The Rundown | Chicago News

Illinois abolished the death penalty 15 years ago today, when former Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law banning the punishment. We’ve got record warmth around Chicago today with highs in the low 70s. The Chicago White Sox have named Shane Smith their starting pitcher for Opening Day.
 
 Plus, Illinois residents soon have a big choice to make: who should represent them in the U.S. Senate for the next six years? All eyes are on the Democratic primary in the race to replace longtime retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

Memorial services for Rev. Jesse Jackson conclude today. Jackson died in his Chicago home on February 17 at the age of 84.
 
 He was known as being one of the most visible civil rights leaders of the last half century and a protege of Martin Luther King Jr. 
 
 But Jackson also was a divisive figure, remembered for his larger than life personality and sometimes controversial opinions. 
 
 In this special episode of The Rundown, WBEZ reporter Somer Van Benton sits down with Lisa Labuz to parse through some of the more complicated aspects of Jackson's career and legacy – including the integration of the media into his work, his views on women's rights and his relationship with those in the Jewish community.

Thousands of people gathered today in Chicago to honor the life and legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Charges were dropped this week against a group of 15 mothers arrested outside of the immigration processing center in Broadview. The New York City Ballet’s principal dancer Tiler Peck is coming to Chicago this weekend. 
 
 Plus, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy includes Operation Breadbasket, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and two presidential campaigns in the 1980s. But before any of that, he was just a kid from Greenville, South Carolina.

Governor JB Pritzker is voicing delight at President Trump's firing of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Developers broke ground this week on the Chicago Fire’s new privately-funded stadium in the South Loop neighborhood. Hundreds of Chicago high schoolers are voting for the first time in this month’s primary election.
 
 Plus, thirty year-old conductor Klaus Mäkelä will soon become the Chicago Symphony’s next music director. While working with the orchestra, he’s become a familiar face inside another cultural gem: the Art Institute.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is asking the federal government to help get U.S. citizens stranded in the Middle East back home. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified before Congress on Tuesday, and she claimed to not know the case in which Chicago resident Marimar Martinez was shot five times in an encounter with Border Patrol. The City Club of Chicago threw a party at the Lookingglass Theater on the Magnificent Mile to celebrate Chicago turning 189 years old.
 
 Plus, inside Illinois prisons, treatable health problems can turn dangerous or even deadly. The nearly 30,000 people locked up in Illinois prisons are still receiving substandard medical care.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is emphatically denying any ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is condemning the Trump administration for launching strikes in Iran without Congressional approval. A big challenge for whoever wins the Democratic primary for Cook County Board President is how to treat more uninsured patients. 
 
 Plus, WBEZ and the Sun Times surveyed 20 top arts, culture, and humanities nonprofits last year. We wanted to see what progress they’ve made to diversify their staff and boards after the 2020 murder of George Floyd sparked a year of activism and reflection.

Early voting and registration for the March 17th primaries began in suburban Cook County and all 50 wards in Chicago. Many of the non-immigration cases brought against people during Operation Midway Blitz are now falling apart in Chicago court. Pulaski Day honors Casimir Pulaski, who was a Polish hero of the Revolutionary War. 
 
 Plus, Keshia Golden is facing murder charges for fatally stabbing her boyfriend three years ago, and she says she did it to save herself and the couple’s unborn child. Golden says she’s preparing for trial and fearful that a jury won’t believe that she acted in self-defense.

High temperatures in the Chicago region will hit the lower 60s in some areas this afternoon due to warm winds and plenty of sunshine. Young adults, children and their parents made it a priority to honor the late Reverend Jesse Jackson as he lies in repose in Chicago. When conductor Malcolm Merriweather heard that an influential Chicago composer’s grave was unmarked, he decided to change that. 
 
 Plus, Monday Night Foodball, a popular weekly chef pop-up, is hosting its 200th event next week. Curated by the Chicago Reader’s Mike Sula, it showcases underground and up-and-coming chefs in Chicago.

