The Rundown | Chicago News

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.

A wide majority of parents in Chicago think their children are on track at school, but that's not the case. Chicago daytime talkshow host Jerry Springer died yesterday. The Chicago Bears selected Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft.

A bill sponsored by Illinois Democrats would put guardrails on Crisis Pregnancy Centers and has led anti-abortion protesters and Republican lawmakers to speak out. A West Side school serving students with autism abruptly announced it will close at the end of the school year. A physician at University of Illinois Health says men are living about six years fewer than women because they have to get dragged to the doctor’s office.

There’s a weird discrepancy in the field of particle physics: basically, it’s unclear why we all exist. All the matter and antimatter particles produced during the Big Bang should have annihilated one another, according to Sam Zeller, a physicist at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. But our presence on Earth – as well as the presence of Earth, and everything else – is evidence that didn’t happen. In an attempt to solve this mystery, Fermilab is conducting a new flagship experiment called the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, or DUNE. Zeller is the deputy director for part of the project, and she explains why they’re going to start blasting neutrinos from Illinois to South Dakota.

Cook County state’s attorney Kim Foxx is not running for re-election. Jury deliberations continue today in the ComEd trial. And the NFL draft kicks off tomorrow.

Cannabis production programs are popping up at Illinois’ colleges and universities. Local advocacy groups are holding a summit today to encourage landlords to rent to people who were in prison. An Illinois Senate council will meet today to discuss mandating full day kindergarten state wide.

Ọmọlará Mino is a social worker and educator from Englewood whose goal is to connect Black students with their African roots. “It’s all with the idea of us reclaiming our history, reclaiming our truths, reclaiming parts of ourselves that we’ve been taken away from,” she says. Mino is also a musician known artistically as Omo Nyame. As part of the “Chi Sounds Like” series from WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo, we hear some of Mino’s tracks, and she explains why she’s teaching Black youth to love their history in order to build up the next generation.

Illinois abortion providers say they are relieved by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that preserves widespread access to a key abortion pill — for now. Chicago's incoming mayor says developing more affordable housing will be a priority under his administration. Local clergy led a march over the weekend to show support for Chicago’s youth.

Eddie Sanders, Eric “Phero” Lopez and Pilar McQuirter founded The New Vanguard, a coalition of BIPOC creators, during the pandemic. Not long after, Chelsey Carter-Sanders entered the mix. She’s a prolific, Chicago-based fashion designer and founder of the Alex Carter brand. Plus, if you clocked that last name, she and Eddie are married. Chelsey’s debut art exhibit is part of “Creatives of Color,” a partnership between WNDR Museum and The New Vanguard. In this episode, Chelsey and Eddie talk about their own partnership and the American history that informs Chelsey’s work.

Chicago’s interim police superintendent announced he will retire the same day Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson takes office. Chicago parents hoping to prevent more downtown chaos have a new way to be notified of mass youth gatherings. A study by DePaul University makes the case for why Chicago needs to keep its downtown Greyhound Bus station from closing.

For the first time in Illinois, about 100 cannabis workers from three dispensaries under the same company umbrella went to the picket lines. Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson spent time in Springfield to start building relationships with Illinois lawmakers. Chicago Park District officials are “extremely disturbed” to learn how their employees have allegedly defrauded a federal pandemic-aid program.

Twenty years ago, Illinois developed a safety net for children from low-income families who are in a mental health crisis. It’s called Screening, Assessment and Support Services, or SASS. After a six-month investigation, WBEZ found the program isn’t working for thousands of children. WBEZ reporters Sarah Karp and Kristen Schorsch catch us up on what’s happened since their initial reporting and look to potential solutions.

The CTA’s bus and train tracking technology needs an update. Chicago’s budget gap has narrowed significantly since the start of the pandemic. A state miscalculation is casting uncertainty over funding for after school programs serving thousands of kids.

City officials weigh in on what Chicago should do to prevent violent incidents downtown. New White House emissions restrictions mean more electric vehicles and expanding public charging stations in Illinois. Arts and culture has been the leading driver in downtown’s post pandemic recovery according to a new report.

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 this episode: Chicago for the dance-curious. Whether you’re into ballet, hip-hop, or anything in between—including the Chicago-born hybrid “hiplet”—WBEZ external editor Cassie Walker Burke has got you covered.

