The heat advisory for the Chicago area ends tonight at 10 pm. Some asylum seekers in Chicago are considering President Donald Trump's new self-deportation program amid an increase in arrests and deportation. Wrigley Field will host the 2027 MLB All-Star Game, its first since 1990. Plus, the start of the school year is just weeks away, but Chicago Public Schools are staring down a massive budget deficit to the tune of $734 million. My colleague Sarah Karp talked about it with anchor Mary Dixon....
Jul 24, 2025•8 min
The Chicago area is under an extreme heat watch today and tomorrow. A plan to reform Illinois' tort laws awaits Governor Pritzker’s signature. And, the 4th annual Breaking Barriers Festival begins Friday at Ravinia. Plus, the Chicago soul producer and arranger Charles Stepney died in 1976. His daughters spoke to WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers about their father’s legacy.
Jul 23, 2025•7 min
An extreme heat watch in Chicago goes into effect Wednesday morning. The world premiere play Billie Jean follows the rise of tennis legend and women’s rights activist Billie Jean King. And, the Cubs have dropped from first place in the National League Central. Plus, WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad has more on a couple she’s following that are seeking asylum in the US.
Jul 22, 2025•11 min
A federal judge is imposing a two-year prison term on ComEd’s former CEO for her role in a long-running conspiracy to illegally influence former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Illinois U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen is among a bipartisan group of lawmakers calling for the release of investigation files into Jeffrey Epstein. Dangerously hot conditions are expected later this week beginning Wednesday. Plus, we hear a first-hand account from a Chicago–based asylum seeker during his time in immigr...
Jul 21, 2025•11 min
Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell said the company will continue to serve the city following Congress' approval of a rescissions package. Demolition of the Damen Silos is moving quickly. A pilot program to bring rat contraceptives to Lincoln Park will launch later this summer. Plus, WBEZ’s Mary Dixon talks more with Bell about the forthcoming cuts to public media.
Jul 18, 2025•10 min
Chicagoans will gather tonight downtown for the “Good Trouble” Day of Action honoring the legacy of civil‑rights icon John Lewis. The Democratic U.S. Senators from Illinois are slamming Senate approval of a $9 billion dollar rescissions package. A statewide campaign is sounding the alarm and trying to raise funds to address homelessness. Plus, for 15 years, the Chicago dance troupe behind the Fly Honey Show has built a following for its mix of club moves and burlesque. The group says it is stagi...
Jul 17, 2025•7 min
Chicago Police will not be able to enact so-called "snap curfews." The mother of a 13-year-old girl is suing Chicago Public Schools - accusing the district of allowing her daughter to be subjected to race-based bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is not seeking reelection but is leaving the door open to running for mayor of Chicago in 2027. Plus, when you drive through Chicago - are small, neighborhood traffic circles slowing you down? Our Curious C...
Jul 17, 2025•9 min
State Farm is defending a looming rate increase in homeowner insurance for 1.5 million Illinois customers. FX’s “The Bear” received 13 Emmy nominations for its third season. And, a drinking water notice has been issued for Aurora and Elgin after samples collected this year had elevated levels of lead. Plus, Chicago has more lead pipes than any other city in the country. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco reports on the city's federally mandated responsibility to notify its residents....
Jul 15, 2025•9 min
A former ComEd executive convicted of falsifying business records and conspiracy is going to prison. An air quality alert is in effect for multiple counties in northwestern Illinois. And, Chicago's newest piping plover chicks now have names - Bean, El and Ferris. Plus, Food and Drink contributor Maggie Hennessy talks about restaurant reservation etiquette.
Jul 14, 2025•7 min
The U.S. Department of Education said federally-funded programs cannot provide career and technical and adult education to undocumented students. The state Department of Public Health said a measles outbreak in southern Illinois is over. The Chicago Public Library added more than 400 new events this year tailored specifically for adults. Plus, Chicago honors people who have left their mark on the city with an honorary street sign. Our Curious City team found out what happened when one of these s...
