The Rundown | Chicago News

Here are some reasons you might want to found your tech startup in Chicago: 1) it’s a great place to live, 2) it’s not as expensive as New York or Silicon Valley and 3) the city is not already over-saturated with tech companies vying for investors. That’s all according to Griffin Cox and Haydée Marino, two of the founders behind ezbot.ai, a Chicago-based tech start-up that uses machine learning to optimize e-commerce websites.Cox and Marino are both Chicagoans who admit the city is not the first that comes to mind when you think of tech startups, but it’s “a growing scene,” Cox said. In this episode, they explain how they got their Chicago-born startup off the ground and both the opportunities and challenges of starting a business in the city of big shoulders. 

A federal judge in East Saint Louis is hearing arguments today in a trial over an Illinois gun control law. A Chicago City Council panel is scheduled to vote on a deal that could lead to dozens of settlements in wrongful convictions tied to a corrupt former sergeant. People from all over the country flock to celebrate Mexican Independence Day at Grant Park.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is appointing Walter Burnett, the City Council’s longest-serving alderman, to be the next chair of the powerful Zoning Committee. Mexican Independence Day celebrations kick-off across Chicago this weekend and the Fire Department is warning drivers that caravans could make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass through. Black fraternities and sororities are hosting community blood drives across Chicago during Sickle Cell Disease and Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s nearly Libra season, an astrological sign known for patience. Loona Dae is a Chicago-based musician (and a Libra) who has waited until this weekend to perform songs from her 2023 debut album, ATARI. “I’m a very patient person,” she told Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez, referring to both releasing and performing songs from that album, but also to her long-term friendship-turned-relationship with her producer, Ashwin Torke.In this episode, the St. Louis-born artist talks about giving time for her album to sit with people, what it’s like making music with a romantic partner and her upcoming performance at Empty Bottle on Sept. 15.

Illinois public defenders are feeling the squeeze, one year after the state eliminates the cash bail system. Some changes are coming to Illinois’ Bright Start college savings program. A group of environmental activists is working with state lawmakers to pass a bill aimed at protecting a large, underground water source.

Illinois public defenders are feeling the squeeze, one year after the state eliminates the cash bail system. Some changes are coming to Illinois’ Bright Start college savings program. A group of environmental activists is working with state lawmakers to pass a bill aimed at protecting a large, underground water source.

A veterinarian once employed by suburban horse-racing track Hawthorne is accusing that facility – and a state agency – of misconduct. The north suburban man accused of killing seven people at the 2022 Highland Park 4th of July Parade didn’t show up to a scheduled court hearing today. People in Canada and some northern U.S. cities may see faint auroras late tonight.

Some business owners on the city’s West Side are dreading the return of Riot Fest to Douglass Park later this month. A year since Illinois eliminated cash bail, a study looks at crime rates and the size of jail populations. A new festival kicking off this weekend looks to be a “hoot” for Chicago bird enthusiasts.

Riot Fest is heading back to Chicago’s west side. Rates of syphilis are rising across the country, including in Chicago. University of Illinois system leaders say their three campuses have enrolled a record number of students.

The Johnson Publishing Company was the powerhouse publisher of Ebony and Jet, influential and trendsetting magazines that offered narratives, products and depictions of Black folks that spoke to Black folks throughout the 20th century and beyond.Chicago artist Theaster Gates has been a caretaker, of sorts, for the archive of artifacts that once lived at 820 S. Michigan Avenue, the longtime home of the Johnson Publishing Company that filed for bankruptcy liquidation in 2019. Now, Gates has assembled these artifacts into a new exhibit, “When Clouds Roll Away: Reflection and Restoration from the Johnson Archive.”“When clouds roll away is an acknowledgement that some time has passed and that in it, so much more might be revealed,” Gates said on the Rundown podcast. “And so the premise of the exhibition is to reveal the important treasures of this insurmountable Black archive that is native to Chicago.”The exhibit is open from Sept. 12 through March 16, 2025 at the former Stony Island Trust & Savings Bank, a space Gates acquired and transformed into a Black archive and third space over the past decade.  In this episode, host Erin Allen talks with Gates about why he wants to preserve these kinds of spaces and artifacts, including those in his new exhibit.

