WBEZ News

This year’s festival includes performances by Kendrick Lamar, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lana Del Ray, and K-pop sensation TXT. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Chicago Public Schools faced a wave of criticism after removing a principal from one of its top rated schools last spring. The principal and his supporters charge the action was unfair and left his reputation in tatters. They say it’s part of a pattern of removing Black principals. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Sarah Karp

In the weeks after a massive rainstorm at the start of July, WBEZ has found that Chicagoans filed a record number of basement flooding reports with the city’s 3-1-1 service. Thousands of Chicagoans were left with flooded basements, waterlogged furniture and mounting costs for repairs. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Amy Qin

You can’t beat an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day. But if you’re drinking on a rooftop, in a bar, or at the ballpark, that brew is going to cost a pretty penny this summer. Because beer is the latest casualty of inflation. And it’s hitting beer drinkers in the wallet. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Michael Gerstein

Host: Araceli Gomez-Aldana; Reporter: Cheryl Rae Stout

From Albany Park to Pilsen, Chicago street vendors have faced challenges for years around licensing and public health requirements. But now with a new mayor and City Council, these small business owners who push carts with food and wares hope they’ll get some more help. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

A math teacher on Chicago’s West Side is keeping young people engaged this summer with an internship program that she went through herself in middle school. Jadah Dowdy was one of the first-ever student interns at the LEARN network of charter schools. And now, 13 years later, she’s running the program and working to expand it. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

This week, we’ve been exploring the many answers to the question “what is the meaning of home?” And for Marco Lopez, home meant being on the move… packing up his life into a box and going. But now that he has a family of his own, he’s ready to put down roots. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cynthia Salgado

The laws that regulate zoning and land use in Chicago can drive impactful change for both businesses and residents. Yet the average person has little knowledge of what those laws are or how they work. The Metropolitan Planning Council is leading a new community informed project to assess Chicago’s zoning practices. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious college admissions policies is causing ripple effects right here in Illinois. Earlier this month, Western Illinois University said it was ending a scholarship for incoming students of color in order to comply with the ruling. Then, just as quickly, Western this week reversed itself and reinstated the scholarship. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter; Lisa Philip

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious college admissions policies is causing ripple effects right here in Illinois. Earlier this month, Western Illinois University said it was ending a scholarship for incoming students of color in order to comply with the ruling. Then, just as quickly, Western this week reversed itself and reinstated the scholarship. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter; Lisa Philip

Lola Wang is a queer Asian immigrant therapist and founder of Fig Tree Therapy in Chicago. Since immigrating to the U-S from China in 2014, she’s been focused on building a sense of belonging for herself, as well as others in the city’s queer immigrant community. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nidhi Shastri

Allegations of sexualized hazing among student athletes at Northwestern University have been the main story during Big Ten Media Days. The series started Wednesday just 16 days after longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cheryl Rae Stout

The Chicago Public Library did away with its kids museum passport, and replaced it with a digital passport program instead. Some say this move will give more people access to cultural institutions around the city. Others say it’s a net loss for big families. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter: Adora Namigadde

Each of us has a different way to answer the question “what is the meaning of home?” For Austin Cantú, he and his family have called Waukegan home for a long time. But it wasn’t until he reclaimed an abandoned arts park in the north suburb as a way to connect to his father’s roots that he finally felt deeply invested in his community. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Andrea Flores

A South Side church service Tuesday celebrated the life of Renault Robinson. He’s a former Chicago cop who organized against police racism in the ’60s and ’70s. He also sued successfully to force CPD to hire more minority and female officers. In the ’80s, under Mayor Harold Washington, Robinson had a stormy tenure as head of the Chicago Housing Authority. He died this month at age 80. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Today President Joe Biden signed a proclamation to create the new Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, encompassing one site in Chicago and two in Mississippi. On what would have been Till’s 82nd birthday, Alan Spears with the National Parks Conservation Association joined WBEZ to explain the significance of the monument. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Lauren Frost

This week we’re exploring the question “what is the meaning of home.” And for some, like Heather Clark, home means independence when navigating the world as a person living with motor disabilities. Clark recently had renovations done on her home in north suburban Zion, where the space can now accommodate her needs. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Katrina Pham

The answer to “what is the meaning of home” isn’t the same for all of us. This week we’re hearing from people from different walks of life with their thoughts about that question. Host: Clare Lane

Stories about the terrible state of Illinois prison buildings have been trickling out for years. But a new assessment reveals the situation might be even worse than previously thought - with billions of dollars of necessary repairs left undone. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Shannon Heffernan

Climate change is severely disrupting the state's $19-billion-dollar per year agriculture industry. But the Illinois Farm Bureau is trying to help. They're hosting meetings with farmers throughout the summer to encourage conservation practices. Host: Melba Lara: Reporter: Jim Meadows

In Illinois, about 8 percent of the population doesn’t speak English very well. And that means, for many immigrant communities in the state and region, language is a barrier to accessing and engaging with their new government. They have a hard time getting basic services, much less participating in civic life. As part of our “Democracy Solutions Project,” WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang takes a look at the challenges and opportunities in improving language access. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Pitchfork Music Festival kicks off Friday, Jul. 21 in Union Park on the near West Side and Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour will bring large crowds and tourist dollars to Soldier Field Saturday and Sunday. Michael Edwards from the Chicago Loop Alliance joins to talk about the economic impact of the summer’s blockbuster events. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

John P. O’Rourke sailed to victory in 1923, only to later be disqualified on a technicality. Today, his descendants are driven to clinch their own win. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost

The Rev. Frederick D. Haynes the Third has taken over as the head of Rainbow PUSH. This is not your run-of-the-mill management transition – The storied civil rights organization was led for more than 50 years by the Rev. Jesse Jackson Senior. Host: Mary Dixon

WBEZ has obtained video showing the interrogation that led to a 15-year-old falsely confessing to a shooting last year. The 43-minute video shows the lead detective using deception and leading questions to steer the teen to incriminate himself. The police jailed the 15-year-old on charges including attempted murder — until his basketball team proved he was 18 miles from the shooting when it took place. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Illinois will be the first state to abolish cash bail following a landmark decision by the Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday. The Pre-trial Fairness portion of the so-called SAFE-T Act will officially go into effect on Sept. 18. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Alex Degman

Chicago public school officials are opening a welcome center for migrant students and their families this week. The center at Roberto Clemente Community Academy on Western Avenue is the first of its kind. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Elvia Malagon

Extreme weather impacts all Chicagoans, but outreach workers say the unhoused are increasingly vulnerable. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Anna Savchenko

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has designated Monday as another Air Pollution Action Day because of smoke from Canadian wildfires. Bad air quality has affected our region repeatedly this summer and it’s one of the many ways the impact of climate change can be felt locally. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost

Reverend Jessee Jackson announced his resignation over the weekend at the annual Rainbow PUSH convention. Jackson founded the civil rights group in 1971. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Natalie Moore

We sent reporters into one community to understand what’s at stake — and found a fabric of everyday Chicagoans helping migrants build a new life. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

This summer, high school graduates across the Chicago area are gearing up for the next step in their lives. Joserik Figueroa-Duran just graduated from Chicago’s Whitney Young High School. After hitting a low point during the pandemic, she discovered a love of flying through an aviation program at Olive Harvey College. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

More than 16 hundred people have been shot this year in Chicago. Increasingly, the city is leaning on anti-violence workers to try and bring that number down. There are hundreds of these workers - many of them former gang members. As part of their job, they step into the middle of intractable gang conflicts to try and prevent further shootings. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Summer in Chicago means big festivals, concerts, and sporting events. And Chicagoans are tapping into rideshares – like Uber or Lyft – to get around town. But lately, some rideshare drivers have been more critical about how much money they actually get from those fares. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tatiana Walk-Morris

Asylum seekers are being moved out of a police station on Chicago’s West Side as multiple officers face allegations of sexual misconduct against migrants there. The city police oversight agency says it’s investigating officers for alleged sexual misconduct at the 10th District Police station, where dozens of migrants have been sleeping. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

College enrollment among Black students in Illinois has declined more than a third in the past decade. Chicago State University President “Z” Scott is on a mission to change that. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Philip

For the last decade, Illinois has paid the private company Wexford Health Sources more than a billion dollars to provide medical care to people in the state’s prisons. During that time, a federal judge determined the state’s medical care in prisons was so poor it violated the US Constitution. Now that Wexford’s contract has expired, experts are worried the state won’t make a change. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Shannon Heffernan

On the longest day of the year, hundreds of people came to downtown Chicago with skateboards, scooters, and roller skates for Go Skate Day 2023. This audio postcard brings you to Grant Skate Park, to hear boarders stick some tricks and muse on what skating means to them. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost

A year has come and gone since a gunman killed seven people and injured dozens more at the Highland Park 4th of July parade. Residents paid tribute to victims' memories on Tuesday as the city strives to move on with mixed emotions. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Michael Puente

This July 4 marks one year since an event that many Highland Park residents never thought they’d witness: a mass shooting in their north shore community. Leading the city through that was Mayor Nancy Rotering – a lifelong resident who wanted to be in local politics, but now finds herself using her voice to help a national movement. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Alex Degman

It rained, rained and rained some more through most of Sunday but it wasn’t enough to spoil Ramero Jaris’ experience in Chicago. The Miami resident says all in all, NASCAR’s street race around Grant Park was a resounding success. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Michael Puente

The first-ever Grant Park 220 NASCAR street race is scheduled for this afternoon in downtown Chicago. The race is the capstone event of a weekend of racing festivities in and around Grant Park. WBEZ’s Michael Puente has been down at the event this weekend - and he’ll be at the race later today. Host: Araceli Gomez-Aldana; Reporter: Michael Puente

Jon Siskel’s 20-minute documentary features 13 people reflecting on the parade where gunfire erupted on July 4, 2022 and the Highland Park community. Host: Araceli Gomez-Aldana

The founder of National Soul Food Month happens to live in Chicago, so we sent producer Cianna Greaves to the Chatham neighborhood for a recipe and a culinary lesson for every family. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

When a lot of people think of abortion care, they think of a Planned Parenthood clinic. But many pregnant people need to get abortions in a hospital because their medical conditions put them at high risk. And as states ban or heavily restrict abortion — even if they have exceptions to save the life of the mother — hospitals they are turning high-risk patients away. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Kristen Schorsch

Professor Anthony Chen expects schools to explore using proxies for race after Thursday’s ruling striking down race-conscious admissions policies. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Philip

Evictions are back on the rise in Cook County as many pandemic-era protections for tenants have expired. Last month, the number reached a four-year high when over 800 people were evicted from their homes. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Amy Qin

Illinois’ foray into the world of legal recreational cannabis is still slow and bumpy. The people trying to enter into it have been clamoring for changes, including ways to make it easier to get started and also ensure they don’t run out of capital before they open their doors. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Alex Degman

Downtown Chicago is well on its way to welcoming some of the quote- “biggest names in racing” for the 100-lap NASCAR event this weekend. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel