The Rundown | Chicago News

Mexicans in Chicago who face wrongful convictions may now seek free legal aid from their local consulate. More than 5,000 employees at the Chicago Ford plant joined the auto workers strike on Friday. Chicago may have two baseball teams – but neither made it to the postseason.

If you watch any shows set in Chicago, you’ve probably seen LaRoyce Hawkins. He plays Kevin Atwater in “Chicago P.D.” and its many crossover shows and is in “South Side” as Michael “Shaw” Owens. Even if Hawkins hasn’t appeared on your TV, you might’ve seen him around town. He’s the tall guy with the toothpick, coordinating fundraisers for community organizations in and around Chicago.
 
 But he’s also a lifelong poet and comedian, and currently touring his show “Poetry OVER Prose.”
 
 In this episode, we talk to Hawkins about poetry, improv and unicycles.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker expresses concerns about a controversial security firm tapped to build tent shelters for migrants in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools lays out just how much it would cost to modernize its aging buildings. South Side artist Dorian Sylvain’s to unveil a new mural in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment is unveiled downtown.

Larry Snelling is now Chicago’s police superintendent after a unanimous vote by the city council Wednesday. A new study from North Shore University Health System is searching for treatment options for long COVID. A handful of Illinois colleges have committed to making their financial aid offers more transparent.

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, many arts institutions promised to take steps toward racial equity. 
 
 Enrich Chicago partners with organizations to upend racist systems in the arts, and they wanted to find out whether those promises actually brought about meaningful change. They surveyed employees of their member institutions and confirmed what many already knew: Not much has changed since 2020.
 
 In this episode, we talk to Enrich Chicago director Nina Sánchez about the survey and how to chart the path toward anti-racism in the arts.

The Chicago City Council could confirm Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick for top cop as soon as this morning. The council is also working on expanding a 911 response program that does not include police. More fallout from a lifeguard-abuse scandal at the Chicago Park District. WBEZ has the story of three legal settlements with young women.

Chicago Public School officials say a literacy test shows its youngest students are improving in reading and vocabulary. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin stood with members of the United Auto Workers at the picket line in Bolingbrook. What to expect when a 12-foot puppet doll named Little Amal comes to Chicago.

Tipped minimum wage is a policy that allows restaurants to pay servers 60% of the set minimum wage, assuming that tips cover the rest. Chicago’s City Council has the votes to end tipped minimum wage when it votes on a new measure next month.
 
 So what will that mean for servers, owners, and restaurant goers? Ashok Selvam, the editor of Eater Chicago, explains what we can expect next for the restaurant industry.

The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen opened its Dia de Los Muertos Exhibit this weekend and runs through December 10th. Chicagoans can expect to see fall colors peak by mid-October. Chicago’s Department of Public Health will begin hosting COVID and Flu vaccine clinics as early as next week.

Chicagohenge comes around twice a year: just after the spring equinox and right before the fall equinox. That means this weekend is our last opportunity of 2023 to catch the phenomenon. When the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west on the equinoxes, it creates a dazzling effect in some Chicago streets. 
 
 The name “Chicagohenge” is a play on Stonehenge, the ancient stone monument in England that also interacts with the sun in some amazing ways. It’s the kind of interplay between nature and infrastructure we love to geek out about on The Rundown. 
 
 In this episode, we space out with Michelle Nichols, the Director of Public Observing at the Adler Planetarium. Michelle explains Chicagohenge and makes the case that we should all look up as often as we can.

Illinois is considering further tightening rules for restraining and isolating students in schools. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is defending its deal with a controversial security firm to prop up so-called “base camps” for migrants. Local advocates praise the Biden administration for fast-tracking work permits for migrants, but say the same should apply to other undocumented immigrants

Cook County commissioners want to spend nearly $14 million dollars to buy two hotels for the unhoused population. A proposal to pay tipped workers Chicago’s minimum wage is one step closer to passing. The City of Chicago is filing a lawsuit against the company Monsanto and several co-defendants related to chemical contamination.

Matthew A. Cherry wasn’t an artsy kid. Growing up on Chicago’s Northwest Side, he played four sports in high school, football in college, and then bounced around the National Football League for a few years.His Plan B was a pivot to TV and film production and eventually an Academy Award, for his 2020 animated short film “Hair Love,” about a young Black father struggling to style his daughter’s hair on a special day. On this episode of The Rundown, Cherry talks about his circuitous career journey, how he hopes he can inspire a new generation of young Black animators, and why he set his new animated TV series – “Young Love,” an expansion of “Hair Love” that premieres Thursday on Max – in Chicago.“Chicago is everything. Chicago is hard-working. People that work nine-to-fives, they’re trying to survive, they’re trying to live, but they’re also present for their family,” Cherry said. “That’s what we’re representing.”

Cook County is offering some property tax relief for residents and businesses whose properties suffered severe flood damage this summer. Sangamon County court officials continue to process prior cases under the new no cash bail system. And a new report says Illinois added thousands of clean energy jobs last year.

Judges in some Illinois counties were still setting money bonds, despite a new law eliminating cash bail. In the wake of disturbing allegations of sexual harassment by leaders at the National Association of Realtors, advocates are demanding sweeping reforms. A new environmental assessment published by the city of Chicago addresses the uneven effects of climate change and pollution across the city.

In Chicago, autumn rings in the end of summer festival season. The city plays host to countless music, food and cultural festivals each year. For some of us, that’s part of the magic of summertime Chi. But others argue that events like Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and the Taste of Chicago can do more harm than good.
 
 Tickets can be costly, and events render public spaces inaccessible for a few days and can cause lasting damage to parks, plus residents can feel a lack of engagement with planners.
 
 This has us wondering: Is it possible to organize a large-scale event in Chicago that also engages the community? In this episode, we pose that question to activist and artist Ricardo Gamboa and Silver Room Block Party founder Eric Williams.

Today is the official end of cash bail in the state of Illinois. Riot Fest attracted thousands, but some long-time residents and business owners feel frustrated that they aren’t more involved with planning the event. Thousands of preschool seats for Chicago Public Schools remain unfilled.

How do you parent someone who is incarcerated? How do you let yourself be parented while locked up?
 
 WBEZ and our sister station Vocalo are producing a project called Prisoncast! for the second year in a row in partnership with Illinois Public Radio stations across the state. In this episode, we preview two of the pieces from the program.
 
 Lauren Frost produced both pieces in this episode and is the executive producer of Prisoncast!. Alex Keefe is the lead editor, and Ayana Contreras is the show’s host.

Chicago residents will have access to the latest COVID-19 vaccine as early as today. Legislation in Chicago’s City Council aims to prevent South Shore residents from being displaced. Chicago is looking for bilingual poll workers for next year’s election season.

Financial experts say Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will need to find revenue sources to close an anticipated $538 million budget deficit. Patrons react to several libraries in Chicago and the suburbs receiving bomb threats earlier this week. A bold plan to redesign public transit in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs faced its first public hearing yesterday.

Sometimes a home isn’t a home until you’ve put your stamp on it – or embedded yourself in your community in a certain way. Austin Cantú has called Waukegan home for a long time, but it wasn’t until he started revitalizing an abandoned arts park that he finally connected with his father and his roots. As for Marco Lopez, home always meant being on the move. But now that he has a partner and a daughter, he’s ready to create something permanent in Chicago. 
 
 These stories were produced by Andrea Flores and Cynthia Salgado as part of the NextGen Radio Project from WBEZ and NPR.

Illinois is updating its policy for transgender athletes who want to play in post-season athletic tournaments. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to release his budget forecast today, which will give the public a first look at how big of a budget gap the city is facing for the year ahead. Chicagoans with ties to Morocco are leading efforts to assist those devastated by an earthquake there last week.

Lawmakers put politics aside to mourn the thousands lost during the 9/11 terror attacks 22 years ago. The Food and Drug Administration has approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine. A new study finds that the use of restorative practices in Chicago Public Schools have led to a significant decrease in suspensions and arrests.

The concept of “home” means different things to different people, including those in Chicago’s vibrant immigrant community. We hear from Erwin Lopez Rada, a Venezuelan immigrant now living in Chicago who was forced out of his country by political persecution. “It’s terrible to feel like you don’t belong in your own country,” he said.For Lola Wang, a queer therapist who immigrated to the U.S. from China in 2014, creating a sense of home for other queer immigrants is her priority. “I kinda wish there was a space I can be both Asian and queer,” she said, “and that’s something I’m trying to build up for myself and for the people around me.”These stories were produced by Nidhi Shastri and Ryland Pietras as part of the NextGen Radio Project from WBEZ and NPR.

