The Rundown | Chicago News

Republicans and Democrats continue to battle over whether to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is not giving up hope on legislation to crack down on homeowners insurance price hikes. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is in the hospital with a rare neurological disorder.
 
 Plus, we remember the life of Miguel Perez Jr. – a U.S. Army veteran who drew national headlines after he was deported in 2018.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings ordered the release of as many as 615 people who have been held in mandatory detention by federal immigration authorities. A U.S. Representative from Illinois is on the House committee that released emails from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Chicago Transit Authority has closed the door on fare increases in 2026.
 
 Plus, while violent crime in Chicago has declined, domestic violence continues to persistently rise. 
 It skyrocketed during pandemic-era stay-at-home orders and continues to plague the city. Yet, as federal COVID-19 relief grants dry up, organizations that support survivors are bracing for drastic cuts to city-funded programming that they say has changed lives. My colleague Mariah Woelfel has more on what’s next.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is urging people to stay vigilant even as Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino could be on his way out of town. Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned a long-lost Purple Heart Medal to the family of a World War II veteran. Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is going to continue his bid for Illinois governor.
 
 Plus, after police killed George Floyd in 2020, there was talk of a racial reckoning. In the theater community, that reckoning took the form of a letter titled “We See You, White American Theater.” The letter demanded that theaters stop tokenizing artists of color and start implementing company-wide anti-racist training. It would ultimately be signed by one-hundred-thousand artists, including many in Chicago. Five years later, my colleague Mike Davis set out to learn what changed.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois is under fire for voting to advance a Republican-led House measure that would help end the government shutdown. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’s confident police did not violate the welcoming city ordinance when responding to protests this weekend. The National Weather Service said a La Nina pattern will be active through February, which could mean a colder and snowier winter.
 
 Plus, five years after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the Sun-Times and WBEZ surveyed 21 arts, culture and humanities nonprofits to see what progress they made toward meeting their public promises of better reflecting the city they serve. Sun-Times reporter Erica Thompson talks about the survey and what she learned.

WBEZ’s Prisoncast! and the Mud Theatre Project present a new radio drama — written and performed almost exclusively by currently or formerly incarcerated thespians. “The Story of Violence," based on an award-winning script by playwrights at Dixon Correctional Center in Illinois, examines Chicago’s gun violence problem through five characters’ perspectives as their lives intersect at a downtown hotel room.

O'Hare International Airport today is second in the nation in flight cancellations. The federal government says it's largely complying with an order to improve conditions at the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement processing facility in suburban Broadview. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants members of the United Nations to come to the city – and see ongoing human rights violations for themselves.
 
 Plus, President Donald Trump has been outspoken in blaming crime on ‘sanctuary’ policies in Democratic states, but the numbers don’t tell the same story. Sun-Times reporter Sophie Sherry breaks down the facts for us.

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction governing the use of force by federal immigration officers in Chicago. In a separate case, a judge ruled yesterday that the Department of Homeland Security has to improve conditions for detainees at the immigration processing center in suburban Broadview. Chicago-area commuters may soon see the impacts of a massive transit-deal that is awaiting Governor JB Pritzker’s signature. Plus, WBEZ reporter Chip Mitchell brings us tape of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino's sworn testimony in the case of federal immigration officers' use of force in Chicago.

A high-stakes hearing is underway over the treatment of protesters and journalists covering the Trump Administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Chicago’s acting cultural commissioner says the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is entering a new era. A D.C.-based conservative activist group is suing Illinois for records on the state’s role in offering refuge to Texas Democrats this summer.
 Plus, Sun-Times reporter Lauren FitzPatrick teamed up with the paper’s photojournalists to document ICE agents as they fan out across area streets in large numbers making arrests. She found that not all federal immigration officers are wearing ID badges on their uniforms more than three weeks after an order from a federal judge.

Immigrants who have recently been detained at the immigration processing facility in suburban Broadview testified in federal court about the conditions there. The Regional Transportation Authority is walking back its 10 percent fare increases for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace next year. In a surprising move, Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher Shota Imanaga is set to become a free agent.
 
