The Rundown | Chicago News

Chicago City Council members are weighing whether there should be more limits on having jobs outside of their aldermanic duties. A candidate in the Democratic primary to replace Cook County state’s attorney Kim Foxx is raising more funds than the person endorsed by the party. Today is the first day of Chicago Restaurant Week.

The White Sox could be on the move. A federal judge has approved a more than $12 million dollar class action settlement for people in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood who were affected after a former coal-fired power plant imploded. The University of Illinois is freezing in-state tuition at all three of its universities.

The Illinois State Police released a guidebook late last year for officers interacting with unhoused individuals. The goal is to offer up-to-date resources and to bring dignity and humanity to those encounters for “the new face of homelessness,” according to Rev. Dwight Ford, the director of Project Now, a community action organization that helped develop the guidebook. “The new face of homelessness is a woman that works everyday, with a good cell phone and a nice SUV, but those are the paraphernalia of a life once lived,” Ford said. “They’re actually sleeping in that SUV in a Walmart parking lot, and taking their kids to a Casey’s bathroom to wash up at a gas station and go to school.”  In this episode, Ford explains what needs to change in these police interactions and how he wants us all to work toward bringing homelessness to “functional zero: rare, brief and non-reoccuring.”

Keeping up with the huge increase in migrant students is a challenge – even for Chicago schools that are used to teaching migrants. . Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is defending the actions it took to address unsanitary conditions at a Pilsen migrant shelter. The Shriver Center on Poverty Law is marking the anniversary of America’s “War on Poverty” with a summit today.

Preparations for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this year continue to move forward. New recommendations are out from a working group dedicated to preserving local news in Illinois. A federal jury in Chicago convicted six men in the murder of local rapper FBG Duck

Chef Jessica Walks First started helping in the kitchen as a little kid, and she grew up cooking for her community in Chicago’s American Indian Center. Now, she runs Ketapanen Kitchen, a catering business with a focus on Indigenous foods. “Ketapanen” is an expression of love in the Menominee language.
 
 “If my community is eating my food, I want them to have great ingredients that are familiar to them and feel like home to them,” Walks First said. 
 
 She wants to expose as many Chicagoans as possible to Indigenous culinary traditions, and she advocates for making those foods more accessible to Indigenous communities.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Walks First about Indigenous representation in Chicago’s culinary scene and beyond.

A new analysis shows an area five times the size of Chicago’s Millennium Park could be used to build affordable and public housing in the city. A lawmaker introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of electronic tracking systems to determine someone’s location without their consent. Officials in at least one central Illinois county are preparing in case migrants are dropped off in their area.

The Chicago area remains under a wind chill advisory until Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. with wind chill temperatures as cold as minus 30 degrees. Activists are calling on Chicago officials to reconsider how they protect the city’s unhoused communities from extreme cold. A new poll finds overwhelming support for public school choice in Chicago.

This Chicago winter is waffling between two extremes: unseasonably warm and bitter cold. Either way, it’s getting harder to ignore the evidence of climate change in our forecasts and extreme weather, and that can bring up any number of hard feelings.
 
 Libby Bachhuber is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist, and she wants to give people a space to process their “eco anxiety” by hosting “Climate Cafes” around town. She recently collaborated with Haven Denson, the Chicago Conservation Corps Coordinator at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, to bring a Climate Cafe to the museum.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Denson and Bachhuber about processing eco anxiety and leaning into hope for the future.

Illinois state lawmakers return to Springfield for the start of the legislative session. Chicago leaders have delayed its plan to move migrants out of shelters after 60 days due to the bitter cold. There’s a new push for federal financial help for Chicago and Milwaukee to defray costs from hosting the national political conventions this summer.

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbot to quit sending busloads of migrants to the city as sub-zero temperatures loom. The National Weather Service is forecasting a rain and snow mix for the Chicago-area and northern Illinois Friday afternoon before transitioning to all snow overnight, and a winter storm warning is in effect until noon Saturday. You have until midnight tonight to enter Chicago's snow plow naming contest. 

Chicago used to be a destination for magic. “In the heyday of magic, this was the magic hub of the world,” said Joey Cranford, owner of the Chicago Magic Lounge in Andersonville. “We had more magic shops per capita. We had prop builders. We had close up bars. We were a magic hub. But all that went away. The magic kind of left Chicago.”That was decades ago. Today? The magic is back, according to the magicians that spoke with Robert Loerzel, a freelance journalist who wrote about Chicago’s magic scene for WBEZ.In this episode, Loerzel explains Chicago’s on-again-off-again relationship with magic – from Harry Houdini and the World’s Fair to today – and he tells us where you should go to see a magic show right now, amidst Chicago’s magical renaissance. 