The Park District board is set to vote on a permit for Riot Fest today… and one catering company with ties to a board member will set up shop at the big music festival. Chicago officials plan to close three migrant shelters, but some advocates worry about doing so before the city has a plan to end homelessness. An Illinois lawmaker is hoping for a more bipartisan Farm Bill.

City of Chicago officials plan to close three migrant shelters by the end of October since fewer people are arriving in the city. The state of Illinois is spending $6 million to bolster career training for people experiencing homelessness. The Chicago White Sox are just nine losses away from ending up on the wrong side of baseball history.

More charging stations across Illinois could make it easier to own an electric vehicle – new federal money is making that possible. In light of the Georgia school shooting, Illinois state lawmakers look to pass more safe gun storage laws. A new data study aims to help libraries demonstrate their value as community anchors in presentations to stakeholders.

The city of Chicago is enacting a hiring freeze to help close looming budget gaps. A Cook County Commissioner is hosting a public hearing about the lack of public transit in the northwest suburbs. The Chicago Sky will finish the WNBA season without star Angel Reese after a sidelining wrist injury.

Growing up in Englewood, Chatham and Washington Park in the 1960s and ‘70s, Ernest Dawkins said he knew he’d be a musician.“I always had a dream that I was playing the saxophone and I didn’t even know what a saxophone was when I was a child,” Dawkins said on the Rundown podcast. Dawkins is one of the world’s premiere saxophonists and composers. He’s the leader of several ensembles, including the New Horizons Ensemble and the Live the Spirit residency projects. He’s also the founder and director of the Englewood Jazz Festival, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Sept. 19-21. Ahead of the festival, host Erin Allen sat down with Dawkins to talk about what attendees can expect – including an encore of Dawkins’ jazz-poetry opera called “Paul Robeson: Man Of The People” – and how his South Side communities led him to a life in music. 

Some Chicago alderpersons say unspent federal relief dollars should be used to plug the city’s budget holes. CTA bus and rail operators raced against each other in a friendly competition over the weekend. Evanston hosted its first folk festival over the weekend.

A letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times shows 16 current or former employees of COPA, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, are calling on an oversight board to consider taking the first step toward removing the agency’s chief, Andrea Kersten. The leader of Chicago’s immigrant and refugee rights committee wants to hold hearings on how to remove barriers to housing for migrants. A new play about legendary Chicago columnist Mike Royko opens tonight at the Chopin Theater.

Chicago Latin pop artist Adam Martinez said he can struggle with conversational Spanish, not unlike the late Mexican-American superstar, Selena, who learned Spanish as a young adult.“Selena is one of my biggest inspirations,” Martinez said. “She learned through music. And there’s a lot of people in my family who only speak Spanish. And so I love to communicate with them through the way that I know, which is music.”Martinez released an album last year, titled “Sol.” He said he met his girlfriend after asking her to star in the music video for his single, “Momentos,” via Instagram. In this episode recorded last year, he talks with Vocalo afternoon host Nudia Hernandez about Chicago’s Latin pop community and how he fell in love.

A new Save A Lot comes to West Garfield Park. Chicago's school board election is heating up as two groups raise big money to support candidates. Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren says there’s no deadline for closing a deal on a stadium downtown.

Some CTA riders are rattled by the murders on the Blue Line this week and are changing their routines as a result. Illinois State Senator Doris Turner says she’s holding off – for now – on filing police reform legislation in honor of Sonya Massey. The Illinois Flag Commission is now accepting designs for a new state flag.

The alleged shooter in a quadruple murder on the CTA Blue Line this week is ordered to remain locked up pending trial. A report says in 2023 – more dogs and cats were killed at Chicago’s Care and Animal Control shelter than in any other year since 2016. Meteorological summer is over… what weather can we expect during fall?

A judge ordered pre-trial detention for the alleged shooter in this week’s quadruple homicide on a CTA Blue Line train. The book “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin is this year’s pick for the Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago program. Tears were shed in last night’s finale of HBO’s Hard Knocks docu-series featuring the Chicago Bears.