 Plus, there have been daily demonstrations outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in west suburban Broadview. One form of protest on Monday was music. WBEZ’s Michael Puente takes us there.

Illinois and 20 other states are suing the Trump administration to block a rule that could make some government and nonprofit employees no longer eligible for student loan forgiveness. Students and staff are celebrating the opening of a new facility at the Philip J. Rock Center and School in west suburban Glen Ellyn. It’s a major-league-high three Gold Glove winners this year for the Cubs.
 
 Margaret Burroughs is well known as the founder of the DuSable Museum. But perhaps lesser known is her decades long work in prison education. In honor of what would have been her 110th birthday on Nov. 1, Curious City brings us that story.

A measure that would allow citizens to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents now awaits the governor’s signature. A bill to let people who are terminally ill end their own lives medically has cleared the Illinois legislature. Illinois lawmakers passed an energy bill last night that will strengthen the reliability of the electrical grid.
 
 Plus, horror writers gathered at the University of Chicago’s Divinity School recently to discuss the ways they approach the genre. It was part of the American Writers Museum’s upcoming exhibition called American Prophets: Writers, Religion and Culture that opens in November, exploring the ways writers tap into religion and spirituality. WBEZ contributor Adora Namigadde spoke with writers Tananarive Due, Matt Ruff and Juan Martinez.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker made a plea to federal immigration agents to leave children alone over Halloween. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in Gary, Indiana today and denied any American citizens are getting caught up in immigration enforcement operations despite numerous confirmed reports of such incidents. Graduation rates in Illinois have reached a 15-year high while other measures for high school students are lagging behind.
 
 Plus, federal immigration agents were out in force during the most recent Chicago school board meeting. Members were distracted as their phones lit up with messages about what had been going on outside. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp tells us what happened as the news from the street filtered into the board chambers.

Former sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson has been found guilty of one count of second degree murder in the killing of Sonya Massey. Gov. JB Pritzker has declared what he’s calling an “agricultural trade crisis” in Illinois – and he’s signed an executive order he says will mitigate it. Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard got the first hat trick of his NHL career on Tuesday. Plus, we hear from WBEZ reporter Mawa Iqbal outside the courthouse in downstate Peoria, where she’s been following the trial of Sean Grayson. She reports on reaction to the verdict from the community and from Sonya Massey’s family.

A federal judge is ordering Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, a leader of the Trump administration’s Chicago deportation blitz, to appear in her courtroom every evening over the next week. The murder case of a white former sheriff’s deputy accused of killing Springfield-area resident Sonya Massey is now before a jury. Chicago has been dethroned as the rattiest city in the country.
 
 The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago is currently overflowing with Yoko Ono artwork. It’s all part of a major retrospective that highlights her decades-long career of art and activism. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers takes us there.

A former downstate sheriff’s deputy charged with murdering Springfield-area resident Sonya Massey last year took the witness stand. Hundreds of Illinois political candidates lined up early this morning to get their names on next year’s primary ballot. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams says the team is having trouble capitalizing on key moments.
 
 Plus, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in west suburban Broadview has become a place where religious leaders say immigrants lack access to spiritual care, and where clergy have been attacked while speaking out against the Trump administration. Religious leaders say such practices violate religious liberties and contradict the administration’s claim to the U.S. as a Christian nation. WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang brings us the story.

Federal immigration enforcement disrupted schools across Chicago’s North and near Northwest Side today with at least eight schools cancelling activities or keeping students inside after reports of agents in the area. A new investigation from the Sun-Times shows more than a dozen Chicago city council members got campaign contributions from a political action committee whose leaders include landlord Corey Oliver. Lollapalooza is telling Chicago City Council members that it generated more impact for the city this past summer than in any year prior.
 
