WBEZ News

Chicago Public Schools’ new board president is a 33 year old Chinese American who worked as a teacher and ran a parent advocacy organization.
 Jianan Shi was appointed for a 15-month term. Then, the district will transition to a partially elected board. 
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Government wiretaps are proving pivotal in a string of political corruption trials going through Chicago’s federal courthouse. That happened last week with the perjury and obstruction conviction of Timothy Mapes, a one-time aide to former Illinois House Speaker Madigan. And secret recordings figure to play a prominent role in the upcoming bribery and racketeering trials of former Chicago Alderman Edward Burke and of Madigan himself.
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dave McKinney

There are more than six thousand elderly people behind bars in Illinois.
 
 Many require intensive, round-the-clock medical care. 
 
 It’s care prisons can’t provide … there are reports of sick and elderly patients left sitting in their own waste.
 
 Some have died. 
 
 And even the inadequate care is expensive.
 
 A new law that took effect last year is supposed to relieve some of the strain on the prison system by releasing people who are near death or seriously disabled.
 
 But an investigation by WBEZ and Injustice Watch has found that only about 50 people have been released.
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Shannon Heffernan, Carlos Ballesteros

A federal jury took barely five hours to reach a verdict in the perjury and obstruction of justice trial of an aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
 
 The conviction of Timothy Mapes today represented more dismantling of Madigan’s once-powerful political machine that ran Springfield with an iron fist for decades. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Dave McKinney and Noah Jennings

You can add another music festival to Chicago’s vibrant scene: the one day Pool Party today at the Salt Shed.
 It’s being organized by the leader of the Chicago band Beach Bunny, Lili Trifilio.
 You might know their songs “Cloud Nine” and the TikTok viral “Prom Queen”. Lili Trifilio is here to tell us more about her Pool Party. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mary Dixon, Cianna Greaves

Temperatures are rising again today in Chicago. 
 
 The weather will feel like 115 degrees.
 
 The city is opening more cooling centers but for migrants who are arriving here from Texas and other places, but there’s sometimes no escape from the heat.
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Michael Puente

Chicago Public Schools has welcomed thousands of immigrants from Central and South America over the last year.
 Many started classes for the first time yesterday.
 WBEZ’s Nereida Moreno followed one Venezuelan family living at a city-run shelter on the North Side. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

Today is Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 100th day in office.
 This mayor has placed less emphasis on the marker – instead painting his approach to governance as deliberate and long-term.
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is marking a milestone this week: 100 days in office. 
 He won by running a progressive campaign but has worked to build bridges with former opponents in his quest to be a mayor quote- “for all of Chicago.”
 
 Johnson has taken a slower approach to building out his cabinet and to pursuing legislative goals than previous administrations. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporters: Tessa Weinberg, Mariah Woelfel

As the double strike against Hollywood production companies wears on, actors and writers in the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America have been speaking out about their realities. For the vast majority of these artists, it’s not all about red carpets and hefty paychecks. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Pilot Herb Hunter became the main announcer of the Chicago Air and Water Show back in 1988. He joins WBEZ’s Melba Lara to talk about the impromptu audition that got him the gig, and what he loves about it. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will for the first time welcome hundreds of thousands of students to school on Monday. 
 Johnson’s newly-seated, hand-picked board members have said they want to hit the ground running and transform the school district.
 What does this mean for families and children?Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp, Cianna Greaves

For nearly a year, thousands of migrants have been transported to Chicago by bus from border states like Texas. 
 A lack of adequate housing and services in the city has left these individuals and families susceptible to dangers, including abuse and exploitation. 
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

With expressway construction backing up drivers and post-pandemic troubles plaguing Chicago’s buses and trains, Metra — the region’s commuter rail — is undeniably having a moment. Ridership is cresting, its users are loyal. But even it can’t shake a looming fiscal cliff faced by transit agencies everywhere and the reality that worklife, and commuting habits, are indelibly altered in COVID’s wake. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Courtney Kueppers

Chicago’s City Council is in its 100th year under its 50-ward structure.
 But some alderpersons and good government advocates say there are reforms that are still needed to make it a legislative branch that’s truly independent from the mayor.
 Proposals include everything from altering the council’s structure to creating a constitution for the city.
 Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tessa Weinberg

Dr. Allison Arwady was fired abruptly last week after four years leading the Chicago Department of Public Health. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Some Illinois lawmakers are planning legislation to require a lawyer for all children under police interrogation. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Coming into this school year, Chicago’s mayor and public school leaders say a top priority is to transform the city’s long troubled special education system. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Larry Snelling is CPD’s counterterrorism chief. Johnson selected him from three candidates chosen by a new panel called the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

This college application season, rising high school seniors have a new stressor on the brain: the Supreme Court. That’s because the Justices ruled in June that colleges could no longer consider a students’ race in the admissions process. As universities adjust to this new reality, teens of color around the Chicago area are sorting out what the decision means for them. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Philip

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson has selected the department’s Counterterrorism Chief Larry Snelling to succeed interim Superintendent Fred Waller. Snelling was one of three finalists chosen by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

The Illinois Supreme Court is upholding the state’s ban on assault weapons. The ruling came down Friday, rejecting the argument that the law violates the state constitution. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mawa Iqbal

Bally’s Casino has promised thousands of jobs for Chicago-area residents. Since April, the company has sponsored four months of what they call “dealer school.” All students needed was a high school diploma, and they got free training to be blackjack, roulette and craps dealers. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Summer is nearly over for thousands of students in the Chicago area. WBEZ’s Nereida Moreno stopped by a back-to-school event on Chicago’s Northwest Side to hear what kids are thinking about as the first day approaches. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

For nearly a decade, Bernard Lilly Sr. has shepherded kids from Chicago’s West Side to and through college. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Philip

The most decorated gymnast ever came to the Chicago area this weekend to end a two-year break from competition. Simone Biles not only dominated the meet, she packed the arena with pre-teen gymnasts who recognize her as more than an athletic superstar. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Another insider from the world of former House Speaker Michael Madigan goes on trial Monday. The perjury and obstruction of justice case against former Madigan aide Timothy Mapes is sure to focus on his loyalty to the boss and, possibly, more wiretaps. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dave McKinney

While some hot-sauce hounds are splashing the cash to get their hands on Huy Fong sriracha, WBEZ found some local alternatives. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Chicago Public Media is examining the defining issues facing our democracy and reforms proposed to strengthen it. One of those reforms has been bubbling in Chicago for more than a decade, but has yet to scale up in a way advocates crave. It’s called participatory budgeting – a process that aims to make government spending more transparent by allowing residents to vote on how to spend money in their communities. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

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

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

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

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