The Rundown | Chicago News

Chicago teachers say some of their students stayed home yesterday as part of a national protest called a day without immigrants. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s policy agenda for the first quarter of this year is absent of any bold ideas for progressive revenue, despite promises to push for new funding streams. Illinois lawmakers will try again to pass legislation merging the Chicago area’s transit authorities.

Mayor Brandon Johnson works toward a revised Anjanette Young ordinance, Illinois lawmakers introduce a measure to punish students who sexually assault other students at school, and Cook County says more information is needed to make south suburban property taxes more fair.

Educators in Chicago are calling on universities to protect international student protesters. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is directing the state not to hire anyone convicted of crimes connected to the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6, 2021. Be prepared for a wild weather weekend.

The head of Chicago Public Schools says teachers union contract deal is closer than ever… the union challenges him to make it happen. The Chicago City Council is exploring how the city could regulate and tax the sale of hemp products. An Illinois Congressman says they’re worried the latest federal funding freeze debacle won’t be the last.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he doesn’t support some changes to state pensions that unions are asking for. The head of Illinois’ largest university system says he is no longer using the term DEI because he “doesn’t know what it means anymore.” The Chicago Housing Authority is offering scholarships for students who live in public housing.

Venezuelan migrants will soon be considered undocumented-immigrants by the Trump administration. The move could boost deportation numbers. Chicago public schools are trying to figure out how one of Trump’s executive orders will impact the district. Local activists say President Trump is endangering the health and safety of the trans community.

President Trump’s administration says an effort to block immigration raids in Chicago is “unprecedented and fundamentally flawed.” The fate of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is now in the hands of jurors. Plus, reading scores for Illinois fourth graders continue to decline.

Top Illinois Democrats say President Donald Trump is lying as they continue grappling with his proposed freeze on federal aid. World Relief Chicagoland has seen a stop in its funding from the federal government for its refugee resettlement work, due to an executive order issued last week. Former Chicago Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus is heading back to Texas.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is joining a group of attorneys general to sue the Trump administration. As reports of immigration enforcement raids in Chicago continue, some local employers are seeing the effects. Plus, the Chicago Blackhawks are headed toward a third-straight bottom-three finish in the standings.

Reports of immigration enforcement raids in Chicago over the weekend are raising fears for local employers, employees and customers. Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s defense team tears into government mole Danny Solis in closing arguments. Some immigrant parents in Chicago say they are not taking their kids to school because they fear getting arrested.

Faith leaders gathered at a church in north suburban Evanston today to support the church’s sanctuary status. A top lawyer for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is trying to poke holes in the government’s racketeering conspiracy case as the trial nears its end. Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago is reopening this week with a new show and a new look.

Will a federal judge weigh in on the threatened immigration raids? Lawyers for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan are making their closing arguments in his federal corruption trial. Illinois public health leaders launch a data dashboard to track gun-related injuries and deaths.

CPS officials say federal immigration agents came to a school in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. Mayor Brandon Johnson says Chicago is not considering strengthening its sanctuary city ordinance amid threats of mass deportation from President Donald Trump. Local researchers say President Trump’s partial shutdown of the National Institutes of Health could cost lives.

The State Board of Education says school districts should set policies for how they want to interact with federal immigration officials. Local researchers warn Trump’s new restrictions on the NIH could slow scientific progress. The City of Chicago is partnering with The Shine Hope Company to help city residents fight hopelessness.

President Trump will allow immigration officers to make arrests at schools, hospitals and even churches, causing fear among the undocumented communities. Amid abortion clinic closures, the Chicago Abortion Fund says their work will not slow down. Federal investigators are poking around at an embattled charter school network on Chicago’s South Side.

Closing arguments are underway in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Planned Parenthood of Illinois plans to close four health centers. Plus, the Bears have a new head coach.

Chicago activists monitoring for immigration arrests said they didn’t see activity yesterday, but ask people to remain alert. Pro-immigrant activists are targeting an airport in Gary, Indiana that’s used to fly undocumented immigrants to the Texas-Mexico border. Equality Illinois is advising trans-identifying residents to “resist and wait” following one of Trump’s recent executive orders.

Immigrant communities in the Chicago area have been preparing for increased deportations by setting up emergency plans. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is blasting Elon Musk for making a gesture at a rally yesterday that has been widely compared to a fascist salute. Plus, Chicago is in the middle of a dangerous cold snap.

President Trump’s pardons were great news for dozens of supporters from Illinois who went to the January 6th, 2021 riot in Washington … and came home with federal rap sheets. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is holding firm against any potential ICE raids. At the Evanston Public Library the hum of sewing machines is the soundtrack to a community service project for girls across the world.

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached an agreement with Sangamon County officials in Springfield in an investigation into Sonya Massey’s killing. Communities across Chicago will be celebrating Martin Luther King Junior Day this weekend and Monday. “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” makes its Midwest premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater this weekend after winning two Tonys on Broadway.