Jul 11, 2025•8 min
The city of Chicago has joined a federal lawsuit challenging President Trump’s funding cutoff to sanctuary cities. The federal spending and tax bill passed last week could have big and harmful consequences for student loan borrowers. The Chicago White Sox are celebrating 20 years since their dominant World Series victory with a reunion weekend. Plus, A bill that could help bring pilot programs for overdose prevention sites to Illinois didn’t pass during the recent legislative session. WBEZ’s Isa...
Jul 10, 2025•7 min
Nurses at Veterans Affairs hospitals in the Chicago area are sounding the alarm about staffing levels. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is making a push to allow homeowners to add coach houses or basement rental units to their homes without red tape. And, Chicago’s current longest-serving alderperson says he’ll leave the City Council soon. Plus, the musical The Color Purple, based on Alice Walker’s book, is coming to the Goodman Theatre. WBEZ’s Mike Davis has the details.
Jul 09, 2025•9 min
Adult education programs in Illinois are in limbo with a funding freeze in their future. Lawyers for Commonwealth Edison’s former CEO say she shouldn’t serve any prison time for conspiring to influence Illinois’ one-time House speaker. And 30 years ago this week a heat wave killed more than 700 Chicagoans. Plus, WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip met with a Depaul student fighting back against the university’s total ban on distributing birth control.
Jul 08, 2025•10 min
The National Weather Service is warning swimmers to stay out of Lake Michigan today. Students from a Southwest Side trade school at risk of closing due to federal funding cuts are speaking out. The NASCAR race may be over, but tire marks are still etched into Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. Plus, a new segment from Chicago Public Media where we take your financial questions, and get them answered by experts.
Jul 07, 2025•7 min
Illinois Democrats in Washington gave a resounding “no” to President Trump’s giant tax bill. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called the mass shooting last night in the River North neighborhood a "tragic reminder of how far we still have to go as a city." As the Chicago area gears up for a weekend of speedy racecars and booming fireworks, the weather forecast may be just as wild. Plus, we’ll hear from one Illinois family who fear Medicaid cuts the U.S. House voted for today could put their daughter...
Jul 03, 2025•9 min
The Chicago Abortion Fund is celebrating a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that strikes down the state’s 176 year old abortion ban. Despite unrest in the Middle East, gas prices continue to drop heading into the 4th of July weekend. And, nearly 2,000 visitors are in Chicago this week for the Mensa Annual Gathering. Plus, The “World’s Largest Karaoke” party returns to Chicago tomorrow for a second year. WBEZ’s Justin Bull attended the inaugural event.
Jul 02, 2025•9 min
Governor Pritzker has selected his running mate. The Goodman Theatre is teaming up with the city’s cultural affairs department to put on 100 free plays. And, Democrats in Illinois are sounding the alarm bells after The Senate approved President Trump’s tax bill. Plus, Tina Sfondeles is the national politics reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She breaks down the potential impacts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Illinois residents.
Jul 01, 2025•6 min
Still no word on who Governor Pritzker’s running mate will be next year. A Chicago Park District lifeguard will be jailed while awaiting trial on charges that he shot two teenagers. And, the number of dust storms has increased in recent years. Plus, a Curious City story about women in Chicago’s queer community.
Jun 30, 2025•10 min
Chicago advocates express their disappointment after a Supreme court decision today that could reshape the way birthright citizenship is granted in the U.S., Chicago Public Schools new interim leader is pegging the district’s budget deficit as much higher than previously announced. Plus, Chicago’s Links Hall will close its doors for good after this weekend. We hear from dancers on what the venue has meant to them.
Jun 27, 2025•7 min
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is officially running for a third term. Public transit agencies are watching as Illinois lawmakers try to find $1.5 billion to stave off a fiscal cliff and improve service. Northwestern University is planning to reduce staff and make other cuts as it grapples with a federal funding freeze and rising costs. Plus, an incarcerated man who entered the prison system as a teen tried several times at getting the opportunity to earn his GED. We hear about his 18-year battle to ...
