The Rundown | Chicago News

Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to effectively ban book bans. Chicago is set to receive $10.5 million in federal funding to help with the city’s migrant population. Planned Parenthood of Illinois saw a big increase in abortion care patients since Roe fell last summer.

Daniel Knowles rides his bike almost everywhere. When he’s not cycling, he takes the CTA from his home in Wicker Park. Knowles is from the United Kingdom and has traveled the world as a reporter, so he has seen how people across the globe get around town. His main takeaway: We need to lower our reliance on cars.
 
 From automobiles’ well-publicized drawbacks—car deaths and climate impact—to lesser-known contributions to housing insecurity and racial inequities, driving may be taking more from us than it gives. In this episode, we sit down with Knowles to discuss his new book “Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse, and What to Do About It.”

A new study finds a program can help reduce stress and depression in teenage girls. Migrants mourned the death of a fellow asylum seeker at a Woodlawn church this weekend. Rape crisis centers in Illinois are scrambling for funding after a shortfall in federal aid.

It’s summer festival season in Chicago! From Market Days to World Dumpling Fest to the African/Caribbean International Festival of Life and dozens more, the city’s festivals give you the chance to eat, dance, and enjoy a new part of the city. WBEZ digital audience engagement manager Taylor Faye Nazon and Bekoe from our sister station Vocalo give us their top recommendations and advice for getting out there this year.Find a full list of this summer’s festivals at do312.com. 

City and school leaders released details of a forthcoming parental leave policy for Chicago teachers. Catalytic converter thefts continue to plague Chicago vehicle owners. Chicago Public Schools announced its students earned an estimated $2 billion in college scholarships.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed next year’s more than $50 billion state budget. Wildfires in Canada mean hazy skies in Chicago, but, our air quality is on the upswing, says the Illinois State Climatologist. The American Lung Association quantifies the health benefits of more electric vehicles in Illinois.

It seems like the Supreme Court is making more and more landmark decisions affecting Americans’ day-to-day lives. To explain the court’s role in democracy – how it started from the bottom and how it’s here – we spoke with Sarah Konsky, a law professor at the University of Chicago and the director of the university’s Jenner & Block Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic. She explains how the court is using its power more often and whether the other branches of government are pushing back.

Biking advocates say they’re concerned for their safety with an increase in road construction around the Chicago area. Sexual abuse survivors are demanding Illinois do more to “out” Catholic religious leaders credibly accused of sexual abuse. As the Chicago Bears continue negotiations for a possible new stadium in Arlington Heights – some observers say they’re looking for leverage to get a better deal.

Brandon Johnson addressed Chicago’s newest police officers as the city’s mayor. Illinois will use the last of its Volkswagen settlement money to buy and install 348 new electric vehicle charging ports around the state. In an effort to bring more family-friendly Pride events to Chicago – the “Queer Fam Pride Jam” is coming to the Salt Shed music venue on June 17.

Chicago jazz artists jammed on the South Side in the Jazz in the Alley sessions of the 1960s and 70s. On June 10, a one-night-only event will pay homage to these jams at The Auditorium Theatre: “Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley.” Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few will join video artist Rasean Davonte Johnson and the South Chicago Dance Theatre to perform during the multimedia event. Kia Smith is the dance theatre’s founder, and she created Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley. Her father was celebrated saxophonist Jimmy Ellis, a cofounder of Jazz in the Alley. Kia and Isaiah share how their Chicago roots in jazz, performance and community led to this celebration.

It’s not too late for young people in Chicago to apply for a summer job through the city. Illinois residents may soon see another category under “race” on government forms. Chicago City Council members would be full-time employees under a new proposal.

Edra Soto loves photo archives, and her latest installation at the Hyde Park Art Center is itself an archive. Over 10 years, she has created what she calls architectural interventions through her GRAFT project. These pieces take the form of structural installations, often in public spaces. Her new exhibit, Destination/El Destino: A Decade of GRAFT, captures years of architectural interventions through fragments and photos.
 
 In this episode, we talk to Edra about her origin story as a Puerto Rican born artist working in Chicago. You can see Destination/El Destino at the Hyde Park Art Center for free, seven days a week through August 13.

Federal funding for lead pipe replacement is coming to Illinois – but there’s more to the issue than just replacing pipes. Illinois lawmakers passed a measure expanding police use of drones in public at certain events. A new report from the Chicago Urban League highlights wide outcome disparities between Black and white residents in the city.

Chicago’s City Council approved tens of millions to aid asylum-seekers arriving in the city but the aid is only temporary. Shrink-flation is still showing up on store shelves and hitting consumers in the pocketbook. DuPage County leaders are talking about building their own pipeline to Lake Michigan, bypassing a continued agreement with Chicago.

Motherhood can be beautiful, rewarding, overwhelming, sad and everything in between. As part of our WBEZ series “The First 12 Weeks,” a new Chicago mother from West Englewood shares moments of both joy and frustration.This audio diary was produced by WBEZ reporter Araceli Gomez-Aldana.

As the migrant crisis grows, residents in some neighborhoods where the asylum seekers are housed question why support is showing up only now. State lawmakers passed proposals to increase religious equity in state prisons, hospitals and schools. Environmental groups are concerned about a push to expand the Stevenson Expressway.

Chicagoans gathered to celebrate Memorial Day this weekend, but the holiday weekend also brought a tragic level of violence. Illinois lawmakers passed a state budget in the wee hours of Saturday morning. And Chicago-area food pantries are seeing a rise in demand after reductions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Tyomi Morgan is an intimacy coordinator, the person on a film or TV set who makes sure the taping of a sex scene is both safe and authentic. She’s also the creator of The Cowgirl Workout, a body-weight strength training exercise that leans into sexuality. Tyomi was born and raised in Chicago, and for the “Chi Sounds Like” series on WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo, she explains why she was inspired to learn more about sexual health and enter this line of work, given the lack of Black woman representation. This episode was produced for Vocalo by Joshua X. Miller.

The Illinois Senate has passed a roughly $50 billion state budget. Lawmakers also passed a bill requiring schools to inform parents of bullying within 24 hours of an incident. Cook County government is considering a big expansion of paid parental leave for its 19,000 employees.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson showed off his sense of humor as he led his first regular city council meeting on Wednesday. The Illinois Senate failed to pass the state budget yesterday. The state is funding peacekeepers for the City of Chicago to patrol city neighborhoods and help dispel any large street gatherings and reduce violence.

Legislators missed their self-imposed deadline to end the spring legislative session on May 19. Now, they’re back to hash out the state budget. Lawmakers have until June 30 to pass a spending plan, but many hope to settle the issue within the week. At issue is a program that provides healthcare access to undocumented immigrants, which WBEZ Statehouse reporter Alex Degman says “is just costing way more money than anybody thought it would.”
 
 In this episode, Alex helps us break down the current legislative session.

The state attorney general found the Catholic Church in Illinois didn’t report hundreds of priests and other clergy members accused of sexual abuse. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will gavel in a City Council meeting for the first time today. As Chicago prepares to host the Democratic Convention next summer, some financial experts question if the benefits will outweigh the costs.

Chicago Public Schools is enrolling migrant children in the city. Illinois lawmakers are hoping to protect license plate data of people who are crossing state lines seeking abortion care. The Great Lakes are now the only freshwater system to earn a nod for their role in ocean health.

“As trans people, we can never be safe,” says Stephanie Skora, the Chief Development Officer at Brave Space Alliance. “That's why we’re named Brave Space Alliance, not safe space alliance.”On this episode of The Rundown, producer and guest host Sarah Stark talks with Skora and Brave Space Alliance CEO Channyn Lynne Parker about the pressing issues facing transgender folks in the Midwest and nationwide, how the conversation has shifted in the past few years, and how to make some space for joy, too. Brave Space supports transgender Chicagoans who have been left out of traditional spaces, especially Black and brown Chicagoans on the South and West sides.

