WBEZ News

He and the state legislature have a big task – tackling a multi-billion dollar deficit before the end of this fiscal year while trying to find enough money to pay for critical needs and services.
 
 WBEZ’s Alex Degman talked with Ralph Martire, executive director of the non-profit Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
 That was Ralph Martire, executive director of the non-profit Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, speaking with WBEZ’s Alex Degman. HOST: LARA

A judge has temporarily blocked the Trump Administration’s efforts to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 
 
 To discuss how closing that agency could affect Illinoisans – and what can be done locally – WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang sits down with Horacio Mendez.
 
 He leads the Woodstock Institute, which is an organization focused on consumer financial protection. 
 HOST: LANE

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Black-owned businesses across the country saw a big bump in support from consumers.
 
 But some local Black-owned businesses say that support has since tapered off, which – when mixed with the impacts of COVID and inflation – has left them struggling.
 
 One of those businesses is Underground Bookstore in Chicago’s Calumet Heights neighborhood. 
 
 The small shop has its regulars who spend the day reading all the books their hearts desire, but it’s been on the verge of closing on several occasions.
 
 Sun-Times reporter Mariah Rush and WBEZ producer Noah Jennings visited the store to hear from its 30-plus-year owner Yoel Ahmechshadye on 2020’s impact.
 HOST: LANE

Frida Kahlo’s image has been circulated through pop culture … but telling the true story of her life and pain meant playwright and actor Vanessa Severo needed to look inward. 
 
 Severo wrote and stars in "Frida …A Self Portrait," a play about the renowned Mexican painter. 
 
 It’s being performed at Writer’s Theater in north suburban Glencoe.
 
 WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana spoke to Severo about what it takes to get into a character she feels a kinship with. 
 HOST: DIXON

And those changes have some Chicago theater and dance groups scrambling.
 
 WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis talked to some arts leaders around town. He joins us. 
 HOST: DIXON

Higher education is one of the most effective ways to prevent people in prison from returning. 
 
 Yet just seven out of Illinois’ 26 prisons provide access to college classes.
 
 Legislation to restore state financial aid for incarcerated students could change that – and prove especially crucial if federal funding is pulled. 
 
 WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip reports.
 HOST: DIXON

Now that the jury has made its decision on the fate of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan – they are free to discuss their role in his historic corruption trial.
 
 WBEZ’s Dave McKinney brings us the story of Timothy Nessner – the jury foreman who signed off on Madigan’s landmark guilty verdict.
 Chicago Sun-Times reporter Emmanuel Camarillo contributed to this report.
 
 HOST: LANE

The five Great Lakes represent the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world.
 
 They’re also a source of drinking water for about 10 percent of the country’s population.
 
 But one of the largest initiatives that supports conservation efforts across the Great Lakes and the seven states it borders may be at risk. That comes as the Trump administration looks to cut climate and environmental justice programs.
 
 I’m joined now by WBEZ climate reporter Juanpablo Ramirez- Franco to break down what this means.
 HOST: LANE

Harold Pinter’s classic drama Betrayal is a love triangle told in reverse. 
 
 It opens this month in Chicago at the Goodman Theatre.
 
 In a twist on the staging, the play stars three actors in their 50s and 60s, including Oscar winner Helen Hunt. 
 
 WBEZ’s Mike Davis has more. HOST: DIXON

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was found guilty of wire fraud and bribery. 
 
 But they also found him not guilty on other charges – and couldn’t agree on a verdict on the remaining.
 
 WBEZ’s Illinois politics reporter Dave McKinney has covered this trial from start to finish. 
 
 He joins me now.
 HOST: LARA

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan left the courthouse smiling even though a federal jury found him guilty of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud.
 
 WBEZ’s Dave McKinney reports.
 HOST: DIXON

Some pandemic trends came and went. 
 
 But here’s one that stuck: Japanese comics known as manga [MAHN-guh], and the animated series they’re often adapted into. 
 
 WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko tells us why the art forms are so popular, and how they are helping young people make connections in a digital world. 
 HOST: DIXON

When babies and toddlers are not meeting developmental milestones or are disabled, they are supposed to get free in-home visits from a professional.
 
 It is a critical time that can change their trajectory. 
 
 But in Illinois, too many children are falling through the cracks, especially post-pandemic.
 