A tax incentive plan aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois advanced in the state House today amid opposition from City Hall and questions about whether Democrats can whip up enough votes to pass it. Illinois lawmakers are hoping to bring suicide prevention resources to public spaces. The Blackhawks return to the ice Thursday against the Nashville Predators after their long break for the Olympics.
 
 Plus, Reverend Jesse Jackson Senior will be lying in repose at Rainbow PUSH Headquarters in Kenwood Thursday and Friday. Crowds of people lined up outside chanting “I am somebody” and “keep hope alive” as recordings of Jackson’s speeches played from speakers. WBEZ’s Somer Van Benton asked Chicagoans how they remember the civil rights leader.

The FBI has arrested a man accused of beating Sheila von Wiese-Mack of Oak Park to death nearly a dozen years ago. A survey from the Chicago-based Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics shows Americans are turning to social media and artificial intelligence for nutrition advice instead of professionals. NFL Draft prospects will hit the field at the scouting combine in Indianapolis starting Thursday.
 
 Plus, Black boys and men are the least likely demographic to get their college diploma within six years. Mentors can give them a leg up by sharing their experiences and connections to resources, but experts say there are more young people who could benefit from this support than mentors in Chicago.

President Trump is scheduled to give his State of the Union address tonight, and some Democratic lawmakers say they’re boycotting the speech and attending their own counter-rally. The Chicago Park District is asking Springfield for $630 million amid efforts to pass a legislative package to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois. A Cook County judge ruled the City of Chicago is liable for overcharges and interest on more than a million city sticker and parking violations issued between 2012 and 2022.
 
 Plus, federal immigration agents are still taking people into custody in Chicago, and they could return with even more force this spring. Enforcement operations last fall sent schools into lockdown, sowing chaos and disrupting learning.

Illinois’ largest teacher’s union released its annual State of Education report, and it found that nearly 60% of those polled are worried about Immigration and Customs Enforcement making arrests on school property. Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson wants to spend $50 million to buy and rehab the Greyhound bus terminal just west of the Loop. The Chicago Blackhawks are gearing up to return to play after their long break for the Olympics.
 
 Plus, the Chicago suburbs used to be mostly white, middle-class enclaves. But over the last few decades, some have become incredibly diverse places.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson will be buried at Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side. Illinois U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider says he's bringing Learning Resources CEO Rick Woldenberg to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday. Governor JB Pritzker wants to cancel tax breaks for data centers, pointing to soaring utility costs for families across Illinois.
 
 Plus, we check in with a government reporter from Indiana to get a temperature check on how Hoosiers are feeling about potentially welcoming the Chicago Bears to their state.

Funeral services for the Reverend Jesse Jackson begin next week. The dance for a new stadium is intensifying between the Chicago Bears, Illinois, and Indiana. The Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors tonight at the United Center.
 Plus, a theater in Aurora is teaming up with Naperville’s Awesome Life Academy to perform improv for youth with special needs.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s $56 billion dollar state budget proposal mostly holds the line on new taxes. The Reverend Jesse Jackson spent decades fighting for the rights of minorities, including immigrants. The Newberry Library in Chicago has received $4 million from the Mellon Foundation to expand access to its vast Indigenous collections, with a focus on language. 
 
 Plus, Pritzker used his annual State of the State speech to rail against President Trump and his brutal deportation campaign and to lead a moment of silence for Jackson, who died on Tuesday.

Remembrances have also been coming in from political leaders across the nation and across the political aisle in response to the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson’s death. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will present his eighth state budget proposal Wednesday. More grocery prices in Chicago have either increased or stayed the same rather than going down in the past year.
 
 Plus, Jackson is remembered as one of the country's most influential leaders, founding what became the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Bronzeville and cementing his legacy in Chicago.

Illinois Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García says the White House response to Democratic demands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement reforms has been “unsatisfactory.” Some advocates are warning that the First Amendment’s protection of a free press is under attack. The Chicago White Sox will be back on the field later this week when Spring Training play opens.
 
 Plus, a Roosevelt University graduate student is trying to be the first person to run every block in Chicago. 1979 streets later, he’s nearly finished with the feat.