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached an agreement with Sangamon County officials in Springfield in an investigation into Sonya Massey’s killing. Communities across Chicago will be celebrating Martin Luther King Junior Day this weekend and Monday. “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” makes its Midwest premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater this weekend after winning two Tonys on Broadway.

Some doctors in Illinois are worried about vaccine funding as Republican Donald Trump becomes president. Undisclosed flood damages could cost home buyers thousands. It’s a moment more than 20 years in the making: Sammy Sosa and the Cubs will reunite at the team’s convention tonight.

The federal racketeering conspiracy trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain is entering its final stretch. Amtrak is canceling some Chicago-area trains ahead of an expected drop in temperatures early next week. The Chicago Bears interviewed former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for their head coaching job.

Israeli- and Palestinian-Americans react to the news of a ceasefire deal. The city council has overwhelmingly rejected an effort to repeal certain protections for immigrants in Chicago as President-elect Donald Trump promises mass deportations. Chicago’s new board of education members held their first meeting this week.

The Chicago Transit Board has approved a new acting president for the CTA. Chicago’s first elected school board members took their seats today. Plus, the Chicago Reader is laying off six of its employees.

Elected school board members for Chicago will be sworn in today for the very first time. Illinois lawmakers hope the CTA’s next president gets behind a plan to merge Chicago’s public transit agencies. An attorney with the ACLU told a federal judge that the Chicago Police Department is not doing enough to work with community groups critical of police.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan ended his testimony this afternoon in his federal racketeering and conspiracy trial. Chicago transportation officials say there were fewer traffic fatalities in 2023 compared to previous years. Plus, Illinois legislators and advocacy groups announced a bill yesterday that would decriminalize sex work for consenting adults.

Some Chicago alderpersons want more say over the next CTA President after Dorval Carter announced his resignation. Prosecutors played a previously unheard recording yesterday during the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Local consumer advocate groups turned over thousands of public comments calling for the state to overhaul the Peoples Gas pipe replacement program.

Embattled CTA President Dorval Carter is resigning after two decades with the agency. The Biden administration announced another round of student loan cancellations today. Illinois has secured $114 million in federal funding to build electric vehicle charging stations across the state.

Senate confirmation hearings begin this week, and Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth has some questions for one pick in particular. The state of Illinois has approved certain uterine health conditions for treatment with medicinal marijuana. The founder of the Young Lords Organization Jose “Cha Cha’ Jimenez died last week at the age of 76.

Chicago physicians are calling for the release of a Palestinian doctor in Gaza who has been detained by the Israeli military. Chicago officials are celebrating $1.9 billion in federal grant money that will help extend the CTA Red Line south to 130th Street. A second child has died from the pediatric flu as flu cases continue to spike across Chicago.

The alleged gunman in the Highland Park mass shooting appeared in court today, we’ll hear an update on his court case. As the first U.S. bird flu death is reported, concerns about the virus’s potential to spread in Illinois are rising. Homeless agencies fundraise for “Backpack Beds” for unsheltered Chicagoans.

On the heels of an Amazon worker strike across the nation last month, Illinois lawmakers passed a measure this week aimed at protecting warehouse workers. Residents of Northwest Indiana are crying foul over strong odors coming from the BP Refinery in Whiting. Bird collisions at McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center have dropped by more than 95 percent since bird-safe film was installed on the building’s windows last summer.

The federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan may soon take its most hostile turn yet. Students defrauded by their colleges are losing hope they might get their debt canceled. The Illinois Office To Prevent and End Homelessness has a new report on disparities in homelessness.

A measure to confiscate guns from people who have an order of protection against them has passed in the Illinois legislature. The CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois is stepping down. A new Northwestern Medicine study looked at how vaccines impacted how people experienced long COVID and found no significant difference between patients vaccinated before or after infection.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is adamant it is not a conflict of interest for him to remain on leave from Chicago Public Schools. Johnson says his relationship with Governor JB Pritzker isn’t damaged after disagreeing on hemp regulations. The state of Illinois is one signature from the Governor away from righting a close to 175-year-old wrong.

Michael Madigan has taken the stand to testify in his own defense in his federal racketeering and conspiracy trial. A measure that cleared the Illinois legislature will make it easier for foster children to live with family members. Tickets are now available for Chicago Theater Week.

Illinois lawmakers approve a controversial measure aimed at further protecting victims of domestic violence. The profits of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s law firm are emerging as flashpoints in his federal corruption trial. A new coalition on the West Side is calling for more community oversight to keep an eye on West Suburban hospital.

The first big storm of 2025 has swerved around Chicago. Defense testimony got underway again today in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. The Chicago-set series The Bear was the most nominated TV show at last night's Golden Globes, but it brought home just one award.

Illinois lawmakers debate a bill aimed at making it easier for people to change their legal names. People with student debt have two alternatives to a generous relief plan that’s held up in court. Over a dozen Chicago teens took part in a film shoot at a West Loop pizza parlor this weekend.