Usually at a live performance, the audience is encouraged to give the performers their undivided attention. But at Meanwhile Chicago – a variety show featuring storytellers, essayists, comics and dancers – the audience is encouraged to draw and doodle the whole time. “When you put a piece of paper and a pen in front of someone, almost everyone is going to grab it and start doodling,” said Megan Kirby, who created Meanwhile with her friend Catherine Eves in 2016. “We were trying to figure out how to channel that desire to make art, and also this idea that you can be writing and drawing and it's not necessarily taking your focus away.”After the show, the artwork created by the audience is sifted through and stitched together into a zine, a small-run magazine, and then copied and distributed. In this episode of the Rundown podcast, Kirby talks with host Erin Allen about the inspiration for the project and why Chicago is a hub for this kind of creativity. You can follow Meanwhile on Instagram for information about their next performance and pick up a copy of their latest zine at Chicago Zine Fest on Oct. 5.

Illinois elected officials say they are prioritizing safety on public transit, in the wake of a fatal shooting on the Blue Line. About 30 people gathered outside Chicago’s Israeli consulate last night to protest Israel's government and mourn the recent deaths of Hamas-held hostages. Northwestern’s LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic is asking the US Supreme court to overturn a ban that prohibits gender affirming care for minors.

Chicago’s top federal judge says the publication this year of home addresses for members of the federal bench is dangerous. Foxtrot is reopening its Gold Coast location on Thursday, five months after it closed. The Archdiocese of Chicago will be the first Catholic diocese in the state to offer natural burials.

An update on Chicago’s response to the influx of asylum seekers bused her from Texas. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle explains why she’s been quiet on abortion rights two years after Roe v Wade fell. Plus, the busy Ashland Avenue bus route will now run north an extra mile.

Chicago could soon be one of the largest cities worldwide without an intercity bus terminal. The Illinois Tollway is reminding drivers it has its own service to request roadside assistance. Federal COVID relief funding for school districts expires in September.

Chicago musicians Marquis Hill – a jazz trumpeter and bandleader – and Manasseh – a singer and soul artist – both stopped by Vocalo to talk with Nudia Hernandez about their lives, their love for one another, and their recent and upcoming collaborations.“He’s booked and busy,” Hernandez said of Hill. And Manasseh? “I feel like is the next big up-and-coming Chicago artist,” Hernandez said.Both artists are slated to perform on the stage at Pritzker Pavilion for Vocalo’s Summer Finale on Sept. 20.

There’s been a possible breakthrough in Chicago’s teacher contract negotiations: Chicago Public Schools administrators are planning to offer significant raises. The new Hard Rock Casino in Rockford is now open. The CTA is now using a new program powered by artificial intelligence to detect guns brandished by passengers at its train stations.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is anticipating a roughly $982 million budget gap for next year. The Food and Drug Administration has approved new COVID-19 vaccines to tackle new strains of the virus for the fall and winter months. The Chicago Jazz Festival kicks off tonight.

Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general is leaving the district for a new job. The State of Illinois is probably getting a new flag. The bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease have been found in the drinking water at the EPA’s regional headquarters in Chicago.

For the first time in five years the Chicago Abortion Fund is scaling back who it can help. Chicago’s civilian police oversight commission is talking about ways to reform traffic stops. New details surrounding the death of Emmett Till are coming out today on the 69th anniversary of Till’s murder.

Imagine dancing your heart out with your bestie like you used to, but still getting home by 10 p.m.That’s the idea behind Earlybirds Club, according to creators (and high school friends) Susie Lee and Laura Baginski. “It’s a dance party for women that starts early and ends early because we all value our sleep,” Baginski said.Lee and Baginski have been selling out Earlybirds Club dance parties since February, and have a handful more scheduled through the end of the year, including a Halloween party at Beauty Bar and a holiday party at Beat Kitchen. They’re also expanding outside of Chicago; they have an event in New York City in November and plans for a party in Los Angeles in January.“We were so overwhelmed and surprised at the reaction,” Lee said. “The first one was just like two idiots throwing a party. And then after that, we were like, there clearly is a need for this.”Lee and Baginski came on the Rundown podcast to explain the idea’s origin story, why it struck a chord with so many, and what’s coming next.This episode was originally published on April 19, 2024. 

Who will be running for Chicago’s first ever school board? The list is basically set. The city’s civilian police oversight held a hearing on traffic stop reform last night. New research shows Chicago’s housing developers are disproportionately white and male.

Chicago has reached record-breaking heat. Democratic Illinois lawmakers are vowing to enact Karina’s Bill, a measure that would require judges to order the confiscation of guns from people who have restraining orders against them. Brookfield Zoo announced that Judy, a 24-year-old bison, has died.