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to allow clergy access to the immigration processing center in suburban Broadview on Ash Wednesday next week. Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly is criticizing longtime Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in his bid to win her job. The Chicago Cubs advanced to the postseason for the first time in four years and came within a game of the National League Championship Series.
 
 Plus, Chicago Black Restaurant Week features specials at nearly 40 Black-owned eateries. The culinary celebration is running now until February 22, making it a good way to celebrate Black-owned businesses and Valentine's Day.

The Trump administration announced plans to revoke the landmark 2009 Endangerment Finding, which is the basis for federal regulation of climate pollution. A trove of evidence is out now related to December’s shooting of Marimar Martinez by a Border Patrol agent in Brighton Park on Chicago’s south side. The village of Arlington Heights isn’t giving up hope on its dream of being the new home of the Chicago Bears.
 
 Plus, a Chicago mom is furious about the way her son’s class at a northwest side elementary school kicked off Black History month. Her son said the teacher had them participate in a reenactment of slavery.

The lead attorney for the Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent says newly released evidence shows that the feds are lying about the incident. After more than two years of public meetings, the Chicago Park District has unveiled its 2026 Grant Park Framework plan. Chicago White Sox pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training in Arizona. 
 
 Plus, about 24% of people in Illinois who get SNAP food benefits could lose them this year because of the Trump administration's expanded work rules. We hear from a Chicago Public Schools employee about her work and how she relies on the SNAP benefits to get by.

2025 was a big year for Chicago’s tourism industry – the city’s official tourism bureau says hotel demand was up by more than 2%. The Art Institute of Chicago has acquired its first Norman Rockwell painting. The lineup for this year's Sueños Music Festival has dropped.
 
 Plus, we hear from two teen brothers from suburban West Chicago who have been documenting federal immigration raids in Minnesota.

The Archbishop of Chicago is calling for an apology from the White House after President Trump shared a racist video on Truth Social last week. About 50 homes in south suburban Dixmoor were without water for multiple hours this weekend due to two back-to-back water main breaks in the area. The director of the Grant Park Music Festival, Giancarlo Guerrero, performed with Bad Bunny during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. 
 
 Plus, many Asians have not come forward with stories of being targeted by federal agents in the Trump administration’s deportation campaign. We hear about why communities have been so hesitant, and what might be changing.

A federal judge is allowing a Chicago woman who was shot by a Border Patrol agent last fall to release evidence from the case, including text messages sent by the agent who shot Marimar Martinez five times. Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says federal immigration enforcement must change before the Department of Homeland Security can receive extended funding. Volunteers in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood were on a mission to keep people warm this morning by giving away free coats, hats, gloves and scarves.
 
 Plus, Chicago proudly claims Florence Price as one of its own. It was in Chicago where she became the first Black female composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. This week, a new opera about Price premiered in Minnesota.

Many independent grocery stores could be at risk because of new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is in Chicago this week for his forthcoming immersive project “Theater of the Mind.” A high school choir from Chicago’s south side known for competing in America’s Got Talent performed at Loyola University Chicago on Wednesday for Black History Month.
 
 Plus, Chicago public schools plan to celebrate Black History Month with everything from a business fair to an assembly highlighting the Harlem Renaissance. But Chalmers Elementary School on the west side kicked off the month with a meet and greet with the chickens that will live in their school's courtyard.

A federal judge in Indiana has ordered the Trump administration not to deport the Chicago man acquitted in January of putting a bounty on the head of U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino. Illinois is joining a network run by the World Health Organization, and the move comes after the U.S. officially withdrew in January from the WHO. The Chicago Blackhawks will play their final game Wednesday before a three-week long break for the Winter Olympics, where forward Teuvo Teravainen will be playing for Finland.
 
 Plus, it’s been four months since Marimar Martinez was shot by a Border Patrol agent on Chicago’s Southwest Side and survived. Now Martinez is ready to speak up. On Tuesday, she testified before Congress.

Illinois has faced a decades-long pension funding crisis, and Governor JB Pritzker yesterday announced a plan to fix it. The Black Excellence Revue from Second City is back for its fourth year with the show “Black and Highly Flavored.” It’s the first-ever Wetlands Week at Shedd Aquarium.
 
