WBEZ News

A breakdown in the financial aid process means students are making one of the biggest purchases of their lives without knowing how much it will cost. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Melba Lara

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is restoring more than one-thousand acres of land in the southwest suburbs. 
 
 This is the biggest ecological restoration project ever for the forest preserves. 
 
 WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch recently took a walk in the woods to see what this transformation could look like. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Illinois lawmakers passed landmark regulation five years ago to clean up the state’s coal ash pollution. 
 
 But several years later…advocates are still waiting for the first clean-up permits to be issued. 
 
 WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has the story. 
 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office estimates the drugs — which include Wegovy, Mounjaro and Ozempic — will cost taxpayers $210 million the first year. But others put that number much higher. Reporter: Dave McKinney; Host: Melba Lara

Residents who live in the West Side neighborhood where 26-year-old Dexter Reed was killed by police in March are still reeling from the trauma of that day. 
 
 Reed was fatally shot in a confrontation with Chicago police during a traffic stop for a seatbelt violation. Earlier this month, Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability released police body-cam video of the shooting.
 
 The surrounding area has the highest rate of traffic stops for low-level violations in the city. 
 
 And while not all traffic stops end in violence, the virality of footage of Reed’s death has retraumatized many who have had their own tense interactions with police. 
 
 Josh McGhee covers criminal justice and mental health for MindSite News, a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital journalism organization. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

The 2024 elections are just a few months away. 
 
 However, a task force of state officials and voter rights advocates is already thinking about how Illinoisans will vote in the 20-28 presidential primaries. 
 
 One option on the table is Ranked choice voting. 
 
 WBEZ statehouse reporter Mawa Iqbal joins Mary Dixon now to discuss how ranked-choice voting could shape future Illinois elections.

At Monday’s funeral for Chicago police officer Luis Huesca, family, friends and fellow officers painted a picture of a man who was a great cop … and a lot more.
 
 Huesca was remembered as a world traveler. A musician. And a supportive friend always willing to help others.
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente has more. Host: Mary Dixon

Hundreds of University of Chicago students set up an encampment in the Main Quadrangle on Monday, joining groups on over 100 university campuses nationwide in support of Palestinians. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Melba Lara

One of Chicago’s Park Community Churches in the Uptown neighborhood has been a lifeline for migrants and asylum seekers.
 
 As families seek to live a normal life, couples want to get married. 
 
 But getting married in Venezuela is expensive and cumbersome with paperwork. 
 
 So the church held a wedding for 15 couples on Friday.
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad attended and has this audio postcard. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Ghian Foreman – the longest serving member of the Chicago Police Board – has left the agency.
 
 Foreman served on the police oversight commission for 14 years - much of that time as the president.
 
 He was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley.
 
 He’s departing with the future of the agency in doubt – after a judge’s ruling that officers facing termination and year-plus suspensions have the right to bypass the public board and have their cases decided through arbitration. 
 
 Foreman joins Mary Dixon now to talk about that and what he’s seen in his many years on the board.

A year ago the humanitarian crisis with migrants in Chicago was chaotic.
 
 Families were housed at police stations. People slept on the floor, didn’t have access to showers. Others camped outside.
 
 During that chaos, a new phase in efforts to help migrants emerged when thousands of volunteers formed a mutual aid network to respond to the needs of asylum seekers.
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad spoke with volunteers and has this story.

He was shot and killed outside his home early Sunday morning while returning from work. 
 
 At his funeral Monday - Huesca’s family will be getting support from the mother of another slain officer.
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente reports. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

The Chicago Bears are about to pick a new face for the organization when the NFL draft kicks off Thursday.
 But on Wednesday, they weren’t talking about their number one draft pick. Instead – the team revealed an ambitious plan to build a new stadium on Chicago’s lakefront near their current home of Soldier Field.
 
 But the proposal relies on public money – and comes with many questions about how they will gain support from public officials and lakefront advocates.
 
 WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg attended today’s Bears’ announcement a few hours ago and is here now to talk about what the team wants to do and how they plan to do it.
 Host: Melba Lara

The Chicago theater scene is brutal for actors. 
 
 It can be even more challenging for non-Equity actors or actors who are outside the union. 
 
 In the latest episode of WBEZ’s The Rundown podcast, our Arts and Culture reporter Mike Davis spoke with host Erin Allen about how non-Equity theater actors hustle to make ends meet. 
 
 Host: Mary Dixon

The Chicago Transit Authority’s apprenticeship program called “Second Chance” aims to help people with criminal records and other barriers to employment.
 
 But a new investigation from the Chicago Sun-Times finds that the CTA has hired a small percentage of its apprentices into full-time jobs with benefits.
 
