WBEZ News

Five University of Chicago students are in limbo because they took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. 
 
 College officials have put their degrees on hold.
 
 Some faculty say the decision raises questions about the university’s commitment to free speech. 
 
 W-B-E-Z’s Lisa Kurian Philip reports.

If prosecutors have it their way — ex-Chicago alderman Ed Burke would spend 10 years in federal prison.
 
 That would amount to one of the harshest public corruption sentences handed down in the city’s federal court in the last decade.
 
 Burke’s defense team is asking the judge for NO prison time for their client. 
 
 WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel joins us now for more of what’s to come for the longest serving alderman in Chicago history.

Jessie Montgomery is a leading voice of a new generation of classical composers. 
 
 She’s finishing up a prominent residency at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
 
 Her time at CSO will wrap after a series of concerts this weekend. But she’s not leaving Chicago. 
 
 WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers sat down with Montgomery after a rehearsal at Symphony Center.

You can drive from one end of Chicago to the other and never see or even hear a cicada. 
 
 But in certain pockets of the city where nature has persisted, they are loud and present. 
 
 WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco spoke with residents on the far south side and far north side of the city to see how they’re coping with the overwhelming numbers of flying, red-eyed insects.
 Host: Mary Dixon

Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy will headline the city’s Blues Festival on Sunday. Guy’s set is an opportunity for audiences to see the blues great in the city that made him. WBEZ contributor Robert Loerzel has more. Host: Mary Dixon

The City of Evanston has a new flag, thanks to 7-year-old Bernie Allen-Harrah. 
 
 The rising second design was chosen as the winner of the Mayor’s Youth Flag Redesign Contest. 
 
 The competition was open to Evanston K-12 students. Finalists worked with professional designers who volunteered to help the contestants polish their creations. 
 
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Illinois lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session last month once again without passing Karina's bill - or even calling it for a full vote.
 
 The measure would require judges to order the confiscation of guns from people who have emergency restraining orders against them. 
 
 The bill had bipartisan support, and advocates for domestic violence survivors say it would save lives. 
 
 So why is this popular, uncontroversial bill still stuck in committee?
 
 WBEZ’s Mawa Iqbal tried to get some answers.

Saturday saw the much anticipated match up between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever. 
 
 The game featured three of the WNBA’s top rookies: 
 
 The Sky’s Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso against the Fever’s Catlin Clark. 
 
 In this match down in Indy, the Fever won by one point … 71 to 70. 
 
 Clark – who finished with 11 points – talks about an aggressive shove by the Sky’s Chennedy Carter.

In the crucial hours after a shooting at a Pilsen high school… Chicago Public Schools staff slowed down the police investigation.
 
 That’s according to new reporting by the Illinois Answers Project, from the Better Government Association.
 
 Investigative reporter Peter Nickeas interviewed sources and reviewed thousands of pages of emails and other documents.

Getting your driver’s license…going to prom … your first kiss.
 
 Now, for many teenagers in Chicago, you can add one more rite of passage to the high school experience: the launch of your very own streetwear brand.
 
 Most of the young people jumping on the trend are boys…motivated by a desire for money, fame or a way to express themselves.
 
 WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko picks up this story starting in the Roscoe Village neighborhood. Host: Mary Dixon

An election more than 7,000 miles away is impacting how Hindus in Chicago engage with their faith.
 
 WBEZ’s Adora Namigadde spoke with local Hindus who are grappling with how the leading candidate in India is representing their faith on the world stage.

Many migrants in Chicago are getting married, having babies, joining churches and sending their children to local schools. 
 
 But that’s not the end of THEIR journey. 
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad takes us to two neighborhoods where newly arrived asylum seekers are adapting. Host: Mary Dixon

Joshua Allen has written for Empire on FOX, The Morning Show on Apple TV, and From Scratch on Netflix. 
 
 He has taken a short break from Hollywood to return to Chicago – as a playwright. 
 
 WBEZ’s Mike Davis has the story.
 Host: Mary Dixon

The Illinois state legislature wrapped its Spring Session before most alarm clocks rang this morning (WED)... after hours of back-and-forth theatrics.
 
 WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman joins me now to break down what made the cut in the new state budget. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

It's a big day for Chicago foodies: Today is National Italian Beef Day. Reporter: Lauren Frost

Experts at the Field Museum say it's likely to stay that way. Reporter: Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco; Host: Melba Lara

FINOM — the experimental indie band from musicians Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart — has a new album out today. 
 
 ‘Not God,’ is the Chicago duo’s first album under their new name. 
 
 Over the last decade, Cunningham and Stewart have carved a unique creative path across Chicago’s sonic landscape. 
 
 Sima and Macie join me now to talk a little bit about that journey and their new music. Host: Mary Dixon

President Michael Schill is one of three university leaders to face harsh questions and criticism from House Republicans today. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Melba Lara

Singer-songwriter Andrew Bird spent most of his twenties hanging out at the Green Mill, the legendary jazz club in Uptown. 
 
 Now, the indie rocker is putting his own spin on classic jazz standards. 
 
 His latest album, Sunday Morning Put-On, features veteran improvisers like guitarist Jeff Parker and pianist Larry Goldings. 
 
 Bird walked WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar through the creative process behind a few tracks. 
 Host: Mary Dixon

Greyhound could be evicted from its West Loop Chicago terminal come October. Transportation advocates are slamming the city for not stepping in with a solution. Half a million passengers pass through the station yearly. Flixbus, the company that owns Greyhound, says bus services aren’t ending. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco visited the terminal to talk to riders about why Greyound is important to them. :

Two experts from the regional EPA office join WBEZ to tell us what we can expect. Reporter: Lauren Frost; Host: Melba Lara

Northwestern University has come under fire from multiple directions.
 
 Northwestern President Michael Schill will face a Congressional committee next week for his part in it. 
 
 But the people who brokered the deal think it should be a model for resolving conflict on campus without calling in the cops.
 
 WBEZ's Lisa Kurian Philip reports. Host: Lisa Labuz

A North Side Chicago woman was one of the first advocates to help migrants when they were sent to police stations. 
 
 She's an immigrant herself, living here on a religious visa. 
 
 Due to backlogs with the federal office that oversees immigration, she and her husband are having a hard time finding a path to stay in the United States legally. 
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad has her story. Host: Lisa Labuz

After confusion in the Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney race, city and county election officials look to report joint vote totals. Reporter: Noah Jennings; Host: Mary Dixon

From endorsing a new Bears’ stadium to revoking the subminimum wage, Johnson’s critics and allies examine where he and the city are going. Reporters: Fran Spielman, Mariah Woelfel, Tessa Weinberg; Host: Mary Dixon

As a musician, sound engineer and provocateur, Steve Albini was a dominant force across Chicago’s musical landscape for more than 40 years.
 
 He died of a heart attack late Tuesday at 61.
 Host: Mary Dixon

The abrupt closings of 17 Foxtrot and Dom’s stores in Chicago late last month are still reverberating. 
 
 It’s not just employees who were caught off guard with layoffs. 
 
 Dozens of Chicago-area vendors – from cold brew to snacks – are now trying to find new and creative ways to sustain their businesses. 
 
 WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang has their story.
 Host: Mary Dixon

This time of year, millions of birds cross Illinois each night on their spring migration north. Many will hit the windows of Chicago's skyline. Reporter: Lauren Frost; Host: Melba Lara

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

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

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.

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