 Plus, Illinois may have turned a corner in the fight against an aquatic menace: carp from Asia. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco brings us the story from the Illinois River.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order he says will demand justice as deportation efforts continue in the Chicago area. Federal immigration agents faced off with protesters outside a discount mall in Little Village. Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is mourning the death of one of his sons and multiple family members in a helicopter crash in Montana.
 
 Plus, how do you keep alive the memory of Chicagoans whose lives have been cut short by gun violence? A program called Notes for Peace thinks music is part of the answer. We follow the process of one song from start to finish.

Opening statements began today in the murder trial of a former sheriff’s deputy charged with killing Springfield-resident Sonya Massey last year. Lawyers for Gangster Disciple co-founder Larry Hoover are seeking clemency from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The Chicago Fire are back in the Major League Soccer playoffs tonight for the first time in eight years.
 
 Plus, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson sat down with WBEZ city hall reporter Mariah Woelfel to discuss the new taxes that prop up his $16.6 billion budget, his response to President Trump’s threats to federal funding and militarized-style immigration enforcement in Chicago.

Workers from the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional office in Chicago have started receiving furlough notices amid the government shutdown. Chicago budget hearings are underway and part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposal to close the deficit includes taxing large corporations with a $21 fee per employee each month.
 
 Plus, a former top U.S. Homeland Security official is keeping an eye on President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign in Chicago and he doesn’t like what he’s seeing.

The City of Chicago and eight other local governments are suing the Trump Administration over restrictions placed on federal emergency grants. Places of worship continue to be on high alert as federal immigration enforcement escalates in the Chicago area. Jury selection has begun in the first-degree murder trial of a former Illinois sheriff's deputy in the death of Sonya Massey.
 
 Plus, we learned last week that the Chicago Housing Authority paid approximately $22 million to three companies with close ties to a CHA board commissioner. Since then, we’ve learned two of those three insiders have faced accusations from the CHA’s inspector general. WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos joins host Clare Lane to talk about what he found.

Illinois State Police say 11 people were arrested this morning outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in suburban Broadview. Members of the NAACP rallied in Chicago against the Trump administration’s deployment of federal troops in Black communities. Some Illinois universities are seeing drops in international student enrollment.
 
 Plus, as federal immigration agents aggressively detain people all over the city, some Chicagoans are fighting back by forming neighborhood patrols and gathering outside of schools and churches. To help sound the alarm, many of them are arming themselves with whistles. WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko brings us that story.

A federal appeals court in Chicago is refusing to undo a lower court's order blocking President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops within Illinois. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s newly unveiled budget relies on reinstating the city corporate head tax, a new social media tax, and a record, $1 billion dollar TIF surplus to close a massive budget gap. Loyola University and the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary honored the life of Jean Dolores Schmidt today.
 
 Plus, the one-time street gang the Young Lords has inspired a new exhibit at the DePaul Art Museum. The show traces the group’s transformation into an influential civil rights group and it comes at a moment when museums are under the microscope. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers explains.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said a federal judge may have to weigh in on aggressive federal immigration enforcement tactics in a Chicago neighborhood. Democratic governors from 14 states including Illinois have launched a new public health alliance in response to new public health policy enacted by the Trump administration. Medical professionals tell WBEZ’s In The Loop program that it is not likely Tylenol causes autism.
 
 Plus, we hear the story of one resident who heard a knock on their door during last month’s military-style immigration raid at a South Shore apartment building. It wasn’t federal agents, but a mother and her young daughter — pleading for a place to hide.

A car crash involving federal immigration agents late this morning in Chicago’s East Side neighborhood led to agents deploying tear gas after a large crowd gathered in protest of the agents. O’Hare and Midway International have joined a growing list of airports across the country that are refusing to play a Department of Homeland Security video. The Promontory, a South Side music venue and event space, is closing after New Year’s Eve.
 
 Plus, take a listen to what you can expect from a supersized music festival with a funny name that’s unfolding all month long in Chicago: The Ear Taxi Festival is running now through November 2 and features 40 concerts, 20 venues and 400 musicians.

