The Rundown | Chicago News

Chicago’s South Side neighborhood is saturated with both Black history and Chicago history. From the city’s first world fair held in Jackson Park to the jazz legends founded at the Sunset Cafe, the area is rich in unparalleled culture. Architecture photographer, writer and critic, Lee Bey talks about covering the South Side through the lens of its built environment. His book Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side  inspired a new film from WTTW called Building/Blocks: The Architecture of Chicago’s South Side, which you can watch here.

College advocates are hopeful a proposed $100 million increase in MAP grants in Illinois will become reality. Leaders from the Legislative Black and Latino caucuses respond to the governor’s spending plan. Changes to Chicago’s hiring and personnel policies are meant to open doors to more people.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker released his proposed spending plan for next year totaling $49.6 billion, and there’s already pushback. Metra has a new strategic plan addressing the transit agency’s finances and future service. The Chicago Bears have closed a deal to buy the former Arlington Heights racetrack.

The Chicago Mayoral Election is right around the corner and we know how stressful voting can be. To help make this experience hassle-free, WBEZ’s Government and Politics Senior Editor Angela Rozas O’Toole breaks down the ins and outs of this election: the important issues, which candidates you’ll see on your ballot and how to make your most informed decisions on Feb. 28. Take the WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times mayoral candidate quiz here.

On the heels of the Michigan State University shooting, Illinois residents remember victims of the shooting at Northern Illinois University on its 15th anniversary. Chicago Transit Authority and Pace are merging their ride passes next week. Governor J.B. Pritzker will give his budget proposal for the new fiscal year during his State of the State address today.

Maybe you knew they were trouble when they walked in, and you’re looking for a place to shake it off… head to the pop-up Taylor Swift breakup bar. Mayoral candidates sparred in last night’s forum. A plan to move migrants into a vacant Kmart on Chicago’s Southwest Side is getting pushback.

The creators of WBEZ’s new podcast, Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast, want to put to rest long-running slights against members of the Asian community, who are often ignored, fetishized or made the butt of the joke in America. Erin talks with hosts Susie An and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang and producer Stephanie Kim about the show and why they’re trying to redefine “sexy” on their own terms.

The Bears might not have made it to the Super Bowl, but Chicagoans were still enjoying the game yesterday. Early voting sites in the city’s 50 wards open today. There’s a proposal in Springfield for all EMS workers to wear body cameras.

Wing Yun Schreiber was experimenting with their gender presentation through fashion a few years ago when they realized they couldn’t access the clothing they needed. So they created godscloset, a community closet that provides gender-affirming clothing to trans and gender non-conforming people in Chicago – all for free. Wing Yun shares the birth of godscloset, the meaning behind the name, and what you can expect at the upcoming pop-up fundraiser on Feb. 19 in Humboldt Park.

A vigil in northwest suburban Mount Prospect honors the more than 20,000 people who died in an earthquake in Turkey and Syria. At WBEZ’s mayoral forum two candidates disagree on education issues. The city’s investment portfolio is strong and continues to grow, according to the city treasurer.

A new poll shows Chicagoans don’t feel safe here. Five of Chicago’s mayoral candidates put forward their plans during a WBEZ forum to make Chicago less car-centric. An Anti-Valentine’s Day Party is popping up for young adults and teens at The National Museum of Mexican Art.

Fat phobia is pervasive in most spaces, and the workplace is not immune. In part two of this conversation, Sarah Stark, a freelance producer at WBEZ, recaps the “Bias Against Bodies” series on the daily talk show “Reset”, starting with how anti-fat bias affects employment decisions. Plus, she shares how we can change our language and culture when it comes to people who are fat, and how they themselves are modeling steps to do so.

A new poll shows Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s re-election effort faces stiff headwinds as a majority of voters disapprove of her performance. Academics around the country are celebrating the UIC faculty’s newly ratified contract. Kahleah Copper may be the only Chicago Sky starter left after last season, but she’s ready to lead.

A WBEZ analysis suggests most Chicago voters will skip the upcoming municipal election. Meanwhile, Governor JB Pritzker wants people to pay attention to local elections to help root out what he calls “extreme ideology.” A report from the Chicago inspector general criticizes the city police department for failing to provide enough mental health support for officers.

Whether it's through weight loss campaigns or outright discrimination, fat phobia seems to be one of the last acceptable kinds of bias. Sarah Stark is a freelance producer, and she launched the “Bias Against Bodies” series on WBEZ’s daily talk show, “Reset.” In five episodes, guests cover how pervasive anti-fat bias is in America and the negative mental, physical and financial effects fat phobia causes for children and adults alike. In part one of the conversation, Stark recaps the part of the series about fat phobia’s anti-Black origins and how bias against bodies shows up at the gym and the doctor’s office. Editor's note: A previous version of this episode misattributed a quote in the introduction to Brandie Solovay. The correct speaker was Esther Rothblum.

Early voting is underway in Chicago; find out where to drop off your ballot. Tenants of a South Side apartment complex have been without heat and water for weeks. With Medicaid pandemic protections coming to an end March 31st, more than 300 thousand Illinois residents could lose health insurance.

