The Rundown | Chicago News

Illinois homeowners need to check their smoke alarms before a new law takes effect on January 1st. The proposed Bally’s casino in River West is one step closer to reality. The NBA’s MVP award is renamed to honor Michael Jordan.

Hearings on a proposal to ban assault weapons in Illinois have started. A push to repeal automatic property tax increases in Chicago fails. An estimated 200-thousand pilgrims traveled to suburban Des Plaines to honor The Virgin Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We are firmly in the age of the emoji, whether it’s texting a homie or emailing a coworker. And as helpful as emojis can be, there’s some tension and disagreement between age groups on what they mean and how they should be used – especially in the workplace. Erin talks with some WBEZ co-workers and a communications expert on the emojis that make Millennials smile and Gen Z cringe.

Chicago city council members will consider a plan to raise nearly a billion dollars to cover the long awaited extension of the Red Line. Faith leaders are partnering to bring a credit union to Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, the first in several years. Pastor Michael Pfleger is reinstated at St. Sabina.

Traditional holiday activities can be comforting, but at times, monotonous. If those activities are leaning more toward the latter for you this year, WBEZ’s Samantha Callender has a guide to help freshen up your fun holiday season to-dos.

Chicago winters are getting warmer. The Chicago Sky is celebrating Brittney Griner’s release from a Russian prison. Illinois State Sen. Mike Simmons discusses ways to address youth mental health at a panel with the U.S. Surgeon General.

Today marks the deadline for eighth graders to apply for a seat in a Chicago public high school outside their neighborhood. Paleontologists are working with Dinosaur Sue at the Field Museum to see why Tyrannosaurus rexes’ arms are so short. An online petition is calling on the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to rescind the honorary doctorate it awarded to Ye.

The way inflation has us barreling through our bank accounts, a little money help could go a long way. Both Cook County and the City of Chicago are starting to provide that help in the form of monthly cash payments directly to residents. Erin talks with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Elvia Malagón about how these programs work and what sets them apart from other pilots across the country.

A new study found that Chicago distributes public money evenly, but private sector investments fall along racial and wealth lines. A looming fiscal cliff could be coming for the the Regional Transportation Authority if local transit agencies — like the CTA — don't get financial aid soon. The SAFE-T Act is now law and the REAL ID deadline is extended.

An upcoming meeting will show potential plans for Pilsen’s largest vacant lot. Citizen scientists are keeping tabs on chloride levels in Illinois rivers and streams. The state is offering a new, injectable treatment for HIV, starting in January.

Ten people are competing with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the February municipal election. Some folks are backing her, others are on the fence, and then there are those who never supported her and never will. WBEZ city politics reporter, Mariah Woelfel, gives us a sense of where people are coming from.

Illinois lawmakers approve a bill requiring free access to menstrual products in state correctional facilities. The Chicago Bears no longer have the most wins of any franchise in NFL history. The price of gas has gone down, but the price of children’s cold medicine has gone up.

Sneakerhead University is the type of place you go when you’re ready to be dipped in the history of pop culture, through gym shoe drip. It’s an interactive, sneaker culture museum that opened up this fall in Chicago. Owner and curator, Shay Belvin, tells us what it’s about and who it’s for. And yes, we do talk about Ye.

Illinois lawmakers pass changes to the criminal justice reform package known as the SAFE-T Act. Banks that hold the city’s money have made little progress in closing the lending equity gap. Protesters from the now-closed St. Adalbert Catholic Church are suing the City of Chicago.

Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban starts today. Black community groups in Chicago are calling for more equitable funding for HIV and AIDS programming on the South and West Sides. Democratic state lawmakers are proposing to ban the sale of assault rifles in Illinois.

About one-third of people in Chicago, over the age of 5, speak a language other than English at home. Today, we talk with WBEZ data reporter, Amy Qin, about the most common languages spoken in the city, who’s speaking them and the broader context of immigration, culture and community.

Chicago’s Magnificent Mile has more storefront vacancies than ever, and business owners want to reinvent it. Illinois is moving ahead with plans for electric vehicle charging stations on major interstates. The deadline for expired IDs is coming.