The mayor in west suburban Broadview has removed a designated “protest safety zone” from outside the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Immigration advocates say networks of volunteers are documenting what’s actually happening on the ground in and around Chicago. A Northwestern University professor is one of three people awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics.
 
 Plus: After an immigration raid on a South Shore building two weeks ago that resulted in 37 arrests, federal officials blamed an influx of Venezuelan migrants for the building’s dangerous conditions. WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel and the Sun-Times’ Sophie Sherry recently spent time in the building and bring us another side to the story, from longtime tenants who say the building was in terrible condition long before the migrants moved in.

We have a special episode for you today thanks to our public media partners at OPB based in Portland, Oregon. Enhanced immigration enforcement and court battles over National Guard deployments continued this week. 
 
 OPB’s Politics Now podcast hosts Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart spoke with WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez Aldana and Lucio Vasquez from the Texas Newsroom about how things are playing out in Portland, Chicago and Texas.

Gov. JB Pritzker went on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last night to ridicule the Trump administration’s claim “horrible violence” was savaging the streets of Chicago. At least three demonstrators have been arrested today at a protest outside the ICE facility in suburban Broadview. The Cubs head back to Milwaukee Saturday for a deciding game five. 
 
 Plus, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt died at 106-years-old. We hear from those who were changed by the nun’s joy.

U.S. District Judge April Perry is weighing whether to block the deployment of National Guard units to Illinois. The Village of Broadview says about three dozen National Guard troops are at the local ICE facility. Vice President JD Vance is expected to visit Indiana Friday for a second time in recent months as the White House continues to push for redistricting.
 
 Plus, a deadly smash-and-grab in downtown Chicago is raising questions about the best way to reduce crime in the city. WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko explains.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker vowed not to back down after President Trump posted on social media that the governor and Mayor Brandon Johnson deserve to be jailed. Demolition of the historic Damen silos resumed. Local artist Tonika Lewis Johnson is among the latest class of MacArthur “Genius” Fellows, which were announced this morning.
 
 Plus, if you look closely at a map of Chicago, you can see a hole on the Southwest Side in the 19th Ward. It’s a part of the city that’s not officially part of the city. Curious City has the story behind that hole.

Texas National Guard members arrived early today at a federal military training site south of Joliet. Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Attorney General Pam Bondi tangled bitterly over the Trump administration’s National Guard deployment to Illinois. More than 70 drivers in Cook County have been ticketed in the past week for driving on the shoulder.
 
 Plus, officials in Broadview have opened three criminal investigations into ICE activity. The western suburb has seen aggressive federal response to protests outside an immigration detention facility.

The state of Illinois is suing President Donald Trump over the deployment of National Guard troops over the objections of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order establishing “ICE-free zones” after federal agents tear-gassed residents and Chicago cops. Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson has signed an executive order establishing fixed protesting hours outside of the ICE processing facility in the west suburb.
 
 Plus, Actress Elizabeth McGovern is perhaps best known for her role in the British period drama, Downton Abbey. But this month, McGovern is on stage in Chicago in “Ava: The Secret Conversations,” in which McGovern plays Ava Gardner, the mega star from Hollywood’s Golden Age. WBEZ arts reporter Courtney Kueppers recently caught up with McGovern backstage.

The city of Chicago has halted the demolition of the historic Damen Silos over concerns about “excessive dust." Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is facing a setback in his bid to avoid prison while appealing his federal corruption convictions. Chicago area transit agencies have found some savings and a looming fiscal cliff isn’t as big as it used to be.
 
 Plus, Chicago-born jazz singer Kurt Elling is starting a new adventure that is taking him to Broadway. WBEZ arts reporter Mike Davis spoke with Elling about his career.

Chicago advocates say calls from immigrants seeking deportation legal support have skyrocketed since Operation Midway Blitz started last month. Public defenders and legal aid groups are pushing to bar arrests by ICE officers at Cook County courthouses. The federal government has placed a restriction on all private drone activity around the Chicago area. The Trump administration is cancelling $7.6 billion in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects in Illinois and 15 other states.
 