 Plus, some Northwestern students and faculty are questioning administrators after a symbol known to represent opposition to equal rights for women and minority communities appeared on campus.

Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust in Chicago’s River North is the first bank in the nation to go under in 2026. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has pumped $5 million into a super PAC supporting Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton’s bid for U.S. Senate. A theatrical production based on marching band traditions in historically Black colleges and universities kicked off its tour in Chicago. 
 
 Plus, the Obama Presidential Center will feature a museum and library when it opens in June. Chef Cliff Rome is shaping the vision for dining at the complex.

Martin Luther King moved to Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood in January 1966 to fight against racist real estate practices in the city, and others continue his work today. Some small business owners across the Chicago area closed up shop today as part of a general strike to protest immigration enforcement across the country. Forty years ago this week, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff. One of the seven crewmembers onboard was Christa McAuliffe, and WBEZ’s Jim Nayder spoke with McAuliffe in 1985, not long before the Challenger disaster.
 
 Plus, a new essay collection visits the places that shape Midwestern literature. “Lingering Inland: A Literary Tour of the Midwest” features prose about the neighborhoods and spots that inspired regional writers.

A former downstate cop has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield-area home. Sean Grayson, who is white, fatally shot Sonya Massey in 2024. The Chicago City Council recently passed an ordinance to ban the sale of some hemp-derived products. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a campaign to address the dangers of some micromobility vehicles, such as electric bikes and scooters.
 
 Plus, the International Puppet Theater Festival descends upon Chicago every January. This year, the Chicago group Manual Cinema is putting on its production “The Fourth Witch,” which puts a twist on Macbeth.

The group National Nurses United is hosting a candlelight vigil and a rally in Chicago in honor of Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by federal agents over the weekend in Minneapolis. Pretti was also a nurse at a VA hospital. The state of Illinois is teaming up with a Chicago-based charity to operate the first statewide abortion fund. Second-term Chicago Alderperson Byron Sigcho-Lopez is seeking a spot on the fall ballot for the 4th Congressional District.
 
 Plus, In a west suburban school district, an administrator heard that two of her former students were collateral victims of President Donald Trump’s Chicago-area deportation drive. So, she tried to help.

Elected officials in Minneapolis are warning Chicagoans they should be ready for increased violence and surveillance tactics by federal agents if the city sees another deportation blitz. Chicago's 2026 festival and event lineup is out now, with events starting in May with the Maxwell Street Market and continuing through the end of the year. Bulls forward Matas Buzelis has again been chosen as an NBA Rising Star. 
 
 Plus, three Democrats vying to become Illinois’ next U.S. senator shared a stage in Chicago Monday night. It was the first face-to-face debate between U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

The Chicago law firm representing Renee Nicole Good's family has released a statement on the killing of another Minneapolis resident by federal immigration agents over the weekend. Three frontrunners in the Democratic primary election for retiring U.S. Senator Dick Durbin’s seat are sharing a debate stage Monday night at the University of Chicago’s International House. Many of Chicago’s top chefs and restaurateurs gathered Sunday night for the annual Banchet Awards. 
 
 Plus, 40 years ago today, the Chicago Bears won their first and only Super Bowl, permanently cementing the legacy of the ’85 Bears.

A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep federal funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in Illinois and four other Democratic-controlled states. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights is calling for ICE to end its operations everywhere. The Chicago shelter Harmony House for Cats is hosting its first tuxedo cat soirée Friday night at Burning Bush Brewery in the city’s North Center neighborhood.
 
 Plus, a federal jury called Juan Espinoza Martinez “not guilty” on Thursday. Espinoza Martinez was accused of offering $10,000 for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino in one of the most contentious cases tied to “Operation Midway Blitz.”

The Illinois Department of Human Rights has filed a housing discrimination charge and is investigating the landlord of the South Shore apartment building raided last year by immigration agents. An extreme cold warning will go into effect Thursday night for the Chicago area, with windchills expected to reach 35 degrees below zero in the early morning hours on Friday. The Chicago Public Library announced the grand opening of Legler Regional Library’s food pantry.
 