A fight over school choice is brewing amid news that the Chicago Teachers Union president is sending her son to a private school. The federal government will provide a little over half the money needed to extend the Red Line. The city’s first-ever legal casino opens its doors for gamblers and employees searching for new job prospects.

What does it mean to be an American? A Chicagoan? Jitesh Jaggi is a storyteller and writer who moved from India to Chicago a few years ago. “I’m in my 30s,” he said, “but in American years I’m like five.” His one-man-show at Steppenwolf – titled Suitcase Stories, which runs Sept. 14 and 16 – explores what it means to leave one home and find another. Rundown host Erin Allen talks with Jaggi about teaching kids how to breakdance on the streets of Mumbai, his move to America and the moment he fell in love with Chicago, and why learning about a person’s immigration experience is time well spent.  “I want people to hear my stories, my show, Suitcase Stories, and take it as a first hand account of an immigrant and kind of a sneak peek into the life of an immigrant, going from nothing, starting from scratch, to five years later feeling very confidently that this is his home and nobody can say otherwise,” Jaggi said. “I feel like I belong here now.”

Medical volunteers working with migrants say a lack of nutritious food at police stations and other shelters is causing an increased risk for malnutrition. Mayor Brandon Johnson hinted his first city budget will likely take incremental steps to his goals. Judges across Illinois are preparing for an end to cash bail.

A new report looks at union growth in Illinois, while other states see shrinking numbers. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was in Illinois to kick off the new school year. A study out of Northwestern University makes the case for converting trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles to electric.

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our collective mental wellbeing. From the isolation of early-pandemic lockdowns to the hardship of a COVID infection, our brains and minds are under a whole new kind of stress these days.
 
 But we’ve also changed the way we take care of ourselves. For example, telehealth has made therapy more accessible and easier to schedule. “Online mental health services can be as effective as in-person mental health services,” says Jonathan Singer, a social work professor at Loyola University and the host of the Social Work Podcast.
 
 In this episode, we talk about the big picture of mental health in the pandemic with Singer and University of Chicago psychiatry professor Royce Lee.

Illinois politicians hit the pavement on Tuesday as nominating petitions began circulating to appear on next March’s primary ballot for U.S. president and other offices. The Pritzker administration is rolling back some changes the state made earlier this summer to curb costs for immigrant health insurance. New Chicago Public School inspector general report shows some high level staff wrongly got federal pandemic loans.

A Chicago Sun-Times report finds overcrowding and unsanitary conditions for migrants sheltered at O’Hare. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot has a new title: Harvard professor. Chicago kids living in public housing can now pick up free books from any Chicago Housing Authority office across the city.

Mayadet Patitucci Cruz grew up in Gage Park and didn’t leave their neighborhood very often until high school. Now, they work to bring resources to LGBTQ youth around the city. 
 
 “What led me to it was wanting to work more with queer and trans young people,” Cruz explained. “But also doing some other healing work at the same time, which is what happens when you’re doing organizing.”
 
 This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series.

Some Chicagoans speak out against allowing secret hearings on police misconduct. The Illinois Secretary of State’s plan to reduce wait times at driver’s services facilities is officially underway. A plan to move migrants into a hotel in the Kenwood neighborhood is drawing the ire of residents nearby.

Hundreds of Chicago students with disabilities are still waiting on bus service to school. Bail reform advocates are slamming a new electronic monitoring program from the Illinois Supreme Court. Chicago State University’s president was given a hefty bonus despite the university’s claims of financial strain during this year’s faculty strike.

Severe fatigue, cognitive impairment and post-exertional malaise are just a few of the many symptoms associated with long COVID. It can last weeks, months and even years. 
 
 Having this condition is also somewhat common.
 
 “It’s generally a minimum of 10% of COVID infections lead to long COVID,” said Hannah Davis, the co-founder of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative. 
 
 With COVID hospitalizations on the rise for the first time this year, we speak with Davis and Pulitzer-winning science journalist Ed Yong. They both say that what frustrates a lot of COVID long-haulers is the lack of public knowledge about the condition… and the misconceptions surrounding it. 
 
 “If you are listening to this and you find yourself thinking, ‘I don’t know anyone with long COVID,’ I guarantee that you do,” Yong said.