A winter storm warning is in effect for the Chicago area. City council members representing Chicago’s Southwest Side are pushing for a new police district and station. South Side restaurant Oooh Wee! It is! gets some love during the Golden Globes this week.

Illinois saw a nearly 50% jump in the number of people from other states who came for an abortion the year Roe v. Wade was overturned. Jurors in Chicago are deliberating in the federal trial in the killing of Chicago rapper FBG Duck. Illinois is awarding a $10 million grant to help a cancer treatment center in southern Illinois expand.

If you drink socially, January might be a tricky month to give up alcohol. Even without snow on the ground, Chicago winters tend to force us indoors, and many friend groups and social events turn to bars.Thankfully for Chicago’s Dry January participants, this city already has a growing map of sober spaces. To learn more, we talked to Cristina Torres, the founder of alcohol-free Bendición Bottle Shop. “I like to think of this space as a blessing for sober people,” she said. “This is a safe space in a city full of alcohol.” In addition to selling non-alcoholic beverages and mocktail supplies, Bendición hosts a Sober(ish) Book Club and other events.In this episode, Torres and host Erin Allen talk about finding and building sober spaces in Chicago.This episode originally aired on December 30, 2022.

Governor J.B. Pritzker argues Illinois is in good shape after several years of economic growth, including the elimination of the state’s backlog of bills and multiple credit upgrades. A campus cop cannot testify in Cook County cases – after WBEZ and the Sun-Times reported on his ties to an extremist group. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles is defending the choice to keep head coach Matt Eberflus.

A former CVS store in the Little Village neighborhood will now be used to house migrants. The trial date for the man accused of the 2022 mass shooting in Highland Park is now up in the air. Surgery to repair Blackhawks star Connor Bedard's jaw was a success; he'll miss 6 to 8 weeks.

Drill music is a subgenre of rap born in Chicago in the 2010s. Since then, it’s taken off around the world, and earned national headlines due to explicit, violent lyrics and high-profile trials associated with drill artists, including the racketeering trial of Young Thug in Atlanta and the murder trial of six defendants accused of killing FBG Duck in Chicago.It has a bad reputation for the wrong reasons sometimes, according to Reginold Royston, an assistant professor who studies digital innovation at University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Nile Lansana, an artist and youth educator who grew up on Chicago’s South Side.“We’re hearing stories of violence. We’re hearing stories of trauma. We’re hearing stories of alleged crimes,” Lansana said. “And I think that for somebody who's a general consumer of drill, I would really push them to look past the aesthetics and really look into the substance.”In this episode, Lansana and Royston look at the history of the genre, where it exists in the wider culture today, and point out what many people miss. Some of the music heard in this episode: “Barbie World” - Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice“Love Sosa” - Chief Keef“I Don't Like” - Chief Keef featuring Lil Reese “Hate Bein' Sober” - Chief Keef“Killa” - Young Pappy“Play For Keeps” - L'A Capone“Flashbacks” - G Herbo“Street Guide (Part 01)” - ONEFOUR“Kwaku the Traveller” - Black Sherif

For nearly 300 migrants who have recently arrived in Chicago, their temporary homes are CTA buses in the West Loop. A pricey program meant to get disconnected kids back in Chicago Public Schools is off to a slow start. A group of financial analysts believes the Chicago-area economy will grow modestly this year.

The forecast calls for a mix of rain and snow as the temperature drops across the region. Suburban families continue to lie to get their kids coveted seats in elite Chicago Public Schools. A group of Chicago-area business leaders is “cautiously optimistic” about the region’s economy this year.

Isabel Olive discovered her love of music at her public school in Carbondale, Illinois. She learned to play the saxophone and joined her high school marching band. But now, she creates genre-straddling music as Half Gringa.
 
 She’s released several self-produced albums, and she is working to crowdfund her next record so she can level up with new collaborators.
 
 In this episode, Olive talks to host Erin Allen about where she gets inspiration and how growing up in a Venezuelan family in Illinois shaped her as a musician.

A winter weather advisory remains in effect for Chicago. A candidate for Cook County’s top prosecutor says his Democratic primary opponent should have recognized problems with an 11-year-old’s murder confession. Some 77-thousand computers bought by Chicago Public Schools were marked lost or stolen, but the inspector general says the problem is the tracking system.

The Chicago area can expect between 2” and 5” of snow by tomorrow afternoon, beginning around 8 p.m. tonight. Chicagoans can now apply for one of the seven seats on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Divvy will increase rental prices for most of its fleet of bikes, e-bikes and scooters next month.

Vici Howard is a South Side filmmaker. Upset by the lack of opportunities to show off her work, Howard started her own rotating showcase to give Black and brown femme filmmakers a platform to show their films.“There’s a whole community of filmmakers out there, Black and brown women of color, who need a venue,” she said. “So I’m creating a community and giving that and offering that to them.”In this episode, Howard tells us about Black & Brown Femme Films and how she embraced her love of film later in life.This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series.