 WBEZ’s Sarah Karp explains. 
 HOST: LABUZ

The Trump administration has been making sweeping changes to staffing across the federal government, including at the Environmental Protection Agency.
 
 Last week more than 160 employees who work on environmental justice issues at the EPA were put on paid administrative leave. 
 
 This includes staff in the Chicago office, which oversees most of the Midwest and the Great Lakes.
 
 Chicago Sun Times reporter Brett Chase joins me now to discuss some of the changes at EPA and how that might affect some programs in the region
 HOST: LANE

My Brightest Diamond and the Chicago-based sextet Eighth Blackbird are two Midwest musical projects that defy categorization. 
 
 This week, they join forces at the Athenaeum Center [ATH-uh-NAY-um] in Lake View for a concert…about love. 
 
 WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar reports. HOST: DIXON

Changes to federal transportation funding being pushed by President Donald Trump’s administration could be devastating to Illinois transit.
 
 That’s according to reporting by the Sun-Times David Struett.
 
 He reports, the new head of the U.S. Department of Transportation is ordering his department to prioritize communities with higher marriage and birth rates.
 
 That could put Illinois nearly last in line for federal transit funding.
 
 David joins me now to explain.
 
 HOST: PUENTE

Four years ago, Governor JB Pritzker signed landmark climate legislation.
 
 It committed Illinois to some of the most ambitious climate goals in the Midwest - from putting more electric vehicles on the road to phasing out fossil fuels by 2050. 
 
 But Illinois is not meeting its goals to make that deadline.
 
 WBEZ’s climate change reporter… Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has the story.
 HOST: DIXON

President Trump’s administration is suing Chicago, Cook County and Illinois officials over so-called sanctuary policies.
 
 The Justice Department is claiming in federal court that officials including Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Governor JB Pritzker are interfering with immigration enforcement.
 
 WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell has been talking with legal experts about the suit and its prospects. He joins us now.
 
 HOST: LARA

For many immigrants in the Chicago area, the fear of being detained by law enforcement is already affecting their health. 
 
 Hundreds of immigrants are skipping appointments and leaving prescriptions at the pharmacy since Republican President Donald Trump returned to office.
 
 WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch takes you inside a free clinic to show you the chilling effect.

Singer-songwriter Neko Case is a singular voice in music. 
 
 Across 11 albums, she has crafted a canon of songs that are sharp, haunting and vulnerable. 
 
 Case has written a new memoir titled “The Harder I Fight, the More I Love You.” 
 
 In it, she talks openly about her isolated childhood and the long journey of becoming a musician — including her formative Chicago years. 
 
 She joined WBEZ’s Lisa Labuz to discuss the ups and downs of her time in the music industry.
 HOST: DIXON

An ornately displayed tooth at the Art Institute of Chicago was thought to have belonged to Saint John the Baptist.
 
 But that’s not the case. Researchers at Oxford University concluded that the tooth in question is from a different time and could not belong to the prophet. 
 
 Chicago Sun Times reporter Robert Herguth did some digging on this revelation and shared his findings with WBEZ host Lisa Labuz.
 HOST: DIXON

Students with undocumented parents are weighing whether or not to fill out the FAFSA, the free application for federal student aid. 
 
 Submitting the form unlocks help paying for college…
 
 But it requires sharing detailed personal information about their parents. 
 
 And there are heightened concerns over what the Trump administration might do with this information.
 
 WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip reports. 
 HOST: DIXON

President Donald Trump is touting the arrests of thousands of immigrants who he says are dangerous criminals who must be deported.
 
 But Chicago attorneys say the reality on the ground is different 
 
 They say agents are picking up innocent immigrants…often without the required warrant. 
 
 WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Cardona Maguigad has more….
 HOST: DIXON

The Chicago pizzeria Spacca Napoli has been a fixture of the Ravenswood neighborhood for nearly 20 years. 
 
 Recently, it was recognized by Chicago’s culinary community as the best pizza in town. 
 
 Just days after accepting the prize, its owner Jonathan Goldsmith prepared to undergo surgery to remove stomach cancer. 
 
 WBEZ Courtney Kueppers visited Goldsmith the day before his operation. 
 HOST: DIXON

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will spend the next few months chipping away at progressive policies on the environment, public safety, and hemp regulation. 
 
