The Rundown | Chicago News

The Chicago Abortion Fund is celebrating a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that strikes down the state’s 176 year old abortion ban. Despite unrest in the Middle East, gas prices continue to drop heading into the 4th of July weekend. And, nearly 2,000 visitors are in Chicago this week for the Mensa Annual Gathering. Plus, The “World’s Largest Karaoke” party returns to Chicago tomorrow for a second year. WBEZ’s Justin Bull attended the inaugural event.

Governor Pritzker has selected his running mate. The Goodman Theatre is teaming up with the city’s cultural affairs department to put on 100 free plays. And, Democrats in Illinois are sounding the alarm bells after The Senate approved President Trump’s tax bill.Plus, Tina Sfondeles is the national politics reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She breaks down the potential impacts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Illinois residents.

Still no word on who Governor Pritzker’s running mate will be next year. A Chicago Park District lifeguard will be jailed while awaiting trial on charges that he shot two teenagers. And, the number of dust storms has increased in recent years. Plus, a Curious City story about women in Chicago’s queer community. 

Chicago advocates express their disappointment after a Supreme court decision today that could reshape the way birthright citizenship is granted in the U.S., Chicago Public Schools new interim leader is pegging the district’s budget deficit as much higher than previously announced.Plus, Chicago’s Links Hall will close its doors for good after this weekend. We hear from dancers on what the venue has meant to them.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is officially running for a third term. Public transit agencies are watching as Illinois lawmakers try to find $1.5 billion to stave off a fiscal cliff and improve service. Northwestern University is planning to reduce staff and make other cuts as it grapples with a federal funding freeze and rising costs.
 
 Plus, an incarcerated man who entered the prison system as a teen tried several times at getting the opportunity to earn his GED. We hear about his 18-year battle to get his degree in prison.

Chicago is mourning the death of police officer Krystal Rivera. A new report says Illinois is facing a housing shortage of 142,000 homes. Federal lawmakers from Illinois are urging health officials in Washington to protect non-citizen Medicaid data.
 
 Plus, after eight years away, actor Amy Morton is returning to her creative home at Steppenwolf Theatre to perform in the play “You Will Get Sick.” She sat down with WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis to talk about working with director Audrey Francis.

Sources close to the Illinois governor's campaign say Democrat JB Pritzker will announce he's seeking a third term. The latest from the Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures into Chicago’s South Side. And, Ferris Bueller’s iconic vest has a new owner.Plus, WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad met up with a transgender woman from Venezuela to hear how she’s facing these uncertain times under the Trump administration.

A new Illinois law aims to give more due process to gun owners. The state of Illinois is making it easier for students to apply for college. A Chicago-focused story Dhaba on Devon Avenue debuts On stage. Plus, Helpful hand or scam? A new kind of student debt is under scrutiny.

It’s going to be very hot this weekend. Cook County plans to spend nearly $160 million dollars to keep nearly 20 programs when federal funding runs out. Misericordia Sister Rosemary Connelly died Thursday at age 94.
 
 Plus, dozens of Chicago skaters, unicyclers, and rollerbladers have been spending Thursday nights grooving in an old TJ Maxx. WBEZ contributor Anita Li brings us this report from a recent South Loop “Skate Rave.”

A longtime Chicago immigration attorney tells us about the new difficulties of advising clients. Mayor Brandon Johnson will issue the first veto by a Chicago mayor in 19 years. A group of knitters host a community Juneteenth celebration. Plus, how legendary chef Edna Lewis has inspired a new generation of Black chefs in Chicago.

Several Democratic members of Congress were denied entry to an Illinois ICE Processing Center this morning. The city of Chicago plans to open cooling centers starting on Saturday as heat and humidity move into the area. And just in time for the hot weather, all of Chicago’s outdoor public pools will be open seven days a week starting Saturday.Plus, WBEZ’s Sarah Karp reports on bullying in one Chicago public school. 

Illinois US Representative Nikki Budzinski says her name was included in the notes of the man suspected of shooting two Minnesota state lawmakers last weekend. Federal Plaza turned into a classroom today, with college educators from across Chicago offering lessons about Palestine. CPS officials are grappling with a large budget deficit for their upcoming school year. Plus, many immigrants from countries like Haiti and Venezuela have a tough decision to make: live in the U.S. illegally and risk deportation, or go back to countries that continue to face political unrest and violence. WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad has the story of one teacher facing that tough choice.

A Chicago city council committee has greenlit a $14.75 million settlement in a wrongful conviction case tied to disgraced former police commander Jon Burge. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the $55 billion state budget for the next twelve months into law. The James Beard Awards – sometimes called the “Oscars of the food world” – is happening Monday night in Chicago.
 