Chicago residents are airing frustrations about ballooning water debt with no paths to dispute charges. Republicans in the Illinois legislature want to bar the use of campaign cash for a legal defense. The ACLU of Indiana is challenging a state law preventing inmates from receiving gender-affirming care.

Chicago police are still investigating how two women were shot during a White Sox game last Friday. City leaders are moving forward with a plan to purchase property meant to house newly-arriving migrants. The state health department is seeing evidence of Covid-19 in wastewater samples, but transmission rates are still low.

The city of Chicago has millions of federal dollars to use to help people experiencing homelessness, but it’s not spending it, according to reporting in the Illinois Answers Project. Investigative reporters Rachel Hinton and Manny Ramos say that of the $52 million budgeted from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, Chicago has only spent 15%. Why? Why so slow? And what impact does this delay have on the thousands of unhoused people in Chicago? We talk with Hinton and Ramos, now reporters at Block Club Chicago, about their investigation.

Later today, there’s gonna be a rally downtown to raise awareness about the overdose crisis. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces 146 grants for libraries and other organizations that support literacy. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed a law that will require pay transparency in job listings.

SoloSam is a Chicago rapper and producer born and raised on the South Side – “79th and Ada,” he points out – but he’s also a chef with a cooking show series, a cookbook and also B-EATS, 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 told Erin Allen. In this episode, we play some of his songs, learn about his Ghanaian-Korean heritage and talk about the connection he finds between food and music. “At the end of the day, it’s just art.”

Chicago Public Schools says it's prioritizing bus service for students in special education, but some parents are frustrated by shortages. One of Springfield's most powerful men was humbled by a federal jury. This week's heat could have affected your mental health too.

Chicago Public School leaders say they were ready for this week’s heat wave, but temperatures inside some buildings are uneven. Chicago city officials are keeping tabs on seniors, people in prison, and unhoused people as the heat wave continues. In Illinois, for-profit colleges will now have to pay back state aid if they deceive students.

The strikes among actors and writers aren’t just taking place in Hollywood. Hundreds of Chicagoans are also on the picket lines. We wanted to know what Chicago artists are fighting for and how they’re coping with being out of work for months. To find out, we talked to WBEZ reporter Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, who shares two stories from local artists.

Mayor Johnson throws his weight behind a tiered tax plan that could help the homeless. A WBEZ analysis found crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion providers in Illinois by a nearly three-to-one ratio. The White Sox shake up their staff as their season slump continues.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson defends his governing style as he marks 100 days in office. A medical expert says get to know the warning signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion in order to prevent serious health damage to your body. On the first day of school, the head of the Chicago Teachers Union questioned whether the August start date was too early, given the uneven air conditioning and heat wave coming later this week.

In 2024, the National Public Housing Museum will open in Chicago. Even in advance of their grand opening, the museum is working with community members to change the way we talk about public housing. That includes an art installation based on their project “36 Questions for Civic Love.” 
 
 This Friday, WBEZ is co-hosting a concert with the museum. So we wanted to take the opportunity to sit down with two of the headlining artists: DJ Spinderella (yes, that DJ Spinderella) and Isaiah Sharkey. In this episode, we talk to them about music, civic love, and how growing up in public housing has informed their artistic practice.

The first day of school for CPS is today, with more and more migrants enrolling in the district. There’s a renewed effort to help solve the issue of “food deserts” in Illinois. Illinois says jobs are up and the unemployment rate is steady, but the labor pool is shrinking.

Food pantries are the first line of defense for people facing food insecurity. With the help of pandemic-era SNAP benefits, some Chicagoans stopped relying on them. Then earlier this year, the Biden administration ended the COVID-19 public health emergency—and pandemic SNAP benefits along with it. So organizations like the Irving Park Community Food Pantry have seen an uptick in traffic, including many who hadn’t needed to supplement their groceries since before the pandemic.
 
 In this episode, we get insight from Irving Park Community Food Pantry executive director John Psiharis and client services coordinator Elvia Esparza.

Illinois recently became the first state to ensure legal protections for child social media influencers. Illinois Republicans are embracing voting by mail as they prepare for the 2024 election cycle. Local volunteers aim to protect migrants arriving in Chicago from exploitation.

The Biden administration declared Cook County a disaster area following major flooding before July 4. The cost of rent is becoming a burden for many Illinoians and local organizers say they want to lift the state’s Rent Control Preemption Act. A group of asylum seekers set up a pop-up barbershop near downtown Chicago.