The Rundown | Chicago News

Highland Park’s 2022 4th of July parade kicked off on a beautiful morning. But it wasn’t long before a shooter opened fire on the festivities. The mass shooting resulted in seven deaths and left 48 other parade goers injured. A year later, the community is coming together to process. Mayor Nancy Rotering has become an outspoken advocate for gun control, including the assault weapons ban that has since passed in Illinois.
 
 Rotering said young people in Highland Park expected a mass shooting in their community. “The adults were like, ‘How could this ever happen in Highland Park?’ but the kids said ‘We expected this to happen, and we expected it to happen in school,’” she said. Now, she wants to return to a time when gun violence was not so normalized.
 
 In this episode, we reflect on the Highland Park shooting a year later with WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman.

The Chicago area saw record rainfall over the weekend, followed by flash flooding. The rain caused problems for NASCAR. More than a million student loan borrowers in Illinois asked for loan forgiveness through a Biden administration plan and the Supreme Court struck it down.

Where are the queer spaces outside of Northalsted for those who either cannot or don’t want to trek to Lake View? Adam Rhodes is a training director at Investigative Reporters and Editors and a former social justice reporter at The Chicago Reader, where they covered the Northalsted community during its period of recent tumult. On today’s episode, they talk about the history of Chicago’s main gay enclave and name some of the city’s welcoming spaces outside of it.To see a list of Rhodes' suggestions, check out our story here on WBEZ.org.

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action, local professors and state officials react. Wildfires, NASCAR and Independence Day celebrations have experts wondering how Chicago’s air quality will be over the next several days. There are now six remaining candidates under consideration to be Chicago’s next police superintendent.

We could get a break from unhealthy levels of air quality soon. The Cook County Juvenile Detention Center is facing questions over its use of physical restraint in the facility’s school. Chicago emergency officials are setting up a new security system ahead of NASCAR this weekend.

Chicago now has nine city council members who identify as LGBTQ+, and they’re working together as the “LGBT Caucus.” It’s the largest of its kind in the country, according to Block Club Chicago reporter Jake Wittich. He spoke with all of them, and in this episode of The Rundown he explains the humble beginnings of Chicago city council’s LGBT Caucus and what it hopes to accomplish with its newfound strength in numbers.

Chicago’s air quality Tuesday was among the worst in the world, and it’s not getting much better. The CTA received $25 million in federal money to advance its electric bus fleet. Local health officials want to bring attention to a rising rate of maternal mortality in Cook County.

A WBEZ analysis shows Chicago Public Schools still has ongoing lead paint remediation projects, despite saying the work is done. Chicago leaders are hosting budget town halls to get feedback from residents. Cook County prosecutors have dropped murder charges for Carlishia Hood and her son.

The Chicago Sun-Times announced a new policy earlier this month that allows people who have appeared in its news coverage to ask for a review – and possibly have those stories removed from internet searches. Sun-Times executive editor Jennifer Kho says the policy is a response to the permanence of the internet and Chicago’s history of unjust arrests. “At the Sun-Times,” Kho wrote when the policy went public, “we don’t think it’s fair for stories about arrests to follow people around forever if they were never convicted or if charges were dropped or expunged.” Kho and Mary Mitchell, a Sun-Times columnist and the paper’s director of culture and community engagement, join The Rundown to explain the decisions behind “the right to be forgotten.”

An Illinois health care coverage program for kids loses millions in federal matching dollars due to clerical errors. An Illinois lawmaker wants a new ticket tax to help communities hosting major music festivals. Migrants in Chicago say they’re getting better treatment at police stations than they would at city shelters.

The WBEZ Summer 250 is live! It’s our interactive guide to 250 (and counting) activities in the Chicago area this season. Stopping by to explain what’s inside the guide are WBEZ editor Cassie Walker Burke, who curated the content for the guide, and WBEZ visual producer Andjela Padejski, who designed the product experience. 

Illinois Medicaid providers are encouraging customers to renew their coverage plans. Three Metra stations on Chicago’s South Side are getting major upgrades that’ll make them more accessible to people with disabilities. Cook County is seeking resident input on ways to improve biking around Lake Calumet.

As construction for NASCAR ramps up, O’Hare Airport concession workers warn severe understaffing could create havoc as the city braces for an influx of travelers for the race. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson won’t call for an end to police in schools — despite opposing the practice as a candidate. The so-called “birthplace of House Music” will be officially designated as a historical landmark.

It’s been a year since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. What’s happened since? “A lot of chaos,” according to Lee Hasselbacher, the director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health. Lee explains the implications of the Dobbs decision one year in – for healthcare providers, pregnant people, tourists and everyone else.

Urban Prep Academy is still fighting to stay open, even as CPS plans to open a replacement school this fall. The city of Chicago is officially launching another cash assistance program– this time for survivors of domestic violence. Three years after a WBEZ investigation into disparate home lending by banks, Chicago leaders say work still needs to be done.

After three shootings in the Chicago area, including one where at least 23 people were injured, one fatally, an Illinois congressman reiterates that guns are the problem. A recent survey shows that more people would use the CTA if there was expanded service during the weekday. A private foundation is funding a memorial to victims of former Chicago Police Commander John Burge and his “Midnight Crew.”

Tony Smith came of age during Chicago’s house music scene in the late 1970s. Chosen Few and Frankie Knuckles were his neighbors, and they helped him find his footing in Chicago’s arts scene, a space he’s occupied ever since. Smith’s a multimedia artist – a photographer, a musician, a documentarian and an archivist – and today he teaches his students at the Hyde Park Art Center how to have their own voice through art – and how it can make a difference. This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series. 

Bally’s hopes to open a temporary casino in Chicago by the end of the summer after an initial greenlight from a state regulatory board yesterday. Some community groups are asking Mayor Brandon Johnson to solicit their input as he chooses new Board of Education members. Cook County’s annual Juneteenth festivities start today.

The City of Chicago may enter a multimillion dollar settlement over a coerced confession. The Chicago Park District gave the green light to three major music festivals in Douglass Park, despite complaints from residents. A former city official is sounding the alarm about Chicago’s slow pace of police reform.

Imagine how you’d feel if your elementary school permanently closed its doors in the summer between your 2nd and 3rd grades, severing your relationship with friends, teachers and an entire community. For tens of thousands of Chicago students, that kind of situation was a reality in 2013, when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Board of Education closed 50 schools in one fell swoop. Ten years later, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times analyzed why that decision was made and how it affected students, families and communities. Sun-Times investigative reporter Lauren FitzPatrick and WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp explain their findings.

A new report from The Civic Federation is pointing to concerns around Chicago’s finances. Gov. JB Pritzker signed a pair of labor laws designed to protect striking workers. The state of Illinois’ new budget will have less money for electric vehicle rebates.

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.