 That’s according to a first look at Johnson’s legislative calendar for the first quarter of this year.
 
 But the policy agenda does NOT include any big or new revenue streams Johnson has been promising. 
 
 WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg reports. 
 HOST: DIXON

How does music speak to times of crisis? University of Chicago professor Steve Rings posed the question to clarinetist Stephen Williamson, violinist Danny Jin, and cellist John Sharp of the Chicago Symphony. In response, they perform Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time with pianist Umi Garrett at 3 p.m. this Sunday at the University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall. WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar reports.
 HOST: LANE

The federal racketeering conspiracy case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain is now in the jury’s hands.
 
 Federal prosecutors aggressively made their closing arguments today (WED) - even giving the ex-speaker a nickname – Mike “Milquetoast” Madigan.
 
 Here to take us inside the intense courtroom scene is WBEZ’s Illinois politics reporter Dave McKinney.
 HOST: LARA

Thursday, Sean Harden will preside as president over the first monthly meeting of the new partly-elected Chicago Board of Education. 
 
 It’s a turbulent time. The teachers contract is unresolved, a budget crisis is looming, the federal government is wreaking havoc and the head of the school district will be terminated in June. 
 
 WBEZ’s Sarah Karp sat down with Harden, a relative unknown, to learn more about him and his plans. 
 HOST: LARA

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was flanked by his administration’s heavyweights today (TUES) as he declared a “full force of government” response to the Trump Administration’s deportation efforts. 
 
 The press conference with his police chief, budget director and top attorney was Johnson’s first since Trump took office. 
 
 It comes amid a flurry of immigration news in recent days.
 
 WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel was there and joins us now for more. 
 HOST: LARA

The new play Jaja's African Hair Braiding comes to Chicago after a Tony-winning Broadway run.
 
 One of those awards recognized the play's standout wig design.
 
 WBEZ's Mike Davis went backstage at Chicago Shakespeare to file this report.
 HOST: LANE

Many residents are living in fear – some afraid to take their kids to school or go out for a bite to eat.
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente went to Chicago’s East Side neighborhood - where nearly 80 percent of residents are Mexican. HOST: LANE

It’s been a week since President Donald Trump took office. 
 
 And his administration’s new immigration policies and threats of mass raids have had much of Chicago’s immigrant community on edge.
 
 “Enhanced” immigration enforcement started yesterday (SUN) in the city.
 
 ICE agents, along with border czar Tom Homan and acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove were on the ground.
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona-Maguidad reports on immigration and joins me now with the latest information, as well as some context. HOST: LANE

President Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations in Chicago and across the U.S. is raising questions and fears … especially in schools that serve a lot of immigrants. 
 
 In Chicago, the school district and community organizations are spreading the word that immigrants still have rights. 
 
 They hope it will help parents and students to feel empowered. 
 
 WBEZ’s Sarah Karp reports. HOST: DIXON

President Trump is threatening so-called sanctuary cities and states, like Chicago and Illinois, that bar their employees from helping federal immigration enforcement.
 
 He’s ordered a cutoff of federal funds and directed the Justice Department to prosecute officials of cities and states that don’t help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency known as ICE.
 
 Trump has also stoked fears of a migrant-fueled crime wave.
 
 So we wanted to find out: Would ending sanctuary policies or carrying out mass deportations make us safer?
 
 San Diego State University political scientist Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien spoke with WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell.
 HOST: DIXON

It started with a handful of incarcerated men having huddled conversations about writing inside the Dixon Correctional Center in northern Illinois. 
 
 Over the past few years, that’s grown into the Mud Theatre Project in Chicago. 
 
 Many of its founders have since made their way out of prison…and on to one of the most prestigious stages in the city. 
 
 WBEZ’s Mike Davis takes us behind the scenes of the new play Searching for Justice. 
 
 HOST: LABUZ

The Chicago Bears are reportedly hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be the team’s new head coach.
 
 WBEZ producer Noah Jennings spoke with sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout to learn what Johnson will bring to Chicago.

The Art Institute is making history with its latest exhibition, a sprawling showcase that focuses on the art of the Pan-African movement. 
 
 WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves reports.
 host: dixon

Residents across neighborhoods are getting ready by putting their deportation defense infrastructure to the test. Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad; Host: Mary Dixon

After years of warm relations with the Biden White House, a new, grim reality sets in for Illinois when Donald Trump is inaugurated Monday. Reporter: Michael Puente

Faculty advisors can make or break a students’ chance of getting a PhD. 
 
 But often these professors have little to no training in teaching or mentorship.
 
 That can lead to disastrous consequences for students.
 
 And it hamstrings efforts to get more Black and Brown students into science. 
 
 W-B-E-Z’s Lisa Kurian Philip tells the story of a University of Chicago student who found this out the hard way.
 HOST: LARA

A West Side non-profit is helping Chicago teens learn the art of filmmaking by putting them in charge of producing their own movies. 
 
 WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko dropped by a West Loop pizza parlor to check out one of their recent film shoots. HOST: DIXON

When Donald Trump returns to the presidency, he’s promised the biggest domestic deportation effort in U.S. history.
 
 His first administration separated thousands of children from their parents at the Mexican border and transferred them to shelters across the U.S.
 
 Now many immigrants fear Trump will take kids from families in the nation’s interior.
 
 More than 4 million U.S.-born children live with an undocumented parent.
 
 On Chicago’s North Side, WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell got to know one of these families.
 
 HOST: DIXON

In recent years, artists in Chicago have received about $1 million dollars a year for projects from the city. 
 
 Those come from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, also known as DCASE.
 
 But COVID relief dollars are dwindling and a second Donald Trump presidency is about to start. 
 
 There are questions nationally, and locally, about how much funding will be available for the arts.
 
 WBEZ arts reporter Courtney Kueppers joined our colleague Clare Lane to break down what’s on the table.
 
 HOST: DIXON

President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to execute mass deportations could start in Chicago.
 
 With only a few days before his inauguration, local advocates are making plans on how to protect immigrants who could be targeted. 
 
 WBEZ’s immigration reporter Adriana Cardona Maguigad spoke with advocates who are working on deportation response plans. 
 HOST: DIXON

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s high-stakes legal gambit to testify in his federal corruption trial is now over.
 
 Generally, criminal defendants are dissuaded from testifying in their own trial, but Madigan defied that conventional legal wisdom.
 
 WBEZ’s Dave McKinney has been at this trial since October, and he joins me to break down Madigan’s four days on the witness stand. 
 HOST: LARA

Many families that have children with disabilities worry about - what they call quote - “the day the bus stops coming.” That’s the day their kids age out of school. 
 
 These families face many barriers … as they figure out how to help their young adults find work and be productive in the next phase of their lives.
 
 WBEZ ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang has their story. 
 HOST: DIXON

If you were wondering who was that vocalist who stunned Bulls fans by singing the national anthem on Derrick Rose night? that was Chicago Rnb singer Khaliyah X. 
 
 The artist released her debut album in 2024, earning local praise. 
 
 She joined WBEZ sister station Vocalo and producer Morgan Ciocca in studio for the latest installment of our Getting Dressed series. HOST: DIXON

Members of the public have submitted nearly 5,000 designs to the state flag commission…
 
 ranging from stars and stripes, to Abraham Lincoln shooting lasers out of his eyes. 
 
 The commission – made up of 21 artists, educators, historians and Illinois fans – has whittled the pool down to their top *10* picks. 
 
 WBEZ’s Mawa Iqbal sat down with commissioner Will Stephens to learn more. 
 
 HOST: DIXON

There's been a lot of talk about steel production over the past week with President Biden blocking the purchase of US steel by a Japanese company.
 
 Steel making has always been the bread and butter industry in Northwest Indiana.
 
 It's what attracted thousands of immigrants to the city of East Chicago.
 
 A new book details the city's rough and tumble history and what made it a beacon for those coming near and far, by Joseph S. Pete. HOST: PUENTE

The founder of the Young Lords Organization died last week (FRI).
 
 José “Cha Cha” Jiménez led the street gang turned political organization in the 1960s and 70s when it fought displacement of Chicago's Puerto Rican community in Lincoln Park. 
 
 Jiménez and the Young Lords also joined with the Black Panther Party and Young Patriots to form the first Rainbow Coalition.
 
 Jiménez talked to WBEZ's Jerome McDonnell in 20-18 about how his time in jail inspired him to move the Young Lords in a political direction.
 
 Here's an edited version of that conversation.
 HOST: DIXON