 And some apprentices believe the CTA took advantage of them.
 
 Host: Labuz ; Reporters: Lauren FitzPatrick, Frank Main.

Chicago has long been an innovator in comedy. A new exhibition at the Newberry Library shines a light on a venue you may not know. A Night At Mister Kelly’s takes visitors back to the heyday of Rush Street and the rise of modern stand-up comedy. Contributor Andrew Meriwether has the story. Host: Mary Dixon

The new WNBA season gets underway in two weeks. 
 
 The Chicago Sky will start their 2024 campaign with new faces in the front office and on the court… including N-C-double-A superstars Angel Reese and Kamila Cardoso.
 
 But will their rebuilding efforts be enough to help the Sky rebound after a disappointing 2023 season? 
 
 Reporter: Cheryl Rae Stout; Host: Lisa Labuz, Mary Dixon
 Host: Mary Dixon

For years a Northwestern University psychologist researched how people see their own prejudices toward different social groups.
 
 Now she has a new study out that shows what happens when white parents talk to their school-aged children about anti-Black racism.
 
 WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang takes us to her lab. Host: Mary Dixon

It’s been less than a week since a mass shooting killed a 9 year old girl in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood.
 
 Community groups are trying to help the neighborhood heal. 
 
 But residents are shaken. 
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente takes us there. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

There’s no trace of neurotic George Costanza in Sammy Campo, the sleazy lawyer who Jason Alexander brings to the stage this month at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
 
 Alexander stars in Judgment Day, a world premiere comedy from first-time playwright Rob Ulin, about an attorney who is motivated to shape up after a near-death experience reveals he’s not headed for heaven. He co-stars with Daniel Breaker of Hamilton acclaim. 
 
 WBEZ caught up with Alexander and Breaker for an interview at the theater before a recent rehearsal. 
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Courtney Kueppers

Cook County has about $20 million dollars that suburbs can apply for to help migrants.
 
 But of all the suburbs in the county – only two have applied for that cash. 
 
 WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch explores why suburbs are leaving so much money on the table … and what that means for migrants.
 Host: Mary Dixon

The U-S Supreme Court will hear arguments about a bribery case that could have big ramifications for some high-profile corruption cases in Chicago.
 
 It involves a former Northwest Indiana mayor convicted of taking an illegal payment from a city contractor.
 
 WBEZ’s Dave McKinney breaks down the possible legal impact on bribery cases against one-time Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and executives.
 Host: Mary Dixon

Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability released a video earlier this week of the fatal police shooting of Dexter Reed Junior. 
 
 The bodycam footage from last month shows five officers swarming Reed’s SUV in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. 
 
 Officials with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability say Reed fired at the officers first. But the bodycam video doesn’t clearly show that. 
 
 Four officers fired 96 shots in 41 seconds. 
 
 And just to caution listeners, we’re going to hear some of that video now and it does include gunshots.
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Alden Loury, Cianna Greaves

Oak Park is home to a state go-kart racing champion… And he’s ten years old.
 
 Fourth grader Pierce Joy rose to the top of the Illinois junior league run by K-1 Speed this year.
 
 Now Pierce and two other kid drivers from Illinois… are headed to the national championship.
 
 To learn more, WBEZ’s Lauren Frost made a pit stop at the K-1 Speed tracks in west suburban Addison. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

The Midwest’s largest art event of the year opens today at Navy Pier. 
 
 Hundreds of gallerists from around the world will be at EXPO Chicago. So will a prominent list of artists, collectors and even… museum curators. 
 
 EXPO Chicago runs through Sunday. WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers is here to tell us more about what to expect. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

50 years ago a groundbreaking sitcom debuted on television.
 
 “Good Times” featured a Black family keeping their heads above water in Chicago.
 
 They lived in the Cabrini-Green public housing development.
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente has a story that reflects on the show’s legacy. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Chicago was at the center of the Black hair care industry for decades, with several key brands built here. 
 
 Now, Black women are flocking to Chicago to sue those companies, saying the chemicals in the products used to straighten their hair left them sick.
 
 Recent studies have found frequent users of relaxers have a higher risk of getting certain kinds of cancers. 
 
 Sun-Times reporter Andy Grimm and WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore have been reporting about the lawsuits and the women impacted. 
 
 Joining us to share what they’ve learned is Andy Grimm.
 Host: Mary Dixon

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has tapped Finnish conductor Klaus Makela to be its next music director. 
 
 Makela, who is just 28, will officially take up the baton in September 20-27. 
 
 But he’s here this weekend for a series of concerts… and WBEZ’s art and culture reporter Courtney Kueppers caught up with the young maestro before the shows.
 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Black women in America have turned to hair relaxers to chemically straighten their hair since the early 1900s.
 