When you hear the word “gang,” different thoughts may come to mind. But overall, why people join gangs and everything that happens after is complicated. And then there are those former gang members who’ve made it their job to stop the violence that comes with gang life. The host of WBEZ’s Motive podcast, Pat Smith, spent a year with these anti-violence workers, and he talks about making season 5 of the podcast with them at the center.

The U.S. Housing Secretary gives Chicago $60 million dollars to address homelessness. The fungus in “The Last of Us” is among us – housed for research purposes at the Chicago Field Museum, and it’s not really that deadly. The new North Austin Community Center opened yesterday to much fanfare.

It’s Black History Month and cultural institutions all over Chicago are celebrating with innovation, including a Shark Tank contest for Black entrepreneurs in the city. The Chicago City Council approved the Norfolk Southern Railway expansion to the 47th Street rail yard. Declining enrollment at Illinois colleges may be a sign of an upcoming demographic cliff.

Libraries are often considered peaceful spaces, but in reality, they’ve long been battlegrounds for freedom of speech. To ban books or not to ban books? It’s an issue fueled by identity politics and critical questions about who has the authority to limit access to information. WBEZ’s Adora Namigadde talks about what censorship looks like for librarians and library visitors in a push and pull about what should stock the shelves.

Billions of dollars later, construction on the International Terminal at O’Hare is finally complete. Amid staffing shortages in Illinois public schools, the state has a new superintendent of education starting this month. Gov. JB Pritzker announced the end of Illinois’s COVID disaster emergencies, effective this spring.

Tyre Nichols protests continue in Chicago. A new report shows that Black and Latinx residents are more financially vulnerable than white ones, even accounting for income similarities. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office is expected to drop charges against R. Kelly in a court hearing today.

The average person with a period pays $200 to $300 a year on products. To curb that cost, some states like Illinois have made period products tax exempt. But the question remains: Should they be readily available to all people with periods? Illinois Latino News Reporter Annabel Rocha talks about her work to destigmatize periods and make the experience more equitable. Find out more about the event at wbez.org.

Demonstrations and vigils remain calm in Chicago after the release of a Memphis police shooting video. City officials share plans for a temporary migrant shelter in Woodlawn, despite significant community pushback. Chicago and Cook County are now in the “low” category for COVID-19 community transmission.

Nina Sánchez wants institutions in Chicago’s arts community to evolve into places where people of color can thrive. Sánchez is an anti-racism organizer and the owner of 51st Ward Books, a bilingual, social justice-centered bookshop for children. In this profile from our sister station Vocalo and its “Chi Sounds Like” series, Sánchez discusses her work, growing up in Pilsen, and why creativity is essential in community.

Tensions were high at the latest mayoral forum as we get closer to Election Day. Chicago Public Schools is making changes to its promotion or retention policy for students. Covid-era surcharges at Chicago restaurants are lingering, but it’s leaving a bad taste in the mouth for some patrons.

Chicago officials have opened a new training facility on the city’s West Side for police and firefighters, but there’s some controversy. Early voting begins today for the city’s municipal election. The additional SNAP benefits tied to the pandemic are expiring in Illinois as of March 1.

In the Southeast Asian community on Argyle Street in Uptown, Hac Tran says he’s seen nearly 10 businesses close due to rent increases, gentrification, pandemic complications and other issues. He sees the closures as a threat to the community’s identity, so he and a few business owners started HAIBAYÔ, a creative initiative that highlights local businesses. This week on The Rundown, we’re featuring profiles from our sister station Vocalo and its “Chi Sounds Like” series, which looks at Chicagoans who have made this city what it is.

More lawsuits are getting filed against Illinois’ new assault weapons ban. The cold, snowy weather is adding another challenge to Chicago’s unhoused population. There’s an effort underway to prevent people with delinquent property taxes from losing their homes through auction.

The Chicago Board of Ethics is expected to ask for an investigation after Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s campaign sent out emails to CPS teachers looking for student volunteers. A new proposal in Springfield would provide more protections for temporary workers. The Northern Illinois Food Bank is seeing a 40 percent increase in clients.

Christopher LeMark says he never had a safe space to work through the difficult, complex emotions after he experienced childhood trauma. That’s why he created Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, an organization that aims to destigmatize mental health struggles, particularly in the Black community, by removing financial, emotional and systemic barriers to seeking therapy. This week on The Rundown, we’re featuring profiles from our sister station Vocalo and its “Chi Sounds Like” series, which looks at Chicagoans who have made this city what it is.

Chicago’s Lunar New Year celebrations were marked by the mass shooting in California that left 10 dead and 10 others wounded. A downstate judge has allowed a temporary restraining order for roughly 800 Illinoisans to be exempt from the new assault weapons ban. Protesters were out Sunday for the annual Women’s March on the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

Joseph Perez is known to many as Sentrock – the muralist and street artist whose work can be experienced on walls, in illustrations, and as action figures across Chicago and the U.S. You’d probably recognize his signature character, a boy with a red bird mask named the Bird City Saint. Sentrock talks about the childhood yearnings and storytelling that inspire his work and how it manifested into a 3-room exhibit at the Elmhurst Art Museum.

