WBEZ News

Some people locked up in prison in Illinois say personal appearance takes on a whole new significance behind bars. It’s one thing they can control.
 
 But in a prison… beauty and hygiene products can be expensive and hard to come by.
 
 Still, women in state custody have learned to reclaim their beauty.
 HOST: PUENTE

April 12, 2026 — Prisoncast!

As the U-S and Iran maintain an uneasy ceasefire, there are growing concerns about the Trump administration’s use of religion to justify its actions.
 
 Earlier this week Trump talked about wiping out an entire civilization. 
 
 And yesterday war secretary Pete Hegseth said, “God deserves all the glory.”
 
 That kind of rhetoric has drawn criticism from religious leaders including Pope Leo the 14th, and Cardinal Blase Cupich, head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
 
 He spoke to WBEZ’s Michael Puente earlier today. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Starting this month (APRIL), the Chicago area will see a wave of events in honor of America’s 250th birthday. 
 
 Last year, the National Endowment for the Arts pledged millions of dollars in federal funding to projects tied to the milestone. 
 
 This came after a Trump-directed shakeup at the N-E-A caused the agency to shift focus to “America 250” programming grants.
 
 Several Illinois arts groups ended up taking the money – what did they do with it?
 
 HOST: LANE

It’s been one blow after another for many migrants in Chicago in the last year—the Trump administration ended programs that allowed them to work and live in the United States legally, and without a steady income finding affordable housing has become even harder. 
 
 And on top of that, these challenges make them particularly vulnerable to scams— and a new state housing law is only making a difficult situation worse.
 HOST: MELBA

A bag can hold a lot more than just your belongings – for some, it holds memories. 
 
 That’s the case for Chicago-based influencer Helena “Yoonie” Kim, who carefully restores vintage Coach bags in social media videos that rack up millions of views. 
 
 The passion for finding and restoring vintage Coach bags goes well beyond Kim. 
 
 It’s an Internet-wide trend. There are dozens of Facebook groups and hundreds of Depop shops bringing together hobbyists who curate their own vintage Coach collections. 
 
 HOST: LANE

The Men’s N-C-A-A basketball tournament has whittled down to four schools…The University of Illinois, UCONN, Michigan, and Arizona. 
 
 Illinois takes on UCONN in the first of 2 national semifinal games

Chicago is known for deep dish pizza, Italian beef, and classic dogs. 
 
 But where in town can you grab the best burger?
 
 WBEZ food contributor Maggie Hennessy has a new book called “The Burger Bible”. 
 
 She writes about 80 of the world’s best burgers, including a few in Chicago. 
 
 HOST: LANE

A Northwestern University psychology professor is recruiting transgender youth and their parents for a study. He says he’s aiming to find out “how gender dysphoric youth live their lives.”
 
 But parents of and advocates are warning against participating in the survey, saying the professor has an agenda and could harm the trans community.
 HOST: MELBA

In just a couple of years, Macquline King has gone from being an elementary school principal in Chicago Public Schools to interim CEO.
 
 Now she has the permanent position. 
 
 HOST: LANE

Navy Pier has unveiled a new symbolic sign marking the start of Route 66.
 
 HOST: PUENTE

H-I-V infection rates in Chicago are rising after declining for about two decades.
 
 Infections went up by 29% between 20-22 and 20-24, with about half of those cases affecting Latinos.
 
 It comes as federal funding for H-I-V treatment and prevention for the communities most at risk is under attack.

Anyone who has spent time around Chicago's DIY music scene has likely encountered Charles Joseph Smith. He’s the guy breaking it down on the dance floor and selling his homemade cassettes. 
 
 But in the background, Smith is also a piano prodigy and prolific composer … who is finally getting his due.
 
 HOST: LANE

A Chicago man convicted of laundering cocaine funds remains a major player in Illinois’ state regulated cannabis industry. 
 
 David Berger was found guilty late last year for aiding a Mexican cocaine trafficking ring back in 2021.
 
 But he’s still closely associated with a network of weed dispensaries operating in Chicago and Illinois under the name Ivy Hall. 
 
 HOST: LANE

Founded in 1850, Olivet Baptist Church is one of Chicago’s oldest Black churches.
 
 By 1916, Olivet had become a national model for how a church could serve Black migrants coming North during the Great Migration.
 
 The church went beyond spirituality and supported their everyday needs for survival.
 