 Plus, we hear voices from the “No Kings” protest against the Trump administration in downtown Chicago on Saturday afternoon.

A man carrying a loaded gun and impersonating a police officer was arrested Thursday during anti-ICE protests in the Loop, according to Chicago police. “No Kings” demonstrations are scheduled in Chicago and across the country to coincide with President Donald Trump’s planned military parade in Washington DC on Saturday. Chicago is reporting its first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes this season.
 
 Plus, ahead of Father’s Day, WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana reports on a local dads group that is hoping to change the misconception about what dads want and need during the birth process.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker testified before a Congressional committee about the state’s immigration policies and sanctuary state status. A Chicago woman who was injured by the person who drove through an anti-deportation protest on Tuesday says she thinks the driver should lose their license. Brookfield Zoo’s new baby bottlenose dolphin has died.Plus, Chicago’s home for so-called “outsider art” has reopened after a multi- million-dollar renovation and expansion. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers took a trip to the newly reimagined Intuit Art Museum in Chicago’s West Town.Editor’s note: After this episode was recorded, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved President Trump's request to cut public media funding. Find more information on that story at wbez.org or on your radio at 91.5 FM.

Chicago police made at least 17 arrests during Tuesday’s anti-ICE protest downtown. Chicago officials are bracing for more immigration raids as President Donald Trump has announced he’ll target five Democratic-led cities, including Chicago. Chicago aldermen could soon have a bigger say in banning AirBNB rentals in their wards.
 
 Plus, ahead of WBEZ's Father's Day Prisoncast special this Sunday, we hear from a father and son who rebuilt their relationship while both were incarcerated.

Immigration and labor organizers rallied in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago to protest the Trump administration travel ban. Activists and community members plan to gather Tuesday to protest recent ICE raids in Chicago and Los Angeles. Federal prosecutors want a new trial for Illinois lawmaker Emil Jones III.
 
 Plus, the decade-long criminal pursuit of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan concludes this Friday. Sun-Times reporter David Struett and WBEZ reporter Dave McKinney give a preview of what to expect.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling says he feels for the officer who accidentally shot and killed their partner last week. Travelers into O’Hare International Airport this morning reacted to President Trump’s travel ban that went into effect at midnight. Dozens of immigrant and labor organizers rallied in Daley Plaza today to protest the Trump administration’s immigration policies. 
 
 Plus, local rapper Jay Wood visits our studios to share his fashion inspirations in the latest segment of Vocalo’s Getting Dressed series.

Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford said haze from Canadian wildfire smoke will persist for the rest of the day and through the weekend. Chicago police officer Krystal Rivera, who was shot and killed Thursday night, is being remembered as a “vibrant” “hero.” The Chicago Sky will head to the United Center for Saturday’s game against the Indiana Fever.
 
 Plus, some experts are crediting community violence intervention for Chicago’s decline in murders this year. WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell takes a closer look at the publicly-funded street outreach program.

The Chicago area is under an air quality alert until midnight for people in sensitive groups because of wildfire smoke from Canada. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is condemning the ICE arrests of nearly a dozen immigrants Wednesday in the South Loop. The Chicago White Sox have announced a deal between owner Jerry Reinsdorf and investor Justin Ishbia that lays the groundwork for Ishbia to become the majority owner of the team.
 
 Plus, the NBA Finals tip off tonight between the Indiana Pacers and the Thunder in Oklahoma City. WBEZ’s Michael Puente talked expectations with Chicago-area fans of the team next door.

Meta has signed a 20-year agreement to buy electricity from the nuclear power plant in downstate Clinton. A federal court has ordered the city of Chicago to install thousands of accessible pedestrian signals over the next 10 years. And two notable local deaths: influential Chicago media columnist Gary Deeb has died at age 79. And Edmund White, who documented and imagined the gay revolution through journalism, essays, memoirs and novels, died at age 85.
 
 Plus, Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell talks with WBEZ’s Melba Lara about the rescissions package that the Trump administration submitted to Congress, asking them to eliminate over a billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the state should consider alternate revenue sources before taxing everyday riders to make up for a $770 million budget shortfall for local transit agencies. Despite a state law barring cooperating with immigration officials, Illinois State Police are sharing their gang database with ICE. The Chicago Fire plan to build a new stadium at The 78, a vacant space on Roosevelt Road along the Chicago River in the South Loop.
 
 Plus, we look at a new opera premiering at the Chicago Opera Theatre that highlights the lesser-known women at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement: “She Who Dared.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was in Joliet today talking about water. A new study shows exercise improved survival in colon cancer patients. And a bill that would increase funding for Illinois public transit stalled in the General Assembly over the weekend.Illinois lawmakers have adjourned for the summer. WBEZ’s Alex Degman has an update on the state budget passed this weekend. 