Winter could be wetter-than-normal in the Chicago area this year. Some Chicagoans are concerned about the police department’s proposed Criminal Enterprise Information System, also known as the gang database. A gym for introverts opens in Fulton Market.

For many, getting around Chicago is pretty easy. It’s one of the few American cities that’s invested in high quality transit, cycling, and walkability infrastructure. But, for people with a disability that inhibits their mobility, it’s just not as easy to get around. Today’s guest is an accessibility researcher, and he tells us why.

The American Heart Association says getting a good night’s rest helps prevent heart disease. What the Workers Rights Amendment means for independent contractors. And an Illinois non-profit is working with pilots to transport pregnant people seeking abortion care.

For Thanksgiving, the food may be taken care of, but what about the feels? Jordan Wimby AKA “The Melanin Martha” is a chef and culinary preservationist, and she talks to us about prioritizing identity, community and healing when you’re cooking and creating space during the holiday season.

Illinois elected leaders and advocates are warning families about recalled or potentially hazardous toys this season. Illinois State Police are making it harder for people to get guns if they’ve had run-ins with law enforcement. Chicago’s public health commissioner is urging holiday travelers to check COVID-19 transmission levels at their destinations before they leave.

The 2022 World Cup is in full swing, though some feel torn about human rights abuses in the host country. Plans for a cannabis dispensary at the former Rainforest Café in River North have gotten a green light. CTA holiday buses and trains are on their way.

Read more about Dixmoor's Water Crisis, from WBEZ's Adora Namigadde

Chicago Public Schools is monitoring students’ social media for signs they might engage in violence at school or harm themselves. The CTA is implementing a signing bonus and other incentives to attract new drivers and train operators. A new study found that those middle-aged were at higher risk of dying during the second year of the pandemic than the first.

You may know Hannibal Buress as a stand-up comedian and actor from shows like Broad City. But he also happens to be a rapper. He just dropped a new single called “Knee Brace” under the moniker Eshu Tune. We asked him, why music? And why now?

Healthcare providers are concerned about surging RSV cases as we head into flu season. What the TSA is expecting in Illinois and nationwide during the Thanksgiving travel period, which commences today. Cook County commissioners approved a budget of more than $8 billion dollars.

Community members push back on plans to rehab six Save-A-Lot grocery stores on the south and west sides. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces a plan intending to re-populate neighborhoods on the city’s South and West sides. A UChicago instructor is dealing with death threats over a class called “The Problem of Whiteness.”

The Illinois legislature’s two weeks veto session is currently underway. They’ve got a lot to talk about and decisions to make. And while they’re in Springfield doing that, we’re here with an explainer – today WBEZ’s Alex Degman tells us what exactly a veto session is, and what happens during these weeks-long meetings every fall.

McDonald’s employees rallied outside the Chicago global headquarters in the West Loop yesterday, calling for better wages, while Illinois voters passed a measure enshrining collective bargaining in the state constitution. Another prisoner has been exonerated in a murder case put together by infamous, former Chicago police detective, Reynaldo Guevara.

Chicago homeowners expected to pay hundreds of dollars less in property taxes this year, but now they may actually be paying more. Meanwhile, renters may see some relief. Alderman no-shows means Chicagoans will not get to vote on the Bring Chicago Home ordinance, a proposal to combat homelessness in Chicago. Illinois lawmakers are expected to tweak the so-called SAFE-T act during their last session of the year.

WBEZ Chicago’s The Rundown newsletter meets The Rundown podcast. Hunter Clauss writes the newsletter every afternoon, and he welcomes podcast host Erin Allen into the mix with an interview about where she’s coming from and where she hopes to go – with listeners – in Chicago.

A Whole Foods in Englewood closed. Also, climate change might be impacting our local power grid, and masks are recommended for some people as COVID-19 transmission has risen to a medium risk level across the Chicago area.

This November, WBEZ launches its daily news podcast. Host Erin Allen will keep you informed, tickled, geeked, and pondering on Chicago’s news, culture and people in bite-sized episodes each weekday. Subscribe today!