The Rundown | Chicago News

Chicago remains at a medium risk level for COVID-19, but Chicago’s public health commissioner predicts that won’t last long. Developers have pitched $1 billion in renovations as part of Chicago’s Revitalize LaSalle initiative. Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield for the lame duck session this week.

An Illinois law protecting natural hairstyles from workplace discrimination is now in effect. Some prison education experts worry the return of Pell grants won’t be a catch-all solution for students behind bars. A survey finds more Chicago public schools are being asked by families to help meet their children’s basic needs.

Some folks will be taking a break from alcohol soon for Dry January. But abstaining from it doesn't mean you want to stop going to bars or consume delicious beverages. Cristina Torres is the founder of Bendición Dry Bar and Bottle Shop in Humboldt Park. She explains why focusing on community and reflection is vital when you’re sober, whether it’s for a month, a night or forever.

A new state law aims to promote career and technical education amongst high school students. Illinois ends the year with a slightly higher prison population than in 2021. Frederick Collins will be the last mayoral candidate knocked off the February ballot after falling short of the signatures he needed to qualify.

Illinois sells Damen Silos land despite growing concerns from community and environmental groups. A new report shines light on the mismanagement of prison investigations. A Kankakee County judge has ruled part of the SAFE-T Act unconstitutional.

National Teachers Academy (NTA) is a high performing, majority Black elementary school in Chicago’s South Loop. A few years ago, a group of wealthier residents in the area rallied around closing the school to make space for a new high school their children could attend. Erin talks with the director of “Let the Little Light Shine,” a documentary about how NTA administrators, parents and students organized to instead keep the school open and welcoming to all students.

Flight delays with Southwest Airlines are not just because of weather. Uber and Lyft drivers protested at O’Hare Airport last night and refused rides from the airport in demand of better working conditions. While the city of Chicago has embraced some harm-reduction steps to prevent drug overdoses, there's one step it’s not willing to take.

The Chicago Department of Transportation is getting ready for another round of free bike giveaways. The Bronzeville Children’s Museum kicked off Kwanzaa celebrations this week. The Morton Arboretum has sustainable suggestions for disposing of your live Christmas tree.

The CTA has spent most of this year trying to recover from staff shortages and a massive culture shift toward remote work – two of the many by-products of a global pandemic. Last month, WBEZ asked listeners to fill out a survey, so we could hear directly from you about just how the issues with the CTA are affecting your lives and views of Chicago transit. Freelance journalist Rebecca Holland talks about the results.

Doctors are advising people to stay indoors as bitter cold temperatures linger this weekend, but they have tips if you absolutely must go out. You should mask up if you’re going to be with family and friends celebrating the holidays. Teachers and parents at Benito Juarez High School are saying they aren’t interested in bringing police officers back into schools, despite the shooting outside the building last week.

Officials in numerous Chicago departments – including CPS, CTA, and the Department of Family and Support Services – are bracing for low temperatures and heavy snow in the coming days. More people will soon be able to apply for a cannabis dispensary license in Illinois. Two candidates in Chicago’s mayoral race have dropped their efforts to get each other kicked off of February’s ballot.

A promise of affordable housing sits at 18th and Peoria in Pilsen. It’s the single largest vacant and developable lot in the neighborhood, and the property has changed hands for roughly 20 years. Now the city owns the land and promises to build affordable housing – something community members have been organizing for, for years. WBEZ metro reporter Indira Khera talks about what residents are hoping for, as the city invites them into the planning process.

Midway and O’Hare airports could get nearly three million travelers over the next two weeks. Illinois is getting funding to improve broadband infrastructure and access to high speed internet. A lawsuit by state’s attorneys from across Illinois challenging the constitutionality of the SAFE-T Act had a hearing in court.

A winter storm could hit the region hard later this week. The Federal Transit Administration is providing millions in funding to make Chicago-area public transit systems more accessible. The Illinois State Board of Education released a “spending dashboard,” showing how Illinois school districts spend COVID recovery aid.

Grief – does it have to be sad? How do children grieve? What if you feel awkward talking about loss with a loved one who’s grieving? Julie Weatherhead is a grief counselor and co-founder of Got Grief House. On today’s episode, she speaks to these questions and more.

A Chicago alderman talks about preventing school violence after Friday’s shooting at Benito Juarez High School left two teens dead and two others injured. A newly announced research center in Chicago will focus on the societal and medical impacts of cannabis. Folks gathered outside Wrigley Field Sunday night for the First Night First Light Hanukkah event, despite freezing temperatures.

Ye – the artist formerly known as Kanye West has been stirring up quite a bit of controversy lately, and it’s a lot to take in. But if you really think about it, he’s always been a lot to take in – for better or for worse. Professor Jeffrey McCune Jr. has written about, researched and taught classes on the artist, and he’s here to add even more nuance to how we think about Ye’s existence in the culture.

The City of Chicago encourages residents to be prepared and utilize City services and resources during the Winter season. A new lawsuit says the way Cook County conducts property tax sales illegally discriminates Black and brown residents by leaving them with no equity. Some Chicago anti-violence workers believe an assault weapons ban won’t do enough to curb city-wide gun violence.

Experts advise going outside, instead of staying in, to mitigate seasonal affective disorder symptoms. After 9 years, the Jane Byrne interchange is set to fully reopen. An update on Wednesday’s City Council votes, including an approved funding plan to extend the CTA Red Line southbound to 130th Street.

The season of ‘Dibs’ is coming. Motorists, are you ready? Author, historian, and Chicago tour guide, Adam Selzer, talks about Chicago’s unofficial dibs tradition of saving a shoveled parking space, using lawn chairs – or, in his case, a frozen pair of pants. He’ll share some dibs suggestions, funny stories, and the legal piece of things, too.

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.