At the first televised Chicago mayoral debate, candidates discussed how they would secure funds for asylum seekers and how they could make the CTA more secure. The newest National Historical Park is on the south side of Chicago, in the historic Pullman neighborhood. A comet that hasn’t been visible from Earth in thousands of years can be seen this month in Illinois.

A new transportation agreement and proposed surveillance ordinance aim to address safety for cyclists, pedestrians and people in wheelchairs. Chicago’s largest police union is making efforts to kick candidates off the police district council ballot ahead of the city elections. The Illinois State Board of Education approved spending more on schools, but advocates say it’s not nearly enough to fully fund them.

Election coverage doesn’t always feel very engaging; it’s more like a horse race, focusing on who’s in the lead instead of what candidates stand for. But WBEZ’s engagement team is covering the Chicago mayoral election — and much of their journalism — a little differently. They’re collecting your questions and posing them to the candidates. It’s called “engagement journalism,” and WBEZ’s Alex Keefe tells us what it is and how they do it.

Chicago Public Schools is hosting a job fair Wednesday to recruit support staff, including desperately needed bus drivers. A political movement for safer bike infrastructure is growing in Chicago. Students at the University of Illinois at Chicago are facing day two of canceled classes during a faculty strike.

Chicagoans celebrated Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. with art, music and podcasting. Reducing the length of prison sentences in Illinois would only slightly increase criminal arrests, according to a new study. CTA operators are concerned about schedule changes, despite more reliability for riders.

Step Afrika! is an international, percussive dance company, and they’re coming to Chicago for one night only on Saturday, Jan. 14. Dancer and artist Robert Warnsley is one of the few in the company who’s from Chicago, and they happen to have a special segment of the show, dedicated to the city – it’s appropriately named “Chicago.” He’ll tell us about the show and what it means to him to represent the Windy City.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is apologizing for emails her campaign sent to Chicago Public School teachers recruiting student volunteers. Illinois lawmakers approve new spending to help asylum seekers who have come to the state. A West Side group has won a $10 million Pritzker Traubert Foundation prize to create a walkable village in West Garfield Park.

If it feels like you are wasting most of your life sitting in highway traffic… you’re not imagining it. Chicago has the worst congestion of any major city. Illinois is one step away from requiring 40 hours of paid leave every year to ALL employees in the state. Chicago Public Schools has hired a new chief auditor and will start reviewing schools again after a long hiatus.

Where exactly does money belong between us and our loved ones? Brad Klontz is back for part two of our conversation about the psychology of money. Today, the financial psychologist is going beyond how you think about money, and into how to talk about it with your kids, your partner, and other folks around you.

Illinois lawmakers passed two important measures last night on gun control, abortion and gender-affirming care. Health officials in Illinois have launched a new online COVID-19 tracker. Some North Lawndale residents can apply for stipends to purchase climate-friendly transportation.

Democratic state senators passed an assault weapons ban last night, and Republicans in Springfield are pushing back. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wants to make college tuition free for some families. Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood is now a National Heritage area.

From inflation to gas prices, to call this past year challenging would be an understatement for many. Things are starting to ease up a bit now, but all these fluctuations can make you question how much control you have over your own finances. What if it’s less about control and more about how we think about money in the first place? Brad Klontz is a Financial Psychologist. He’ll talk about how to adjust your personal psychology around money, in a way that will serve you whether you’re in a time of abundance or a time of scarcity.

The list of candidates running to be Chicago’s next mayor is set after one last hopeful was kicked off the ballot. Illinois state senators passed a budget bill that would give themselves a nearly 20 percent pay raise. Lawmakers and LGBTQ advocates outline some priorities for Illinois’ spring legislative session.

There are those Christians who already celebrated Christmas last month... and then there are those who are just getting started. Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7 this year, and Chicago has one of the largest Orthodox Christian populations in the US. They’re all celebrating with delectable holiday food this weekend, and WBEZ producer (and former chef) Cianna Greaves is here to tell us where we can find and enjoy some of it.

It was a big night in Springfield. Illinois lawmakers are closer to passing a statewide assault weapons ban. State representatives voted late last night on new protections for patients who get abortions and their providers. And state senators passed a measure allowing residents to mark X for the sex on birth certificates.

A Chicago teacher says a new state law allowing student absences to attend civic events recognizes learning also takes place outside the classroom. Cook County set another record for opioid overdose deaths. Four bridges on Chicago’s Southeast side will be getting repairs thanks to a boost in federal funding.

When it comes to living your best life in the new year, switching to more healthy eating may be at the top of your list. While you may know why this is a good idea, just how to do it can be mystifying. The latter is Chef Bri Houston’s specialty; she talks about creating meals, cookbooks and new habits for folks who want to explore a palette outside of the standard American diet.