 Those chemicals are under scrutiny after decades of concern.
 
 Several scientific studies in recent years have found frequent users of those products have a higher risk of getting certain kinds of cancers. 
 
 Now some of those companies are being sued in state court and federal court right here in Chicago. 
 
 WBEZ’s Natalie Moore explains the significance of these lawsuits – and how Black women are responding.
 Host: Mary Dixon

The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and the Center for Neighborhood Technology counted trucks for freight electrification. Reporter: Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco; Host: Melba Lara

Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.” Reporter: Jon Seidel

Housing advocates in Chicago’s Logan Square are fighting to keep the rapidly developing neighborhood affordable, familiar and resilient to climate change. 
 
 To do it, longtime residents are calling for affordable housing near transit stops. 
 
 WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has the story
 Host: Mary Dixon

Baseball is BACK.
 
 The Chicago Cubs and White Sox both start regular season play today.
 Each team ended last year on a disappointing note.
 Host: Mary Dixon

More Chicagoans reported not having adequate heat this January than any other month in the last five years. 
 
 Almost half of the complaints were made during January’s cold snap when temperatures were below 3 degrees for 3 consecutive days. 
 
 Chicago Sun-Times Reporter Violet Miller and WBEZ’s Jessica Alvarado Gamez have documented this increase and join us today to discuss who was affected.

This kicks off the first election season for school board candidates in Chicago.
 
 WBEZ’s Sarah Karp looks at the challenges ahead as the city gets ready for this monumental change. Host: Mary Dixon

The city of Chicago has learned lessons and brought on new caterers to feed South American migrants in temporary shelters. Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad; Host: Mary Dixon

Like a lot of students, Isabelle Dizon was looking for mental health support. Her college promised to help but never came through. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Mary Dixon

Chicago voter turnout was at or near historic lows, likely a signal of either displeasure with the candidates or recognition that the party nominees were pre-determined. Reporter: Dave McKinney; Host: Mary Dixon

Eileen O’Neill Burke, who stepped down from a seat on the appellate court to run for state’s attorney, took an early lead against her opponent Clayton Harris III. Reporter: Chip Mitchell; Host: Clare Lane

Dozens of adults were expected to be evicted Sunday, amid an outbreak of measles, but just three were. They will be able to reapply for shelter at the city’s designated ‘landing zone.’ Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad; Host: Mary Dixon

In more than a dozen interviews about Preckwinkle, allies and rivals describe a “masterful” politician and how she’s held onto power. Reporter: Kristen Schorsch; Host: Mary Dixon

The ex-judge’s top 25 individual donors include no African Americans and no women, a WBEZ analysis of her Illinois campaign filings finds. Reporter: Chip Mitchell; Host: Melba Lara

Whether from Europe, the South or Mexico, Chicago has seen upticks in new arrivals before — not always with open arms. Reporters: Amy Qin and Tessa Weinberg; Host: Clare Lane

Jeremy Allen White on restaurant row. Ayo Edebiri in the burbs. Here’s where the cast and crew have been spotted so far by fans. 
 Host: Mary Dixon, Reporter: Courtney Kueppers

One suburban library wants to help patrons navigate disinformation this upcoming election cycle. Reporter: Adora Namigadde; Host: Melba Lara

There has been a rapid increase of people getting pulled over for traffic violations and being arrested by Chicago Police. 
 
 What’s more: these motorists are being arrested for unlawful use of a weapon charges – even though they’re not using a gun at all.
 
 A WBEZ analysis shows the number has grown by more than 700 percent since 2014.
 
 Critics say they’re people who simply don’t have the proper paperwork when they’re pulled over and the resulting gun charges have a dramatic impact on their lives.
 
 WBEZ’s Jessica Alvarado Gamez has documented this increase and joins us to discuss what’s being done to address it. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Dozens of religious, academic and civil rights groups are opposing the proposed law that passed the state's house and senate. Reporter: Michael Puente; Host: Melba Lara

It’s the holiest month on the Islamic calendar and this year’s observation comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. 
 
 The holy month includes dawn to dusk fasting and calls for Muslims to build stronger relationships with Allah.
 WBEZ’s Adora Namigadde spoke with a few Muslim men at a mosque in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood about their preparations for the month.

The new Wind Creek Chicago Southland is opening just miles from a casino in Gary, Ind., and casino revenue is down in Illinois. Reporter: Michael Puente; Host: Melba Lara

The epic movie Oppenheimer is up for thirteen Oscars on Sunday. 
 Hollywood’s take on the nuclear arms race has some key connections to the University of Chicago. 
 WBEZ contributor Robert Loerzel takes us on a walk through the Hyde Park campus to find out more. 
 Host: Mary Dixon