There’s hardly any ice on Lake Michigan. Less than a fraction of one percent is currently covering the lake – much less than usual at this time of year. Republican Donald Trump is facing questions about not signing a voluntary pledge in Illinois against advocating a government overthrow. The Chicago Bears ended their season Sunday with a 17 to 9 loss against the Green Bay Packers.

The CTA Yellow Line is running again. The man accused in the 2022 north suburban Highland Park mass shooting will not be representing himself after all. Chicago's COVID-19 risk level has risen to "medium" for the first time since last January.

It’s the agency responsible for protecting one of the most vulnerable populations in Illinois: children. And it’s had more than 30 years of issues, from failing many kids who come in contact with the agency, to a federally-mandated consent decree and a revolving door of directors. 
 
 So what’s happening at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services? In this episode, WBEZ’s Alex Degman looks back at the start of the agency’s issues and examines the conditions that led Marc Smith, the longest-serving director in recent memory, to resign last month.
 
 “Leadership was steady, funding was increasing, but the outcomes weren’t there,” Degman said of Smith’s tenure. “And I think that’s what people are gonna remember.” 
 
 We also take a look at the background of the new director, Heidi Mueller, who’s set to start Feb. 1.

Five Illinoisans objected to Trump’s state nominating petitions yesterday and want him off the 2024 presidential ballot. Researchers at the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign say the use of Tylenol during pregnancy can cause language delays in children. An Israeli student is suing the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for alleged discrimination and anti-Semitism.

Former President Donald Trump’s status as a presidential candidate in Illinois is being challenged. Palestinian American families in Chicago share the heartbreaking stories of loved ones in Gaza. Big changes are coming for Metra riders in the next few weeks.

“I think collecting is just a part of the human condition,” said Hussein Hallak, the co-founder and CEO of digital art platform Momentable.
 
 But for many of us, starting a physical art collection can feel inaccessible. We wanted to get some tips from Hallak and Good Things Vending creator Steph Krim about where to start. Of course, because this is The Rundown, it became a conversation about why we collect and how we make meaning out of the everyday.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Krim and Hallak about budgeting, building relationships with artists and how to surround yourself with things you love.

Illinois’ embattled child welfare agency gets a new director next month. Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan made a surprise appearance in his federal corruption case. Illinois will not reach an interim goal of reducing runoff pollution across the state’s waterways.

Illinois' child welfare agency is getting a new permanent director. A federal judge is delaying the corruption trial of longtime former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The Chicago Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations held a candlelight vigil for 6-year-old Wadea al-Fayoume.

Most Christians celebrated Christmas last month, but this weekend, some others are just getting started. Orthodox Christmas is on Jan. 7, and Chicago has one of the largest Orthodox Christian populations in the U.S. Celebrations are underway this weekend, with delectable holiday food. So we turned to WBEZ producer (and former chef) Cianna Greaves.
 
 In this episode, Greaves tells host Erin Allen about some of the cultural and culinary traditions surrounding Orthodox Christmas, and where to enjoy them.

Cook County prosecutors recently dropped their case against a man accused of beating up a Cook County jail guard. Lawyers representing indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan will make their case today for delaying his spring trial. Illinois residents are now able to file lawsuits against those who spread digitally-altered, sexual images of them online.

A downstate Illinois lawmaker is seeking to bar indicted former House Speaker Michael Madigan from getting a special statehouse honor. Trauma, including violence or homelessness, rewires the brain. Now, teachers in Illinois will be getting trained in how to help. The FAFSA is open after a long delay, but its availability to students and parents remains spotty.

A 6-year-old refugee from Afghanistan named Mahbuba arrived on the doorstep of a Chicago school in 2021. She was deaf and had no previous exposure to formal sign language. Over the next year, she would learn to communicate for the first time. “Her story reflects the difference that just a few people can make,” writes freelancer Elly Fishman. “Because of the lengths a few Chicagoans have been willing to go, an Afghan girl is finding her voice and a new start.”In this episode, we hear Mahbuba’s amazing journey to language, as written by Elly Fishman and read by WBEZ’s Melba Lara. 

Dry January proponents say those seeking to support sober curious friends should be more intentional about how they choose to spend time with them. The Illinois State Police department has released its first-ever guidebook for how officers should help people experiencing homelessness. The Chicago Board of Education is considering ending the practice of allowing schools to have police officers stationed inside them.

If you haven’t been to any of Hannibal Buress’s recent shows, you probably know him as a stand-up comedian and actor from shows like “Broad City.” But he also happens to be a musician and a rapper. 
 
 Last winter, he dropped a new single called “Knee Brace” under the moniker Eshu Tune. Since then, he’s been doing hybrid stand-up and musical performances on tour. 
 