Illinois State Trooper Clay Carns was laid to rest Friday; he was clearing debris on I-55 when a driver hit him. Derrick Rose is teaming up with Chicago Bulls Charities and the City of Chicago to unveil “The Rose Garden” Friday on the city's South Side. Health officials say opioid overdoses remain the greatest cause of unnatural deaths in Cook County.

Leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union say negotiations for a new teacher’s contract are at a standstill. People who install new rooftop solar panels will see fewer savings beginning this year. Chicago broke heat records last year.

A Chicago alderperson is calling for street festivals to have more security protections in the wake of deadly attacks in New Orleans and Germany. State officials will start working on a plan this year to give residents the option to use a digital copy of their driver's licenses and IDs on their cell phones. There’s a new Illinois law on the books addressing student discipline in non-public schools.

A Chicago alderperson wants the city to safeguard its resources ahead of a Trump presidency. A new Illinois law requires high school students to learn about the dangers of fentanyl. Holy Cross Hospital in Chicago is expanding access to outpatient mental health care for children to help fill a big gap in services.

In 2024, reporters at WBEZ sought out average Chicagoans to talk about their love for the city and its people as people crowded into the Democratic National Convention. We heard from a chef, an alderman and from Alex Thomas, an Indian American who relates to the city because of his middle-child status. “We strive to impress, but also we keep it real,” said Thomas. The doctor, musician and cartoonist also said Chicago allows you to do and be many things all at once.In this episode, WBEZ reporter Lisa Kurian Philip introduced us to Thomas and shared his love of the city and region.

House music was born in Chicago 40 years ago and the city has been celebrating all year.Darlene Jackson – also known as DJ Lady D, who the Chicago Reader recently named “Best House Music DJ in Chicago” – was the perfect person to talk about the genre earlier this year. “The roots of House come from disco,” she said on the Rundown podcast. “Frankie Knuckles actually popularized that statement, that House music is disco’s revenge.”Jackson talked to host Erin Allen about the attempted “demolition” of disco in Chicago and the rise of House music, the legend of late House DJ and record producer Frankie Knuckles, and why the genre is having a resurgence.

Even when you’re right outside the building housing Guarneri Hall, it’s not clear how to find it. To get to the small, tucked-away performance and recording venue in the Loop, enter from Adams Street between State and Wabash, pass the security desk, take the elevator up to the third floor, wend your way through office hallways and walk through a nondescript door.With its central location and unique acoustics, the hall provides the local classical community with a convenient space for music-making, hosting dozens of live performances and recordings since its 2018 opening. In this episode, WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis took us along for a journey into one of the city’s best-kept musical secrets.

Lamont Jones wanted to give his daughter a book about bid whist, his favorite card game, but couldn't find one. So he wrote it himself, with the goal of saving a pastime popular in the Black community from generational indifference. "Bid whist is the ultimate card game," Jones said on the Rundown podcast, "and I believe that if you've not yet experienced bid whist, the world's greatest card game awaits you."In this episode from earlier this year, Jones talks about his book, "The Gist of Bid Whist: The Culturally-Rich Card Game from Black America." He explains the game's "diabolical components" and traces the history back to the Pullman Porters, the African-American railcar attendants who helped establish a Black middle class and fuel the Great Migration in the era after the Civil War. “I think Chicago has a strong claim to being the spiritual home of bid whist," Jones said, "in part because the Pullman Porters were headquartered here, and we know the vital role that the Porters played in popularizing the game throughout the country.” 

The Joffrey Ballet danced along a fine line for several decades: The company could either take big artistic risks or die trying. On more than one occasion, death almost won.But, as any Chicagoan who looks skyward on State Street knows, the Joffrey lives on. Today, the Joffrey is Chicago’s preeminent classical ballet company. But nearly 70 years ago, it was a nascent group that co-founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino were trying to get off the ground in New York, with six dancers and a station wagon.In this episode, WBEZ arts and culture reporter Courtney Kueppers introduced us to the pioneering and persevering spirit of the Joffrey Ballet through the lens of a new exhibit. 

Last year, we spent some time on Chicago’s South Side. Jahmal Cole was there, asking a question to a crowd of volunteers assembled in a church parking lot in the Chatham neighborhood.
 
 “How come there ain't no holiday lights on the South Side of Chicago?” he said into the microphone. “I've seen it in Edgewater. I've seen it in Greek Town. How come there ain't no holiday lights on the South Side of Chicago?” 
 
 Cole is the founder of the community organization My Block My Hood City. For almost a decade, they’ve decorated homes on Martin Luther King Drive with holiday lights, ornaments, inflatable Santas and other decorations. 
 
 So, in this holiday season, we wanted to revisit the time we joined this event – which is called “Be A Part Of The Light” – for the day, asking homeowners and volunteers why they decided to participate, and Cole why he thinks the simple act of putting up holiday lights can transform a community.