 Plus, victims of corrupt former Chicago police sergeant reflect on historic legal settlement.

Illinois Democrats in Congress are condemning the federal government shutdown and are demanding funding to save health care subsidies that are set to expire leading to soaring insurance costs. A Chicago non-profit that helps patients find abortion care expects to field more calls from Wisconsin after Wisconsin Planned Parenthood paused abortion services today. A new study from Rush University Children’s Hospital and the Cook County Medical Examiner reveals some common causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome that largely involve unsafe environments.
 
 Plus, an initiative called Hope Chicago announced in 2022 that every student at a group of high schools on the South and West Side could go to college for free. Three years later, it is helping to answer the question of what happens when money is no longer a barrier to education beyond high school. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp introduces us to one family.

President Donald Trump told hundreds of the country’s top military officials today that he spoke to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about using “dangerous cities as training grounds” for the military. A small Mexican grocery store in Cicero is pivoting to grocery deliveries as immigration operations continue in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. A WBEZ analysis of federal data for H-1-B visa applications shows which employers in Chicago could be impacted by an executive order that President Trump signed last week.
 
 Plus, WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell spent a day with the leader of the People’s Patrol, a rapid-response network that monitors immigration agent activity.

A top U.S. Border Patrol official tells WBEZ that immigration agents are arresting people based on how they look. Federal criminal charges have been filed against four people detained during protests Saturday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Broadview. And, Latino activists are calling for an end to the targeting of day laborers at Home Depot stores in the Chicago area.  Plus, a Black woman-owned grocery store celebrated its opening this past weekend. WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang has the story.

Chicago is home to people and cultures from all over the world — including a large Kurdish community. The story of how they came to America is an epic one, a story of bloody genocide, of freedom fighters, of sacrifice and above all… perseverance.
 
 All month, we’ve been hearing from host and reporter Rose Gilbert from Nashville Public Radio in a series called “The Country in Our Hearts.” It’s focused on the story of one Kurdish family and their generations-long fight to exist. 
 
 This is the final episode.

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson is accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of “making war on my community.” Four Chicago alderpersons voted against a symbolic resolution to apologize to Black residents for slavery. Republican Darren Bailey formally announced his gubernatorial campaign yesterday during a tour of the state.
 
 Plus, Chicago youth organizations brought together a group of teens last week to talk about what they are feeling and thinking as federal immigration agents continue making arrests in Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp brings us their voices.

Illinois abortion-rights advocates and providers are preparing for an influx of patients from Wisconsin. At 29 years old, Walter “Red” Burnett is now the city’s youngest alderperson. The first satellite designed at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign was deployed to space Wednesday.
 
 Plus, The fifth solo project from Chicago musician Jeff Tweedy comes out Friday. We hear how “Twilight Override” feels both familiar and pushes his sound in fresh directions.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for most people in the state, in direct contrast to recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Chicago police officer is accused of using his law enforcement credentials to buy guns, including an AR-style rifle, for a man who then smuggled them into Mexico. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been awarded NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career for his performance Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
 
 Plus, it’s been just over two weeks since the Department of Homeland Security started an expanded immigration enforcement campaign in the Chicago area. Sun-Times reporter Nader Issa talked to WBEZ’s Clare Lane about where things stand today.

Illinois Democrats in Congress have signed a letter asking the federal government to end what it's calling "dangerous and reckless immigration operations" in the state. New video obtained by the Sun-Times is raising questions about the narrative put forth by the Department of Homeland Security after the September 12th shooting death of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park. The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued new guidance expanding COVID-19 vaccine access ahead of the fall respiratory virus season.
 
 Plus, Chicago artist Theaster Gates has exhibited work all over the world but it has taken him nearly two decades to get his first solo museum show in his hometown. WBEZ contributor Ben Austen paid a visit to Gates as he prepares for his show opening at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum.