The archbishop of Chicago has issued a rare statement to condemn a bill at the Illinois statehouse known as “Medical Aid in Dying." People living with old criminal records may soon get what advocates are calling a “second chance.” Illinois health organizations and doctors are concerned about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s announcement that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.
 
 Plus, WBEZ’s Curious City looked at Chicago’s curious hundred-year-long tradition of everyone moving on the same day.

The Illinois House passed a measure restricting the ability of ICE to operate at public schools. A measure to overhaul public transit has surfaced at the Illinois capitol – this one includes tax and fee hikes to pay for it. The Chicago area has been stuck with daily cloud cover and cooler temperatures but higher temps are expected by the start of next week.
 
 Plus, a conversation with Chicago musician Dreamer Isioma on their new album, Star Crossed Lover.

An Illinois House committee has approved a measure that would let doctors prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients. A City of Chicago program wants to turn vacant city land into housing for working middle-class families. Pope Leo won’t make an in-person appearance at Rate Field next month to celebrate his papacy.Plus, WBEZ Contributor Adora Namigadde reports on a new play co-written by children who are in the foster care system.

Shootings and homicides this past Memorial Day weekend were significantly lower compared with last year. The Chicago Housing Authority has a new team that will address environmental issues like lead, mold, and air quality. State lawmakers are considering a bill to place a statue of Pope Leo the 14th on the grounds of the state capitol in Springfield.Plus, Sueños Music Festival was this past weekend. WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana reports on a shift in its reggaeton identity. 

Local Jewish leaders are condemning the killing of two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. Chicago’s lakefront beaches are officially open for the summer. Festival season is back with Sueños this Saturday and Sunday. Plus, the Trump administration’s tariffs are meant to encourage companies manufacturing overseas to shift operations back to American soil. WBEZ’s Michael Puente reports on some people in Northwest Indiana hoping to take advantage of a process known as “reshoring.”

Chicago city leaders are condemning the killing of two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. last night. This season Chicago Sky fans have the opportunity to purchase student-designed apparel. The Northwestern Women's Golf team are national champions.
 
 Plus, President Donald Trump is going after student borrowers and it has some Chicagoans feeling stressed and hopeless. WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip shares the story of a longtime Little Village resident who is trying to navigate the new reality.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the Bears moving to Arlington Heights is not a done deal. The Chicago City Council is considering a measure to require landlords to have a valid reason for evicting tenants. Beloved Chicago actor and comedian George Wendt died this week.Plus, President Donald Trump is going after student borrowers and it has some Chicagoans feeling stressed and hopeless. WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip brings you the story of one man who went back to school to gain financial security.

House Republicans are proposing roughly $300 billion dollars in cuts to SNAP. The non-profit Reparations Stakeholders Authority of Evanston says it has raised one-million dollars. A former Chicago priest with several accusations of child molestation says the newly-elected pope signed off on moving him into a monastery that sits next to an elementary school.Plus, new analysis by WBEZ and Chalkbeat shows about 25,000 Chicago public school students were absent for more than a month last year. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp has the story.

The WNBA is investigating racial slurs directed at Chicago Sky star Angel Reese by fans during the Sky’s season opener loss against the Indiana Fever on Saturday. Illinois preschool providers say they're struggling after the Trump administration closed half of the federal offices for the early childhood education program Head Start. The dust storm that swept across the Chicago area on Friday is believed to be the first of its kind to reach Chicago since the 1930s.Plus, an investigation by WBEZ’s Sarah Karp in partnership with Chalkbeat finds that one in four high school students missed more than a month of school last year.

A measure in Springfield to preempt potential actions by President Trump on abortion is one vote away from heading to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. The Chicago Bears are reportedly shifting their focus back toward Arlington Heights as the site of the team's new stadium. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has tapped two people – the CEOs of the Chicago Urban League and the investment banking firm Loop Capital – to help solve the city’s financial problems.

After months of negotiations, some Illinois lawmakers are convinced they can find enough money to stave off cuts to public transit. A new study from Northwestern Medicine finds participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program leads to better health outcomes for kids. The Illinois governor’s budget office says the state will have less money than expected going into the next fiscal year.
 
 Plus, WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip sat down with Chicago State University President Z Scott to discuss what federal funding cuts mean for her university and its students.

New analysis shows the Illinois governor’s budget office expects fewer revenue dollars for the next fiscal year. A new HIV center in Edgewater hopes to be a resource for the thousands of people living with HIV in Chicago. Chicago has been selected to host next year’s UNESCO’s International Jazz Day.Plus, WBEZ’s data intern Ashley Soriano looked into Chicago landlords denying potential tenants that rely on Section 8 housing vouchers, despite that being illegal.