Chicago Public School students started their new school year yesterday in record heat – and are back for more of it today. A national bus tour kicking off in Chicago highlights child and home care workers’ struggles. Hopes that Illinois legislative employees will be allowed to unionize are dwindling.

There was excessive heat, a lack of bus drivers and also normal first day jitters as Chicago Public Schools welcomed thousands of students back to class today. The attorney for former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson is trying to get his client out of jail pre-trial for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The White Sox have lost 100 games this season and it's not even September.

Tera Murray is a “chef instructor” at Silver Fork, a free culinary work-readiness program at the Center on Halsted. The seven-week program helps people in need prepare for future work opportunities in the industry. “One of the students just recently incarcerated, he gave a speech at graduation,” Murray recalled. “And he said, ‘That was the first time that I felt human after coming out of prison.’ That’s the kind of thing where I’m reminded how much I love this kind of work.” Murray tells their story – and the story of Silver Fork – as a part of Vocalo’s Chi Sounds Like series. 

Today is the first day of the fall semester for Chicago Public School students. We hear from one student who got ready for the big day this weekend. Illinois Democrats plan on hitting the road this fall – making sure people in swing states get out to vote. Northwestern University received a grant to create a new center focused on developing robot hands.

Workers started tearing down the Democratic National Convention at the United Center early Friday morning, and at least one expects to be working until 7 p.m. United Auto Workers at the Stellantis plant in Illinois could go on strike as early as mid-October. The Chicago Bears have reportedly traded for defensive end Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks.

Omar Apollo takes the stage at Northerly Island Friday night not too far from home – the Mexican-American musician hails from Hobart, Ind. – and ahead of his performance he talked with Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez about his childhood there, how his Mexican-American parents gave him brutally honest feedback about his vocals when he was a teenager, and about the origins of his latest album (and current tour of the same name) “God Said No.” 

What Illinois Democrats thought of Kamala Harris’s energetic speech last night. A young survivor of gun violence from Chicago took the stage on the final night of the DNC. The removal of convention infrastructure will carry on throughout the weekend.

Chicago police are monitoring a march against U.S. military aid to Israel on the last day of the Democratic National Convention. Some downtown store owners say the Democratic National Convention is slowing things down for their businesses. People incarcerated at a crumbling state prison outside Joliet are beginning to get moved out today.

A protest against the war in Gaza drew thousands Wednesday evening. Some delegates staged a sit-in outside of the United Center to call for a Palestinian American to speak at the DNC. Gen Z voters gathered near the United Center yesterday to see how they can help get other young people to the polls this November.

Palestinian advocates are requesting a chance to speak on the mainstage of the Democratic National Convention. The Chicago area added nearly 26,000 manufacturing jobs between January 2021 and January 2024, according to an analysis by WBEZ. The Chicago-based satirical newspaper The Onion is back in print after 11 years as an online-only paper.

Outside of the big speeches every night, what actually happens at the DNC? As it turns out, it’s a convention, filled with delegates hobnobbing, nail technicians issuing Kamala Harris manicures and vendors showing off everything from custom “Yes We Kam” patches to a collection of living, breathing, queen-worshiping bees.
 
 The Rundown podcast visited the DNC and spoke with a whole bunch of attendees who see the DNC in Chicago as a unique opportunity – for all kinds of different reasons.

Dozens of people were arrested during demonstrations supporting Palestine in the West Loop last night. Illinois Democrats highlighted the state’s progressive values during the ceremonial roll call at the DNC. Chicagoans react to the Democratic National Convention after its second day in the city.

Illinois Democrats are excited to hear from former President Barack Obama at the United Center tonight. The Chicago Department of Public Health is advising anyone attending the DNC to stay safe from respiratory illnesses like COVID-19. The Israeli American Council has launched an outdoor art exhibit called “Hostage Square Chicago” in the West Loop.

Illinois Democratic elected officials focused on fighting for working class families on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Protests on the first day of the DNC were peaceful, though there were some tense moments. Legendary television host Phil Donahue died this week. While working in Chicago during the 1970s and ‘80s, he redefined daytime talk shows for good.

Hear from a protest march underway near the United Center outside the Democratic National Convention. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said officers this week will avoid confrontation during marches and will not wear riot gear unless people are rioting. Phil Donahue, who created the format of the modern-day talk show and filmed in Chicago from 1974 to 1985, has died. He was 88.