Illinois Democrats in Congress have signed a letter asking the federal government to end what it's calling "dangerous and reckless immigration operations" in the state. New video obtained by the Sun-Times is raising questions about the narrative put forth by the Department of Homeland Security after the September 12th shooting death of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park. The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued new guidance expanding COVID-19 vaccine access ahead of the fall respiratory virus season.
 
 Plus, Chicago artist Theaster Gates has exhibited work all over the world but it has taken him nearly two decades to get his first solo museum show in his hometown. WBEZ contributor Ben Austen paid a visit to Gates as he prepares for his show opening at the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum.

A WBEZ investigation found the city is months behind a federal deadline to notify residents about their lead pipes. Summer officially ends today, as warm, dry forecasts have persisted through September. Beloved Loyola nun Sister Jean has retired from official campus duties.
 
 Plus, WBEZ’s Melba Lara sits down with two members of the Chicago punk band Rise Against to talk about their latest album.

Chicago is home to people and cultures from all over the world — including a large Kurdish community. The story of how they came to America is an epic one, a story of bloody genocide, of freedom fighters, of sacrifice and above all… perseverance.
 
 We continue the series “The Country in Our Hearts” from host and reporter Rose Gilbert at Nashville Public Radio. In it, she focuses on the story of one Kurdish family and their generations-long fight to exist.
 
 This is Episode 3.

Advocates are urging U.S citizens to step up and help immigrant workers with food and financial assistance. Illinois House Speaker Emmanuel “Chris” Welch said state lawmakers have no plans to change legislative maps to try to send more Democrats to Congress in next year's elections. Chicago Public Schools is being tightlipped on how it will respond to a threat from the federal government to strip the district of a 5-year grant worth $15 million.
 
 Plus, WBEZ’s Mawa Iqbal reached out to every Illinois professor on what’s called the “Professor Watchlist,” an online database compiled by late conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA. Several said they’ve faced online hate and, in some cases, threats of sexual assault and death.

The latest phase of ramped up immigration enforcement activities in Chicago coincided with Mexican Independence Day. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has condemned the death on Friday of a man shot by US immigration agents in Franklin Park. And, architecture buffs can see new sites at this year’s Open House Chicago.Plus, The number of CPS students in special education is at its highest in at least 15 years. Yet this summer the school district cut about 1000 special ed positions. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp reports.

The Border Patrol agent who led an enhanced immigration enforcement in Los Angeles has arrived in Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order aimed at protecting protesters amid any federal law enforcement presence. And, today is Mexican Independence Day.Plus, there are two more events this month with Chicago's prestigious jazz festival. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers gets the scoop from Sun-Times reporter Erica Thompson.

Chicago City Council voted in favor of settling nearly 200 police misconduct cases tied to disgraced former police Sergeant Ronald Watts, costing city taxpayers a total of $90 million. Gov. JB Pritzker said he and his family feel safe in light of escalating political threats. Enrollment is up for international students at the University of Illinois despite federal immigration policies.
 
 Plus, if you want to know how many arrests immigration officers have made in Chicago this year, you won’t get answers from the government. Watchdog groups have stepped in to fill some key gaps and Sun-Times Reporter Lauren FitzPatrick brings us the most recent numbers.

Chicago is home to people and cultures from all over the world — including a large Kurdish community. The story of how they came to America is an epic one, a story of bloody genocide, of freedom fighters, of sacrifice and above all… perseverance.
 
 We continue the series “The Country in Our Hearts” from host and reporter Rose Gilbert at Nashville Public Radio. In it, she focuses on the story of one Kurdish family and their generations-long fight to exist.
 
 This is Episode 2.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is calling for a full accounting of the circumstances behind what he called the troubling, fatal shooting of a Franklin Park man by a federal immigration enforcement agent. More than 20 Chicago alderpersons are calling for a review of security measures at City Hall following the shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. A new study finds low-income patients with anorexia tend to be hospitalized longer than they need to be in Chicago.
 
 Plus, this week a local arts group put an orchestra on a sightseeing boat in the Chicago River, all to create a moment of joy. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers brings us a dispatch.