A recent bill passed by Illinois state lawmakers would allow transit agencies to suspend unruly riders. Another would allow residents without U.S. citizenship status to work in law enforcement. Nearly 2 million Illinois residents living near freight warehouses are at risk of health complications. Britney Griner played the Chicago Sky during her first home game with the Phoenix Mercury since returning from being detained in Russia.

The artists of Honey Pot Performance collective didn’t want the passage of time to erase Black Chicagoans’ cultural history. So they created The Chicago Black Social Culture map. It’s a virtual map, dotted with social spaces, past and present, as markers.   And they’re brought to life by photos, videos, writing and in-person programming that showcase the lived experiences of Black Chicagoans. Meida McNeal, the project’s director, talks about centering House music in the map and how it gives a chronically under-documented constituency a way to see their history represented.

Illinois lawmakers will miss their self-imposed adjournment deadline today as budget negotiations continue behind closed doors. A WBEZ and Sun-Times investigation finds that the 50 Chicago public schools that were closed ten years ago are still sitting vacant. Five major US cities – including Chicago – and the state of California will receive federal help to get unsheltered residents into permanent housing.

Illinois’ ban on high-powered firearms and large-capacity magazines will remain in place for now after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to consider a case against the law. A long-dormant idea of building a third Chicago-area airport in the south suburbs is being revived by Illinois lawmakers. A new study highlights the discrimination Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have faced since the start of the pandemic.

It’s been a little more than a month since Brandon Johnson declared victory in the mayoral runoff election, and he’s now taken his place on the fourth floor of City Hall. In his inauguration speech Monday, Chicago’s new mayor set some priorities. Among them were safety, transit, reopening shuttered mental health clinics, and finding resources for the some 8,000 migrants who have made their way to Chicago since August.
 
 In this episode, we get the download on Mayor Johnson’s first couple days in office from WBEZ city politics and government reporters Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg.

New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t saying for sure if he will call in the National Guard to assist with the increase in asylum seekers. Environmental advocates celebrate the city’s commitment to overhaul policies that lead to pollution in more Black and brown communities, compared to white neighborhoods. State lawmakers are urging passage of a measure to address public transit needs across Illinois.

Brandon Johnson is now Chicago’s mayor and used his inauguration speech to talk about his priorities in the office. He even signed a few executive orders. State lawmakers will discuss a proposal meant to help the Bears move to Arlington Heights. The giant snapping turtle named Chonkosaurus is winning the hearts of many.

Sam Irby is a comedian, TV writer, essayist and best-selling author. She’s back with a new book of short stories, “Quietly Hostile,” which hits shelves Tuesday. “This time it felt less like, you know, ‘I have to get these urgent thoughts out of my brain,’ and more like, ‘this is what’s going on, let’s laugh at it,’” Irby said. She talks about the book, transitioning into TV writing , and why she always goes there – to deep and uncomfortable places – to offer her readers a sense of belonging.  

Brandon Johnson officially becomes Chicago’s next mayor today. A new respite center opened in Little Village to house migrants and some churches are taking a larger role in helping manage the crisis. Principals at Chicago Public Schools filed a petition to unionize.

In traditional Chicago fashion, spring has sprung just in time for summer. While places like the Garfield Park Conservatory offer flower sightings year-round, this is the moment to get outside and see—or grow—spring blooms. In the final installment of our series on WBEZ’s culture guide, we get tips on where to wander through flowers around the city.

Pandemic emergency declarations are officially over on the state and federal levels. With those orders lifting this week – workplaces in Chicago could soon be seeing more employees return to the office. A coalition of Illinois Democratic lawmakers passed four reproductive rights measures.

Four teenagers are charged in the killing of off-duty police officer Aréanah Preston. People on the Southwest Side had an opportunity last night to talk about what they want in a new police superintendent. Cook County is erasing nearly $80 million dollars in medical debt for residents, and there’s more to come.

You may already know the benefits: Composting food waste keeps a whole lot of organic matter from ending up in landfills, where it creates methane gas and contributes to climate change. But most people don’t do it, often because the process can be complicated and messy. WBEZ reporter and digital producer Courtney Kueppers just started composting, and she decided to follow her bin of compost from food scraps to bag-of-dirt. She tells us that – if you use one of Chicago’s several compost collection services – the experience isn’t messy or smelly, but it is worth it.