Illinois plans to sue the Trump administration again. Chicago's former cultural commissioner was in town today urging local arts leaders to think big when it comes to advocacy in the Trump era. And, an innovative public defender's office is now open on Chicago’s far south side.Plus, WBEZ’s Dave McKinney reports on whether Governor Pritzker should seek re-election if he’s also eying the White House.

Democratic Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is offering DEI advice to businesses, nonprofits and educators by encouraging noncompliance with Trump administration demands. Illinois now has a new state law to protect victims of domestic violence; Karina’s Law took effect on Mother’s Day and mandates judges to order the removal of guns from people accused of abusing a domestic partner. Tick season is beginning.
 
 Plus, Chicago-area teens say participating in a United Nations simulation is helping them feel hopeful about the future.

Pope Leo is the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church. Born in Chicago, Pope Leo the 14th is being honored at the most revered place in Chicago -- Portillo's. Despite celebrations around the election of Pope Leo – there are some groups asking questions.WBEZ's Anna Savchenko checked in with Chicago Catholics to get their reaction. 

The Catholic Church has a new pope and he has local roots. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said the election is a "historic moment” for the Chicago-area native. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wrote on X: “Everything dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago!”
 
 Plus, a new exhibition on display at Wrightwood 659 in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood is attracting a lot of local attention. It's called “The First Homosexuals: The Birth of a New Identity, 1869 to 1939.”

Barricades outside Trump International Hotel and Tower have finally come down. The roll out of Real IDs for travel kicked off smoothly today. Senior drivers may be able to wait a few more years before being required to take a driving test to renew their license.Plus, our former colleague and Rundown host Adora Namigadde filed one last report on property taxes and their appeal process.

Illinois state Senator Laura Fine is running for US Representative Schakowsky's seat. US Representative Robin Kelly has entered the race to replace Senator Durbin in 2027. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says people should make sure they need a REAL ID before trying to get one.Plus, Vocalo’s Morgan Ciocca asked Chicago musician Chillona about her fashion sense. The alt-reggaeton diva takes inspiration from drag and burlesque.

Attorneys general in 19 states, including Illinois, are challenging cuts to the U.S. Health and Human Services agency. Longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced she is not seeking re-election. The Chicago Blackhawks have the second-best odds to win the top pick in tonight’s NHL Draft Lottery.
 
 Plus, WBEZ’s Mike Davis reports from New York at the Broadway opening of “Purpose,” a play recently nominated for six Tony Awards that had its world premiere at Steppenwolf last spring.

Former Illinois Governor George Ryan has died. The non-profit organization that oversees WBEZ is bracing for a possible financial hit from President Trump’s latest executive order. Jeppson’s Malört has something new for Chicagoans.

Thousands of people in Chicago joined in a May Day rally in opposition to President Donald Trump’s attacks on immigrants and workers. Fallen Illinois law enforcement officers were honored in Springfield yesterday. Landmarks Illinois announced this year’s list of the state’s most endangered historic places.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the next leader of the CTA will need to beef up staffing at the agency and help create more express bus lanes to speed up service. Police say the driver of a car that barreled through a building used for a popular after-school camp in central Illinois may have had a medical emergency. Illinois organizations are seeing firsthand the effects of federal cuts to Americorps services.

Chicago this past month saw fewer murders than any April in more than six decades. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle pushes transit consolidation in Springfield. Major protests are expected around the country on this May Day, pushing back against the “billionaire takeover of the federal government.”

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is in Springfield pitching state lawmakers to fund budget items from what he calls a “modest” wish list. Former Pitchfork music festival founder and jazz-drummer Mike Reed announced that he’s backing the new Sound and Gravity Fest this fall. Chemistry teacher Victor Gomez from North West suburban East Leyden High School was named teacher of the year by the Illinois State Board of Education.

A key city council panel is set to vote today on a revised curfew proposal that some say raises significant constitutional questions. Hundreds attended yesterday’s funeral for a fallen Chicago firefighter. An international student forced to leave Chicago for India this month says his legal immigration status has been restored but that he likely won’t return to the U.S.

Hundreds of people paid their last respects at the funeral for Chicago Fire Department Captain David Meyer. North suburban Highland Park will have two memorials for the victims of the 2022 mass shooting. The city of Chicago has joined more than two dozen unions, non-profit groups and several cities filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its ongoing mass firings of federal workers.

The latest in ongoing negotiations over a curfew proposal aimed at addressing “teen takeovers.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson heads to Springfield this week, but the governor isn’t sure what the state can offer. Governor Pritzker spoke out in support of Illinois student loan borrowers yesterday.