Despite protests, Walmart moved ahead with its plan to close four of its stores in Chicago. Hundreds of teens gathered downtown over the weekend where crowds were dancing, stomping on cars and two teens were shot. Striking faculty at Chicago State University reached a tentative agreement with the school.

First it was faculty at University of Illinois Chicago. Now professors at Chicago State and Governor’s State are on the picket lines. What’s behind these faculty strikes and how is it affecting students? WBEZ’s higher education reporter Lisa Philip explains how low pay, small budgets and politics got us here, and what we can expect next.

A key drug used in medication abortion remains available in Illinois. Scientists examining Americans' COVID behaviors have published their 100th report. Chicago residents are getting a chance to share what they want from the city’s next top cop.

Leaders with the Chicago Transit Authority say they’re making progress toward its hiring goals, but it’s still not enough to bring service back to pre-pandemic levels. Chicago is preparing to host a NASCAR street race around Grant Park in July, and the public has some questions. Officials say they will work to ensure the economic impacts of next year’s Democratic National Convention extend beyond downtown.

Through The Nap Ministry, Tricia Hersey organizes communal naps and spreads her message that rest is resistance. Her New York Times bestselling book, aptly titled “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto,” came out last fall. In part two of her conversation with Erin, she talks about rest within the framework of Black liberation, plus what happens to the living things around us when we rest.

Hosting the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago could elevate the profiles of some of Illinois’ top Democrats. Students from three public universities across Illinois rallied behind their striking professors Tuesday. More than 800,000 people in Illinois have had cannabis related arrest records expunged, according to newly released data.

Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson joined Chicago State University faculty and staff on the picket lines. The University of Chicago is focusing on Black maternal health through new technologies. It’s going to be unseasonably beautiful the next few days in Chicago.

If you don’t know Tricia Hersey’s name, you’ve probably seen her work. Hersey founded The Nap Ministry, perhaps best known for its popular Instagram account, with the hope of teaching others how to rest in a society that glorifies grind culture. In her New York Times bestselling book “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto,” Hersey explores the lifelong project of rest and grapples with the impact of capitalism on our ability to thrive. In the face of these systemic issues, Hersey talks about resting and community care as acts of resistance in part one of her conversation with Erin.

Pro-choice demonstrators marched in downtown Chicago Saturday to denounce a federal judge’s decision to block a commonly used abortion drug. There’s a question about what Chicago’s next mayor can do to improve the public’s understanding of policing. Downstate Carbondale elected the first out transgender person to a city council seat in Illinois.

In episodes of “When Magic Happens,” three Black women from different generations talk hair, work, representation and anything else they find cringey or life-giving. It’s WBEZ’s newest podcast, and Erin talks with two of the hosts Jennifer “Shae Love” Long and Taylor Coward about opening up to vulnerable conversations, finding magic in small moments, and how hosting a show by and for Black women has transformed them.

Brandon Johnson kicked off his transition to the mayor’s office by meeting with Lori Lightfoot. The Chicago Transit Authority estimates it will spend $6.5 million this year making improvements to 29 rail stations across its system. Via Crucis kicks off at 9 a.m. today in Pilsen.

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson’s seat on the county board is up for grabs. Illinois’ largest teachers union called Tuesday’s local school board election results a “win for public education.” A new app by Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago aims to help identify signs of abuse in babies and young children.

A long election season in Chicago came to a close yesterday with Brandon Johnson narrowly eking out a victory over Paul Vallas in the race to become Chicago’s next mayor. Unofficial results show Johnson won by just around 15,000 votes out of over 550,000 cast. How did he do it, and what does his victory mean for Chicago? We take a look at what happened with Block Club Chicago investigative editor Mick Dumke, who breaks down the race and what we can expect after Johnson’s swearing-in on May 15.

Brandon Johnson has been elected as Chicago’s next mayor. The city’s first Asian-majority ward elects its first Asian American alderperson. Democratic Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García announced the death of his daughter.

It’s Election Day in Chicago and candidates are making their final pitches to voters. The city released its crime numbers for the year so far. Faculty at Chicago State University are on strike.