WBEZ News

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

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

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

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

A WBEZ review of Chicago Public Schools records shows long delays at some schools between when paint was identified and when it was removed. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

Catholic doulas navigate between religious belief and their commitment to maternal reproductive health, including abortion care. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mawa Iqbal

The “Magic Lobbyist List” included former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s preferred lobbyists. They still represent some big clients. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dave McKinney

Kendi is a National Book Award-winning author and wrote the New York Times bestselling book “How to be an Antiracist.” He is in Chicago this week for the American Library Association’s national conference. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

The need for rental help in Chicago grows with an influx of asylum seekers. But finding landlords and money to help is hard. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Tessa Weinberg

Cash pilots give Chicago area residents $500 a month. Researchers say they are a cushion but not meant to propel households to the middle class. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation unveils child care's impact on job stability in Illinois: 15% of families face employment challenges due to scarce and costly options. Illinois ranks 23rd in economic well-being, 8th in education, 23rd in health, and 26th in family and community. Host: Araceli Gomez-Aldana; Guest: Katelyn Jones

In this case, the defendant was James T. Weiss, a clout-heavy businessman who was convicted of bribing two Illinois lawmakers to promote gambling legislation. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Jon Seidel

Meet Logan and James Garcia, who are taking advantage of the Hope Chicago scholarship program, for all graduates and one parent at five Chicago public high schools. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

Four years ago, Chicago tried an alternative to just closing under-enrolled schools. Is this a path forward as the city’s enrollment continues to drop? Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

A year after Roe v. Wade fell, Illinois Democrat and GOP lawmakers fight for legislation. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mawa Iqbal

Mayor Mayor Brandon Johnson says he opposes closing schools and our investigation shows they didn’t help students or communities. We explore the alternatives. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Associate U.S. Attorney General Vanita Gupta was on Chicago’s West Side Thursday to learn more about violence prevention efforts in the city. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Rob and Vernell’s story is an excerpt from the most recent season of WBEZ’s Motive podcast. The podcast follows anti-violence workers in Chicago over the course of a year.

Asian American college applicants have been cast as victims of affirmative action, often unwillingly, a researcher and activist tells WBEZ. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Phillip

Proposed federal legislation would require cars to have AM radio. It comes as some auto companies plan to phase it out in electric vehicles. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: David Roeder

We find out what happened to schools that absorbed students from the 50 schools that Chicago closed in 2013 as part of an on-going investigation by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

It’s graduation season in Chicago. Over the weekend, families and friends gathered at Malcolm X College on the Near West Side to celebrate a set of unconventional high school grads. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tessa Weinberg

The influx of asylum-seekers is putting additional strain on a system that is under-resourced and unreliable, WBEZ analysis shows. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Anna Savchenko, Amy Qin and Cianna Greaves

Asylum-seekers dwell in 10 temporary shelters operated by the city of Chicago. Half the shelters are in higher-income neighborhoods. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Indira Khera

Over 50 were shot this past holiday weekend in Chicago according to police. That's about the city's average for Memorial Day weekend. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost