The Rundown | Chicago News

Chicago Police arrested more than 100 protestors – who were calling for a ceasefire in Gaza – during a massive demonstration in downtown Chicago yesterday. A new rule aims to prevent Chicago cops from joining hate or extremist groups. Evanston leaders voted to delay a vote on Northwestern’s $800 million stadium rebuild.

Hundreds of Jewish people from across the Midwest rallied at Ogilvie Transportation Center Monday morning, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and leading to more than 100 arrests, according to organizers. A 39-year-old Chicago firefighter died Monday morning after battling an extra-alarm fire in Lincoln Park. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is announcing Doctor Olusimbo Ige will lead the city’s public health department, replacing former health commissioner Allison Arwady.

In 2016, Chicagoan Tracy Occomy Crowder went on a mission to find an adventure novel with a Black boy protagonist for her son. She wanted him to see himself in a book that wasn’t only about the heaviness of being Black in America, and she came up empty-handed.
 
 “You might have to write it,” a bookseller told her. So she did. This year, she published her debut middle grade novel, Montgomery and the Case of the Golden Key.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Occomy Crowder about representation in children’s books, bringing recess back to Chicago Public Schools and what it means to be a kid in 2023.

Coming up - a new assessment shows major barriers in the city of Chicago’s mental healthcare system. Owners of a west suburban grocery store float plans to expand into areas with poor access to fresh food. Former U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger on his new book.

Illinois lawmakers approved a measure that benefits those with existing cannabis transporter licenses, but Gov. J.B. has not committed to signing the bill yet. Deerfield-based Walgreens is laying off about 5 percent of its corporate staff, the company’s second round of staff reductions in recent months. Calumet Fisheries has been closed by the Chicago Department of Public Health after failing a health inspection.

How are religious leaders in Chicago explaining the conflict in Israel and Gaza to their congregations?
 
 The Rundown’s Adora Namigadde spoke with a Muslim shaykh, a Christian reverend and two Jewish rabbis – one a self-described Zionist and the other a self-described anti-Zionist. We hear from all four. Namigadde tells host Erin Allen how each of them is processing the conflict, and how each wants their congregations to pray, learn and take action.

President Joe Biden toasted a new labor deal for autoworkers and the opening of a truck-manufacturing plant in northern Illinois. The Chicago City Council approved expanding paid leave for workers. A new program helps Venezuelan migrants with the logistics of applying for work permits.

Illinois lawmakers have approved a measure lifting the state's moratorium on building nuclear facilities. The federal corruption trial of ex-Chicago Alderman Ed Burke is delayed once again. Several community organizations rallied in downtown Chicago calling for solidarity between Black and brown residents.

Do you know your neighbors? Many of us feel isolated these days, and it can be hard to tap into your local community. So we want to talk to people who are investing in their neighborhoods. 
 
 Enter Cultivate Collective, a Southwest Side community hub on the former LeClaire Courts public housing site. The nonprofit is built around a public charter school, the Academy for Global Citizenship. And in a community disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution, they prioritize sustainability and environmental justice.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Cultivate Collective CEO Sarah Elizabeth Ippel and Board President Niquenya Collins about their green approach to reinvesting in their Southwest Side community.

A proposal being debated today at City Hall would give workers an additional five vacation days they can use for any reason. Chicago plans to convert a downtown hotel into a homeless shelter. Workers there are protesting layoffs. A bill to lift Illinois’ over 36-year-long moratorium on construction of new nuclear reactors just passed the state senate and now heads to the house.

Legislation meant to get guns out of the hands of domestic abusers has stalled in Springfield. A new study suggests cities can increase usage of public transit by changing the way large downtown spaces are used. The Chicago Sky introduced Jeff Pagliocca as their new general manager.

When it comes to addressing climate change, some solutions wouldn't really affect our lifestyles, like changing outdated building codes to limit greenhouse gas emissions.But other solutions have the potential to make a big impact on our lives, like giving up meat or cars.“That’s something that just doesn’t track well with people,” said Sabina Shaikh, senior instructional professor at the University of Chicago. “And so I think we want to make sure that we capture all those invisible things, but then we also start moving towards the direction of cultural shifts.”Cultural shifts like reimagining what a city looks like, how transit works, and what we consume.Shaikh recently spoke at the Chicago Humanities Festival about how cities like Chicago have an outsized impact on the climate and how nature-based solutions can help mitigate the effects of climate change.In this episode, she talks with Erin Allen about that age-old dilemma: whether addressing climate change should come down to individual responsibility or a broad cultural change … or both.

Chicago City alderpersons ultimately voted today [TUES] NOT to formally reprimand Alderperson Carlos Ramirez-Rosa following allegations of threats and bullying. Illinois lawmakers want answers: how is the state recouping some of the 5 billion dollars paid out in fraudulent unemployment claims? A surprising finding about Chicago shoplifting rates.

The Chicago City Council approves the purchase of land in Morgan Park to open a migrant shelter. Voters will decide whether Chicago should increase a tax on the sale of high-end properties to fund homelessness prevention. Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy kicked off his book tour for “World Within a Song” in Chicago this past weekend.

This year marks the 29th Black Harvest Film Festival, which showcases work from Black filmmakers—past and present. From a short film about Chicago’s South Shore Drill Team to a Black Barbie documentary, the 2023 lineup promises a wide range of Black joy onscreen. And the festival looks back to Black filmmakers that came before with screenings of films from the 20th cCentury.Host Erin Allen previews the festival with Chicagoan and journalist Arionne Nettles. For more information about the festival, you can read Nettles’ story for WBEZ or head to siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest.

One of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top City Council allies is resigning from leadership amid accusations of bullying. The ramifications of a guilty plea from the father of the alleged Highland Park shooter. Latinos in Chicago are three times more likely to contract COVID than other demographic groups, according to experts with the city’s health department.

The father of the man accused of last year’s July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park will spend 60 days in jail for helping his son get a gun permit when he was under age. The Chicago Cubs are hiring former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell as their new manager. A second victim is suing the Chicago Blackhawks for alleged sexual misconduct by former coach Brad Aldrich.

Ayana Contreras is an influential figure in Chicago’s arts, music and history scene. She was an early-career mentor to artists like Chance the Rapper and Noname. She even wrote a book about Black excellence here in Chicago.“Growing up in Chicago and the Chicagoland area and being a Black person, there were so many fairy tales honestly that we heard, but those fairy tales were real,” she said.She’s talking about the likes of musicians Chaka Khan and Mavis Staples, “Ebony” and “Jet” magazine founders John and Eunice Johnson, Uncle Remus founders Gus and Mary Rickette, and so many more. Contreras is an overall culture creator, a prolific DJ, a style-icon in her own right and has been the content director at WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo, a radio station she played a big role in creating. She talks with Rundown podcast host Erin Allen about why Chicago needed an urban alternative public radio station, her career in Chicago’s arts scenes and why afro-optimism is the antidote to afro-pessimism. 

It’s been a long-time coming. Today, the trial of former Alderman Ed Burke begins. In more courtroom news, the trial is expected to get underway for the father of the Highland Park July 4th mass shooting suspect. Members of a Chicago-based medical aid organization are calling on locals to advocate for a humanitarian corridor in Gaza.

Former Northwestern University athletes are calling for an end to racist abuse they say they experienced. Howard Brown Health Workers plan to go on a two-day strike later this month. The Village Board of Oak Park has approved an Emergency Disaster Resolution to provide aid and support to asylum seekers.

The U.S. Senate voted to make Daylight Saving Time permanent last year (the House of Representatives has yet to take up the bill, known as the Sunshine Protection Act). As we mark another semi-annual clock change, we speak with Dr. James Rowley, the president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, who reminds us of an “experiment” back in 1974 when permanent Daylight Saving Time came and went quickly.“People were so against it, Congress reversed themselves in less than a year,” he said.Rowley explains why the Academy instead supports a change to permanent Standard Time. He also shares some tips for acclimating to Sunday’s change.  This episode originally aired on Mar. 17, 2023.

A former Chicago top cop is back in the Police Department. A Chicago City Council meeting ended abruptly over a debate on the city’s sanctuary city status. Congressman Mike Quigley thinks he and his colleagues could soon consider aid to cities to help care for migrants.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said he had “positive” and “productive” conversations in Washington D.C. today about the ongoing migrant crisis. Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas. Chicago has five more Michelin-recognized restaurants – in Bucktown, Chinatown, Lincoln Square and Logan Square.

In the 1960s, the Chicago Police Department uncovered and fired officers with ties to the Ku Klux Klan. Now in the 2020s, cops across Chicago and Illinois are dues-paying members of the Oath Keepers, an anti-government group that played a central role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
 
 A WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times investigation looked into these officers, their track records and the countless complaints filed against them.
 
 Host Erin Allen breaks down the findings of the investigations with WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos and Chicago Sun-Times criminal justice editor Tom Schuba.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reaffirmed his stance that officers shouldn’t belong to extremist groups. Governor J-B Pritzker says the state legislature won’t be sending any more money this year to Chicago to help accommodate migrants. A new proposed Chicago elected school board map is out. Lawmakers could vote on it as early as next week.

Families of Israelis taken hostage or killed by Hamas will share their experiences at Jewish community vigils tonight and tomorrow. Chicago City Council delayed a vote on a plan to purchase 6.5 acres of land on the South Side for a city migrant shelter. Chicago has finished its fourth month in a row with a drop in murders compared to last year.

Greta Johnsen is the host of WBEZ’s Nerdette podcast and a known super-reader, regularly knocking out at least a book a week. Rundown host Erin Allen talks with Greta about her favorite fall reads, new and old, where to find them (hey Libby!) and what a poll of readers is consuming right now.Here’s just a few of the many recommendations in this episode:“Happiness Falls” by Angie Kim (2023)“Worthy” by Jada Pinkett Smith (2023)“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner (2021)“Throne of Glass” series by Sarah J. Maas (2012-2018)“Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman (2011)“Who Fears Death” by Nnedi Okorafor (2010)“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt (1992)

A measure asking Chicago voters whether they want to increase a tax on the sale of high-end properties is one step closer to appearing on the March ballot. Cook County Health plans to spend less on expensive temporary workers. An Illinois state lawmaker is hoping to crack down on emerging threats from AI technology.

A 48-year-old man faces felony charges for allegedly wounding 15 people in a shooting at a Halloween party early Sunday morning. Doctor Erik Mikaitis is named the interim CEO of Cook County Health. Chicago will host the 2025 Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress.

This spooky season, we want to share a very real ghost story.
 
 The Lozano family moved into their East Pilsen home when it was newly built, and no one has died there since. Still, they’re convinced a spirit lives among them. They hear footsteps on the stairs, see shadows under doors and experience unexplainable phenomena.
 
 Enter reporters Adriana Cardona-Maguigad and Mauricio Peña. They gamely took on the role of ghost hunters for an episode of WBEZ’s Curious City podcast and worked with the Lozanos to uncover the source of this paranormal activity. But as they report, Pilsen residents face far scarier challenges than spirits.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Peña and Cardona-Maguigad about their reporting on spirits, spiritualism and the looming threat of gentrification in Pilsen.

A suburban Chicago landlord charged with murdering a Palestinian American boy pleads not guilty. State test scores show continued gaps in performance between racial and ethnic groups, despite impressive growth overall. Students at UChicago and across the country are calling on their universities to divest from the fossil fuel industry.

A Chicago City Council committee approved buying land on the city’s South Side to open a shelter for migrants. A man has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the fatal stabbing of a young Palestinian American boy. Expect some snow this Halloween.

Flora and fauna from all types of climates, available to bask in – in Chicago – year round. The Garfield Park Conservatory is a special place.“The first impression is just overwhelming,” said Jennifer Van Valkenburg, the president and CEO of the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. In this episode, Van Valkenburg offers up reasons you should visit and spots you shouldn’t miss. She also talks about the conservatory’s upcoming “floral fashion fundraiser” Fleurotica, how the conservatory’s relationship with the community has changed over the years, and why it holds such a special place in many Chicagoans’ hearts.“Every time I meet someone and I tell them I work for the conservatory, they have generational stories,” she said. “Everybody connects with the conservatory in an individual way.”

Homeowners in the north and northwest suburbs should brace for sticker shock as their property tax bills arrive. City officials want to purchase the site of a vacant Morgan Park Jewel-Osco to turn into a shelter for migrants. The deadline to apply for federal flood relief for this past summer’s rainstorms is tonight (Monday).

A suburban foundation plans to send a million hot meals to Gaza. A northwest Illinois sheriff defends a cop who joined an anti-government extremist group. Another Chicago cyclist was hit and killed by a car.

You know Chicago is the country's rattiest city – at least according to Orkin, who just gave us that distinction for the ninth straight year – but did you also know it’s one of the feral-cattiest?Chicago has thousands of outdoor cats, as well as thousands of humans who care for them. “Probably over 3,000 caretakers in the city taking care of I don’t even know how many cats, cats we don’t even know about,” said Cecilia Ocampo-Solis, community programs manager at Tree House Humane Society in the Rogers Park neighborhood.In this episode, we talk with one of these feral cat colony-minders about what it’s like to host a couple of wild fuzzballs.“I call them more like barn cats,” said Rob Crowder, who hosts two cats, Washington and Drake, in his backyard in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. “Because they’re – they don’t live in a barn but they’re always just around, they’re easy to maintain, and they give back to us as well.” By “give back” Crowder means “deter rats.” But Ocampo-Solis also myth-busts a common misconception about Chicago’s feral cats and her organization’s "Cats at Work" program.  “This program was built to offer quote unquote, a ‘second chance’ to unsocialized cats in high-volume shelters. They don't have many options. Sometimes their options are humane euthanasia,” Ocampo-Solis said. “So it's a harm reduction program.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is defending a contract extension with a Kansas company to staff migrant shelters. The iconic South Side Brown Sugar Bakery opened its new manufacturing facility yesterday. Chicago City Council members want to see a new proposed Department of Environment have enforcement powers.

