buildings. South Side artist Dorian Sylvain’s to unveil a new mural in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment is unveiled downtown.
Larry Snelling is now Chicago’s police superintendent after a unanimous vote by the city council Wednesday. A new study from North Shore University Health System is searching for treatment options for long COVID. A handful of Illinois colleges have committed to making their financial aid offers more transparent.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many arts institutions promised to take steps toward racial equity. Enrich Chicago partners with organizations to upend racist systems in the arts, and they wanted to find out whether those promises actually brought about meaningful change. They surveyed employees of their member institutions and confirmed what many already knew: Not much has changed since 2020. In this episode, we talk to Enrich Chicago director Nina Sánchez about the survey and how to char...
The Chicago City Council could confirm Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick for top cop as soon as this morning. The council is also working on expanding a 911 response program that does not include police. More fallout from a lifeguard-abuse scandal at the Chicago Park District. WBEZ has the story of three legal settlements with young women.
Chicago Public School officials say a literacy test shows its youngest students are improving in reading and vocabulary. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin stood with members of the United Auto Workers at the picket line in Bolingbrook. What to expect when a 12-foot puppet doll named Little Amal comes to Chicago.
Tipped minimum wage is a policy that allows restaurants to pay servers 60% of the set minimum wage, assuming that tips cover the rest. Chicago’s City Council has the votes to end tipped minimum wage when it votes on a new measure next month. So what will that mean for servers, owners, and restaurant goers? Ashok Selvam, the editor of Eater Chicago, explains what we can expect next for the restaurant industry.
The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen opened its Dia de Los Muertos Exhibit this weekend and runs through December 10th. Chicagoans can expect to see fall colors peak by mid-October. Chicago’s Department of Public Health will begin hosting COVID and Flu vaccine clinics as early as next week.
Chicagohenge comes around twice a year: just after the spring equinox and right before the fall equinox. That means this weekend is our last opportunity of 2023 to catch the phenomenon. When the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west on the equinoxes, it creates a dazzling effect in some Chicago streets. The name “Chicagohenge” is a play on Stonehenge, the ancient stone monument in England that also interacts with the sun in some amazing ways. It’s the kind of interplay bet...
Illinois is considering further tightening rules for restraining and isolating students in schools. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is defending its deal with a controversial security firm to prop up so-called “base camps” for migrants. Local advocates praise the Biden administration for fast-tracking work permits for migrants, but say the same should apply to other undocumented immigrants
Cook County commissioners want to spend nearly $14 million dollars to buy two hotels for the unhoused population. A proposal to pay tipped workers Chicago’s minimum wage is one step closer to passing. The City of Chicago is filing a lawsuit against the company Monsanto and several co-defendants related to chemical contamination.
Matthew A. Cherry wasn’t an artsy kid. Growing up on Chicago’s Northwest Side, he played four sports in high school, football in college, and then bounced around the National Football League for a few years. His Plan B was a pivot to TV and film production and eventually an Academy Award, for his 2020 animated short film “ Hair Love ,” about a young Black father struggling to style his daughter’s hair on a special day. On this episode of The Rundown, Cherry talks about his circuitous career jour...
Cook County is offering some property tax relief for residents and businesses whose properties suffered severe flood damage this summer. Sangamon County court officials continue to process prior cases under the new no cash bail system. And a new report says Illinois added thousands of clean energy jobs last year.
Judges in some Illinois counties were still setting money bonds, despite a new law eliminating cash bail. In the wake of disturbing allegations of sexual harassment by leaders at the National Association of Realtors, advocates are demanding sweeping reforms. A new environmental assessment published by the city of Chicago addresses the uneven effects of climate change and pollution across the city.
In Chicago, autumn rings in the end of summer festival season. The city plays host to countless music, food and cultural festivals each year. For some of us, that’s part of the magic of summertime Chi. But others argue that events like Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and the Taste of Chicago can do more harm than good. Tickets can be costly, and events render public spaces inaccessible for a few days and can cause lasting damage to parks, plus residents can feel a lack of engagement with planners. This ...
Today is the official end of cash bail in the state of Illinois. Riot Fest attracted thousands, but some long-time residents and business owners feel frustrated that they aren’t more involved with planning the event. Thousands of preschool seats for Chicago Public Schools remain unfilled.