 During the last week of 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop by returning to our most memorable episodes on the subject. In this conversation, Buress can’t help but make some jokes. But he also talks about growing up making music and coming back to it during a global pandemic.

During the last week of 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop by returning to our most memorable episodes on the subject. SoloSam is a Chicago rapper, producer, and chef with a cooking show series, a cookbook and B-EATS. It’s a bi-monthly party series that combines good food, good music and community. “If it wasn’t for food I wouldn’t have grown as a music artist, for sure,” he said. In this episode from August, we play some of his songs, learn about his Ghanian-Korean heritage and talk about the connection he finds between food and music. “At the end of the day, it’s just art.”

To round out 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop by returning to some of our favorite interviews about the genre.
 
 Next year, the National Public Housing Museum will open in Chicago, and DJ Spinderella is curating the music room. WBEZ hosted an event with the museum back in August, so we took the opportunity to sit down with DJ Spinderella and Chicago-based singer Isaiah Sharkey.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Sharkey and DJ Spinderella about how growing up in public housing influenced their music.

During the last week of 2023, we’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip hop by returning to our most memorable episodes on the subject. 
 Ye – the artist formerly known as Kanye West — has been stirring up controversy for decades now, for better or for worse. We come back to our conversation with professor and Chicago native Jeffrey McCune Jr., who has written about, researched, and taught classes on Ye. He’s here to add even more nuance to how we think about the many different versions of Ye and his existence in the culture.

Illinois politicians are weighing in on former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke's corruption conviction. Half of the counties in Illinois are reporting elevated numbers of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. Chicago’s animal shelters are at capacity as adoption rates slow.

Richard Hunt’s sculptures are all over the city of Chicago – at McCormick Place, Midway Airport, and too many more locations to list – and they’re all around the country too. With over 160 installations, Hunt is one of the most prolific creators of public art in America. He passed away on Saturday. He was 88 years old. In this episode, his friend and biographer Jon Ott explains why Hunt – born in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood in 1935 – was “one of the most important figures in art history.” “He was using the industrial materials of the time,” Ott said. “Being one of the first artists in the direct metal welding technique that he used to create assemblage art out of discarded bumpers, steel parts, aluminum, copper.”Ott tells us about Hunt’s upbringing on the South Side, his unexpected scholarship to the School of the Art Institute, and how the death of Emmett Till – who lived just two blocks from Hunt’s childhood home – profoundly changed his art. 

Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke is convicted of federal corruption charges. Criminal charges dropped against more than two dozen U of C students who staged a sit in. CPS won’t provide bus transportation to students in elementary magnet and selective enrollment schools this year.

Former Chicago Alderperson Ed Burke has been found guilty of racketeering by a federal jury. Adjunct faculty at Columbia College Chicago have ratified a new contract that brings an end to a seven weeks-long strike. Soccer superstar Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will take on the Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on August 31, 2024.

Grief – does it have to be sad? How do children grieve? What if you feel awkward talking about loss with a loved one who’s grieving? 
 
 In this episode, we revisit a conversation between host Erin Allen and Julie Weatherhead, a grief counselor and co-founder of Got Grief House. They speak to these questions and more.

A new report details the impact extreme heat has on neighborhoods across Chicago. For Chicago area students who need help paying for college, this application season has been an especially anxious one because the FAFSA may not fully open until December 31. Today is the winter solstice, and Chicagoans will see only about nine hours and eight minutes of daylight.

The death of a boy living in a Chicago migrant shelter is drawing renewed scrutiny to shelter conditions. Healthcare workers and long COVID patients gathered in front of UIC Hospital today to call for stronger protections in healthcare facilities. Since the 1880s, fewer than half of Chicago Christmases have been white – defined as having at least one inch of snow on the ground on December 25th – and the chances of a white Christmas this year are slim.

Morgan Elise Johnson considers “The Triibe” – that’s the digital news publication she co-founded in 2017 – as part of the legacy of Black liberatory press. “And sometimes I know that our approach, I'm just going to say, it ruffles some feathers,” Johnson said. “We're very unapologetically Black about it. You know, and we're very much here for Black liberation.’”The latest issue of “The Triibe Guide” is one of the organization’s more recent contributions. It’s essentially the Black and Indigenous Chicago history book you wish you got in school, except it’s a magazine, and it’s gorgeous.In this episode, Johnson talks with host Erin Allen about the importance of putting Chicago’s Black and Indigenous histories in print, the origins of her news outlet, and the stories they’re planning to stay on top of in the coming year.

Conditions inside a migrant shelter in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood could be getting worse. A Democrat running for Cook County state’s attorney once prosecuted a boy for a murder that took place when he was 10 – his confession was later found to be coerced. Chicago area hospitals are seeing an uptick in the number of people hospitalized for respiratory illnesses.