 Plus, how Operation Midway Blitz has interrupted the plans for one Chicago couple who got arrested and detained last October — just 8 days after getting married.

Federal prosecutors have rested their case against Juan Espinoza Martinez, the Chicago man accused of offering $10,000 for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. Cook County officials worry more people will get sick as they’re pushed out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with eligibility requirements changing on February 1st. Chicago is preparing to host UNESCO’s International Jazz Day in April. 
 
 Plus, more than 170,000 Illinois residents are behind on their student loan payments. People are at risk of having their wages garnished now that the Trump administration plans to restart collections on federal loans in default.

A new report explores what’s behind ongoing enrollment decreases in Chicago Public Schools. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is denouncing President Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and throwing support to Danish sovereignty. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says his office has filed more than 50 lawsuits and more than 100 amicus briefs during the first year of President Trump’s second term.
 
 Plus, in January of 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. moved into an apartment in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood with his family. Sixty years later, local playwright Willie Round has written about this pivotal time in King’s fight for fair housing, education and employment in his new play “Lawndale King.”

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has changed his tune on who needs to pay off the remaining debt from the Soldier Field renovation 23 years ago. Former Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the 40th Annual Interfaith Breakfast in Chicago. Divisions emerged over Gaza in the race for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District.
 
 Plus, the Chicago Bears are entering the second round of the playoffs, and fans aren’t leaving anything to chance. During last weekend’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers, fans shared their superstitions and game-day rituals they rely on.

Child care workers rallied outside the Trump Tower in Chicago’s River North neighborhood to condemn the federal funding freeze for child care programs. The final day to enroll in a federal Affordable Care Act health insurance plan is January 15, but the Illinois state-run marketplace has extended its deadline to the end of the month. Chicago is unveiling a first-of-its-kind support center on the South Side for women returning from incarceration. 
 
 Plus, the Trump administration is using a legal shortcut to make it easier to cut down trees in national forests. Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, the state’s only national forest, is an early battleground against the increasingly popular tactic to fast track timber sales across the country.

The Supreme Court is allowing a downstate Republican Congressman to sue Illinois for the way it counts mail-in ballots. The U.S. House has passed a spending package to cut $125 million from lead pipe replacement funding. The city of Chicago is set to pay nearly $1 million to settle another police misconduct lawsuit stemming from 2020 protests against the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 
 Plus, a new exhibit at the Chicago History Museum documents a long tradition of resistance in Chicago's Latino communities. The exhibit is called Aqui en Chicago, and it’s the result of a protest organized by local high school students six years ago.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he’s been in meetings with Bears leadership recently about the possibility of keeping the Bears in Illinois as the team mulls a move to Northwest Indiana. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says a teen curfew ordinance set for a vote next week is more “thoughtful” than the one he vetoed last year. The National Weather Service says an extended system of wintry weather could result in several back-to-back opportunities for snowfall. 
 
 Plus, 2026 will bring several big names to Chicago stages. And while Chicago always has a constant hum of performances, there are some big tickets on the horizon.

The state of Illinois has extended the open enrollment deadline for people who buy health insurance through the state-run marketplace to January 31st. Independent bookstore owners in Chicago are sounding the alarm as chain bookseller Barnes & Noble brings its nationwide expansion to the city. Some owners say it’s taking business away from smaller bookstores. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore nearly $12 million in funding to the Itasca-based American Academy of Pediatrics.
 
 Plus, Soldier Field was in a frenzy Saturday night after the Chicago Bears’ comeback NFC Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers. Before the game, we caught up with a Bears superfan who’s known as Bear Man.

Illinois could lose $1 billion in federal funding for childcare and other social services, and Attorney General Kwame Raoul is in court with four other Democratic-led states trying to fight the latest funding freeze. Last November, the Trump administration released pending guidance for the Clean Water Act, and the EPA’s impact analysis found that more than 80% of the country’s wetlands would no longer be protected. The Chicago Bears will kick off their NFL post season on Saturday against the Green Bay Packers.
 