Jun 26, 2025•12 min
Chicago is mourning the death of police officer Krystal Rivera. A new report says Illinois is facing a housing shortage of 142,000 homes. Federal lawmakers from Illinois are urging health officials in Washington to protect non-citizen Medicaid data. Plus, after eight years away, actor Amy Morton is returning to her creative home at Steppenwolf Theatre to perform in the play “You Will Get Sick.” She sat down with WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis to talk about working with director Audrey Francis....
Jun 25, 2025•8 min
Sources close to the Illinois governor's campaign say Democrat JB Pritzker will announce he's seeking a third term. The latest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures into Chicago’s South Side. And, Ferris Bueller’s iconic vest has a new owner. Plus, WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad met up with a transgender woman from Venezuela to hear how she’s facing these uncertain times under the Trump administration.
Jun 24, 2025•8 min
A new Illinois law aims to give more due process to gun owners. The state of Illinois is making it easier for students to apply for college. A Chicago-focused story Dhaba on Devon Avenue debuts On stage. Plus, Helpful hand or scam? A new kind of student debt is under scrutiny.
Jun 23, 2025•8 min
It’s going to be very hot this weekend. Cook County plans to spend nearly $160 million dollars to keep nearly 20 programs when federal funding runs out. Misericordia Sister Rosemary Connelly died Thursday at age 94. Plus, dozens of Chicago skaters, unicyclers, and rollerbladers have been spending Thursday nights grooving in an old TJ Maxx. WBEZ contributor Anita Li brings us this report from a recent South Loop “Skate Rave.”
Jun 20, 2025•8 min
A longtime Chicago immigration attorney tells us about the new difficulties of advising clients. Mayor Brandon Johnson will issue the first veto by a Chicago mayor in 19 years. A group of knitters host a community Juneteenth celebration. Plus, how legendary chef Edna Lewis has inspired a new generation of Black chefs in Chicago.
Jun 19, 2025•7 min
Several Democratic members of Congress were denied entry to an Illinois ICE Processing Center this morning. The city of Chicago plans to open cooling centers starting on Saturday as heat and humidity move into the area. And just in time for the hot weather, all of Chicago’s outdoor public pools will be open seven days a week starting Saturday. Plus, WBEZ’s Sarah Karp reports on bullying in one Chicago public school.
Jun 18, 2025•9 min
Illinois US Representative Nikki Budzinski says her name was included in the notes of the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers last weekend. Federal Plaza turned into a classroom today, with college educators from across Chicago offering lessons about Palestine. CPS officials are grappling with a large budget deficit for their upcoming school year. Plus, many immigrants from countries like Haiti and Venezuela have a tough decision to make: live in the U.S. illegally and risk d...
Jun 17, 2025•7 min
A Chicago city council committee has greenlit a $14.75 million settlement in a wrongful conviction case tied to disgraced former police commander Jon Burge. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the $55 billion state budget for the next twelve months into law. The James Beard Awards – sometimes called the “Oscars of the food world” – is happening Monday night in Chicago. Plus, we hear voices from the “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration in downtown Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
Jun 16, 2025•7 min
A man carrying a loaded gun and impersonating a police officer was arrested Thursday during anti-ICE protests in the Loop, according to Chicago police. “No Kings” demonstrations are scheduled in Chicago and across the country to coincide with President Donald Trump’s planned military parade in Washington DC on Saturday. Chicago is reporting its first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes this season. Plus, ahead of Father’s Day, WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana reports on a local dads group that is hop...
Jun 13, 2025•8 min
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker testified before a Congressional committee about the state’s immigration policies and sanctuary state status. A Chicago woman who was injured by the person who drove through an anti-deportation protest on Tuesday says she thinks the driver should lose their license. Brookfield Zoo’s new baby bottlenose dolphin has died. Plus, Chicago’s home for so-called “outsider art” has reopened after a multi- million-dollar renovation and expansion. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers took...
Jun 12, 2025•7 min