The COVID-19 public health emergency in Illinois is set to lift tomorrow, in line with the federal expiration date. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is declaring a state of emergency as the city is seeing a rise in asylum seekers. Asian and Pacific Islander Americans were in Springfield calling for more access to language interpreters at state agencies.

Outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot bids farewell as she enters her final week in office. A police patrol district on the South Side is hosting a prayer vigil for Areanah Preston tonight. The influx of asylum seekers in Chicago is adding pressure to the few immigration attorneys in the city.

Chicago has a thriving salsa and bachata dancing scene, with classes and dance socials offered all across the city. On today’s episode, guest host Brenda Ruiz talks to Gregory Almonord and Taylor Diem, organizers of spontaneous pop-up salsa and bachata events around Chicago. They explain the joy behind salsa and bachata dancing, offer tips for beginners who might want to give it a try and tell us their favorite spots to dance, from El Caobo Internacional at 31st Street Beach to the Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville.

May is National Maternal Mental Health Month. It may soon be legal in Illinois to hang air fresheners or other objects from your rearview mirror. Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community is being urged to get the vaccine to prevent monkeypox.

Chicago is a hotbed for innovation in music and has long drawn crowds for concerts and festivals. This year is no exception. From the Sueños Festival in Grant Park during Memorial Day weekend to Babyface Ray and Rico Nasty concerts, the concert season is already up and running. In this episode, we talk to freelance music writer Alejandro Hernandez about his guide to the best spring concerts around the city.

A proposal to use the former South Shore High School to house migrants is getting major pushback from residents. Illinois’ attorney general is taking a close look at pension payments for one of the convicted “ComEd Four.” Revenue forecasters for the state are worried about a looming recession.

Fred Waller will serve as Chicago’s interim police superintendent while the city searches for a permanent hire. Chicago and Cook County leaders continue looking for ways to manage the number of migrants in the city. Illinois lawmakers are combatting book bans.

Chicago has had a heavy metal problem for decades. The city is home to more lead service lines – those are the pipes that carry your tap water the final few meters into your home – than any other major metropolitan area in the country. That means that dangerous lead seeps into the water for hundreds of thousands of residents, often unknowingly. The issue has gone unresolved over multiple mayoral administrations, so what’s Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson planning to do differently? Axios Chicago reporter Monica Eng explains how Chicago got into this mess and whether or not Johnson can be the mayor that finally gets us out of it.

Four former executives and lobbyists at ComEd were found guilty on every count they faced related to a wide-ranging government bribery scheme. Members of the newly-elected Police District Councils were sworn in yesterday. Two dozen employees in the Illinois House Speaker’s office want to unionize.

Conditions are not good for migrants living temporarily in police station lobbies. Gun sales are up while Illinois’ assault weapons ban is on pause. The deadline is May 10 for creative workers hit hard by the pandemic eligible for the state’s Back 2 Business grants.

In advance of the 2024 election, Chicago Public Media is launching a new initiative,The Democracy Solutions Project, where journalists from WBEZ and The Chicago Sun-Times dig into the big themes and questions surrounding democracy in the United States. Expect installments of the project to appear from both outlets, in partnership with The University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government.
 
 We talk with Tracy Brown, CPM’s Chief Content Officer, about what readers and listeners can expect from The Democracy Solutions Project over the next 18 months.

Chicago is struggling to provide care for the thousands of migrants who have been arriving in the city since August. Incoming Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team is preparing to take over. A federal judge in southern Illinois temporarily blocked enforcement of the assault weapons ban.

WBEZ’s Spring Culture Guide has everything you need to say goodbye to winter in style, and we’re rounding up our favorite recommendations from the guide. In today’s episode: visual art, theater and opera. It’s always tough to know which shows and exhibits are worth your time. So host Erin Allen sat down with WBEZ producer and curator Julia Binswanger and producer Sarah Stark to talk about the productions in Chicago you shouldn’t miss this spring, including several from underrepresented voices.