Arson fires are an issue across Chicago, according to a new WBEZ analysis. Unionized part-time faculty at Columbia College Chicago plan to strike Monday if a contract deal isn’t reached by then. Even as some high schools in Chicago struggle with low enrollment, a high school community on the far southwest side is asking for overcrowding relief.

Chicago elected its first-ever police district councils earlier this year, and people around the country are watching. The councils put police accountability in the hands of neighborhood residents and could inspire similar models in other cities—depending on how they fare.
 
 For the 65 council members across 22 districts, the first challenge is getting residents to show up and share their input. WBEZ’s criminal justice reporter Chip Mitchell talked at length with Austin District Council chair Carmelita Earls, who wants to create a safe space for people to share concerns without risking retaliation from officers in their neighborhood. 
 
 In this episode, Mitchell updates host Erin Allen on the first few months of police district councils.

We have an update on how things are going with a new effort in Cook County to locate missing people. It’s onto the state Senate for a measure allowing Illinois legislative employees to unionize. The city’s human relations commission says Chicago has seen an uptick in reported hate crimes.

Two Chicago police officers killed in the line of duty will be honored tonight. Chicago officials are assessing a site in Brighton Park on the South Side as a possible base camp to house 2,000 migrants. Bat sightings are on the rise in Chicago, and not just because of Halloween.

If you’ve seen a Chicago pothole filled with old world, mosaic tile artwork – yet depicting something modern like a pair of hot sauce packets or a pack of Marlboro cigarettes – it was probably the creation of Jim Bachor.“I’ve found that my goal in life is to drag the artform of the mosaic kicking and screaming into the 21st century,” Bachor said. Bachor tells Rundown podcast host Erin Allen how a tour guide in Pompeii kickstarted his obsession with mosaics, why both the durability and the restrictions of the medium are reasons he loves it, and why he started installing his artwork in Chicago potholes.  “I got to thinking,” he said, “I’ve got this reoccuring problem outside of the house that can’t be fixed, and then a hundred yards away in my studio in the basement here I am passionately working on this artform that is so durable, why don’t I combine them?” 

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling backs sending mental health staffers to 911 crisis calls instead of police. A measure to allow legislative employees at the Illinois capitol to unionize is moving. After 38 years – Chicago’s Newberry Library is ending its annual book fair to focus on future exhibitions and storytelling events.

The Chicago Police Department responds to WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times reporting about extremist connections to the force. Illinois joins more than 30 states in suing Meta. The Chicago Audubon Society changes its name.

Before he got into the advice biz, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Ismael Perez did the research. He found advice columns going back to at least the 1800s when people would write into local newspapers for tips on clothing stains and housewarming parties. Somehow along the way, we ended up crowdsourcing wisdom on Reddit and calling into podcasts for advice.
 
 Now, Perez has an advice column for 2023. It’s called “Someone In Chicago,” and it’s geared toward Chicagoans in their twenties, thirties and forties. But that didn’t stop him from answering a query from a 92-year-old widow.
 
 In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Perez about the advice that shaped us and getting vulnerable enough to accept help.

Hundreds of protestors blocked traffic in downtown Chicago Monday to call for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. The leading Jewish civil rights group wants the Chicago Police to thoroughly investigate the influence of political extremism on the force. Some City Council members say the city needs more 3-1-1 operators that are multilingual.

Community members and activists in west suburban Oak Park want village leaders to step up to help with the migrant crisis. There was a chaotic scene outside an Israeli solidarity event in the northern suburbs Sunday. Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent speaks about leading the Chicago Bears to a 30-12 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Briana Kidd realized the interest on her student loans was paused and saw a golden opportunity to pay down the principal. Living with her dad, working two jobs and routinely saving money allowed her to pay her balance down from $37,000 to $10,000. Andrew Palomo was able to adopt his now 16-month-old daughter Teresa. And although he’s been paying off his loans for nearly a decade, he still owes nearly $186,000 – “which is a house,” he said. 
 
 In this episode, Erin Allen talks with WBEZ higher education reporter Lisa Philip about these two very different approaches to the pandemic-era student loan repayment pause – which ended this month – and what the return of loan payments means particularly for borrowers of color, both current borrowers and potential new ones, who may have changing views on the value of higher education.

We'll hear more from the WBEZ-Sun-Times investigation into the troubling experiences people had with police officers who appeared on a leaked list of the Oath Keepers. Illinois lawmakers accepted donations from red-light camera companies despite passing a bill saying they can’t do that. Military veterans want Cook County to provide more resources.

An Evanston mother and daughter who were taken hostage by Hamas militants have been released. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a sit-in at Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s office. This year’s pumpkin crop was strong despite droughts.