 Plus, Wednesday's shooting of an unarmed Minneapolis woman by an immigration enforcement agent is reverberating across the country. The shooting resembles two shootings during the Chicago area’s deportation campaign this past fall.

Illinois U.S. Representative Robin Kelly has announced she intends to file articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a woman Wednesday in Minneapolis. Kelly alleges Noem has turned ICE into a rogue force that violates the constitution and tears families apart. A Cook County father is suing Roblox, accusing the popular gaming platform of failing to protect his 9-year-old son from sexual exploitation. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love says he’s ready to face the Chicago Bears this Saturday after three weeks away to recover from a concussion. 
 
 Plus, the Carl Sandburg poem “Chicago” has been a beloved local anthem for more than a century, but the poem is making the rounds again after a federal judge read it aloud in a court ruling amid the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in the city.

Mayor Brandon Johnson touted figures that show in 2025, fatal shootings were at the lowest level since 1965. Shooting incidents actually dropped by 34 percent from the previous year. For the second year in a row, Chicago Public Schools’ watchdog found a high-profile basketball team fielded players that were fraudulently enrolled in the school. Retiring U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky is endorsing a candidate in the wide-open primary campaign to nominate a potential successor.
 
 Plus, a large mural hung above the main bar for decades at the now-shuttered Berlin nightclub in the Lakeview neighborhood on Chicago's North Side. The artist reflects on the story of how the mural came to be.

Workers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood are demanding safer practices in providing emergency care. SEIU Healthcare Illinois says workers are unhappy that the hospital understaffs its emergency rooms, resulting in high wait times for patients with urgent needs. The Chicago Bears look to snatch their first playoff win in 15 years when they face the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. The Grant Park Music Festival announced its season lineup, which has a strong focus on American composers.
 
 Plus, New Year's resolutions are in full swing, and many people have committed to Dry January or year-round sobriety. A 2024 Gallup survey shows alcohol consumption is at its lowest point in almost 90 years in the U.S., and it’s leading to a boom in the non-alcoholic drink industry.

Some Illinois lawmakers are calling for accountability after the Trump administration's arrest of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. A new Northwestern Medicine study found the highest rates of gestational diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native groups. Chicago Bears Quarterback Williams got a franchise passing record, but he says his focus is on the upcoming playoffs.
 
 Plus, a family fled Ukraine to settle in Illinois, but are now being caught up in the Trump administration’s deportation blitz.

Homicides and opioid deaths dropped in Cook County in 2025, and the news comes as Chicago had its lowest number of homicides in 60 years. One new Illinois law that went into effect at the start of the new year will regulate how employers use artificial intelligence when hiring new workers. Melissa Nunez and Elizabeth Branske were chosen in a raffle out of nearly a thousand couples to receive Cook County’s first marriage license of 2026. 
 
 Plus, in the U.S., Black men who start college are up against a huge deficit of resources when it comes to finishing and getting their degree. In the majority-Black Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, just one in four who make it to campus graduate within six years. Three generations of Black men with ties to Austin who have helped each other overcome this disparity.

We’re looking back at a story from earlier this month about the best Chicago albums of 2025. Our colleagues at our sister station Vocalo nominated their annual picks for the best in new Chicago music. Chicago has always been an eclectic music town where artists borrow from the city’s traditions of blues, jazz and soul. Some of this year’s best local albums blend the genres and even transcend them.

We’re revisiting a story from the WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times arts and culture desk, in which our bookish colleagues share some of their favorite new books of 2025. Their recommendations range from a wide breadth of genres, including a novel that explores the complexities of friendship and family as well as a memoir detailing New York City nightlife in the '90s.

In a town full of foodies, Chicago pizzamaker Jonathan Goldsmith’s pies rise to the top at his restaurant, Spacca Napoli, located in Ravenswood on Chicago’s North Side. The eatery spent several years on the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list and an Italian-based website ranked it among the best pizza in the world in 2023. 
 
 At the beginning of 2025, the restaurant was named the best pizza in town at the local Banchet Awards. Days later, Goldsmith underwent surgery for stomach cancer. As the year wraps up, we checked back in with Goldsmith to see how his recovery is going and took a look back at the restaurant’s journey.