 In part two of WBEZ’s Faith in Action series, Nicole Jeanine Johnson shares the story of Olivet’s legacy and its quest to reclaim its role as a community minded church. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Alt-rock band “The Academy Is..” is back with new music after nearly 20 years. 
 
 The Barrington natives returned to the scene with an ode to Chicago… a single titled “L Train” 
 
 HOST: LANE

We heard from Chicago-raised flutist Emma Gerstein in 20-24 after the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s European tour.
 
 But this year…Gerstein is touring with extra cargo. She recently gave birth to her second son.
 
 She filed this audio diary from the road to fill us in on what it’s like to perform at classical music’s highest level – with a 10-month-old baby in tow. 
 
 HOST: LANE

A Chicago charter school network found itself in such bad financial straits that it’s being forced to close the doors of its two high schools, for good.
 
 That sent some 570 students searching for a new school with less than three months in the year. 
 
 It is an unprecedented situation not just for the students, but also for the schools charged with taking them in.
 
 HOST: LANE

A growing number of *food delivery robots* are driving around Chicago’s north and west sides.
 
 Can Chicagoans and bots share the sidewalk?
 
 HOST: LANE

One of the more unusual pieces of theater on stage so far this year is White Rooster, by Lookingglass ensemble member Matthew Yee. 
 
 HOST: LANE

It’s March Madness time. 
 
 If you’re a college basketball aficionado, have you locked in your NCAA tournament picks?
 
 Well, brackets close today… so we’re bringing you some last minute tips to help you out.
 
 HOST: LANE

It’s a list that includes Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Governor J-B Pritzker to name a few.
 HOST: MELBA

A Chicago dancer is summoning a witchy force in her original solo performance, which she will soon take international.
 
 HOST: LANE

In Cook County, circuit judges have the power to make decisions about things like who goes to prison, holds a driver’s license, or keeps their kids. And they’re elected for long terms — 6 years. This year, there are fewer judicial candidates running overall, either countywide or in a subcircuit. Most races are uncontested. But on Chicago’s South Side, there’s an unusually crowded field for 2 open seats.
 
 What could that mean for voters there?
 HOST: MELBA

Older adults in the Chicago area are at risk this spring of losing food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP. 
 
 It comes after President Donald Trump’s 20-25 sweeping tax overhaul expanded work requirements for the program to include 55- to 64-year-olds.
 
 A new WBEZ analysis finds a significant number of Chicagoans in this age group could be affected.
 
 Here to break it down for us is Sun-Times reporter Elvia Malagon. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Toni Preckwinkle is running in the Democratic primary for a fifth term as Cook County Board president.
 
 She’s had the job for 16 years and also is head of the powerful Cook County Democratic Party.
 
 But she’s getting some stiff competition from Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly. 
 
 HOST: LANCE

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events and driving habitat loss across the country. 
 
 Now, a group of regional scientists want to produce more native seeds to replace what’s being destroyed. 
 
 WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco visited Chicago Botanic Garden’s seed bank to get the story. 
 
 HOST: LARA

The Tony-award winning musical “Hamilton” is back on stage in Chicago after pulling out of a slate of performances at the Kennedy Center.
 
 With all that’s happening in the world now, we wanted to know what fans thought of the story of America’s birth. 
 
 HOST: LANE

Reporter Araceli Gomez-Aldana with voting info ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections. 
 
 It’s important to know your rights and what security will look like at in-person polling places. 
 
 HOST: LANE

First elected in 20-16…Susana Mendoza has been Illinois’ comptroller for nearly a decade. 
 
 Now…she’s stepping aside. And four Democrats are vying for the seat. 
 HOST: MELBA

In West Garfield Park on Chicago’s West Side, residents have the lowest life expectancy in the entire city.
 
 They’re expected to live on average until they’re 67 years old in this mostly Black low-income neighborhood… compared to 87 in the Loop. 
 
 But there is a homegrown solution to help people live longer … a network of community gardens.
 HOST: MELBA

The Trump administration deported hundreds of people from the Chicago area last fall.
 
 We’ve heard a lot about their arrests, but rarely how they try to rebuild their lives after the trauma of being sent back. 
 
 One of them is a beloved Southwest Side neighbor who lived in Chicago for decades and was removed after being labeled a gang member. Like most people arrested, he did not have a criminal record, despite claims by the government.
 HOST: MELBA

The Trump administration deported hundreds of people from the Chicago area last fall.
 
 We’ve heard a lot about their arrests, but rarely how they try to rebuild their lives after the trauma of being sent back. 
 
 One of them is a beloved Southwest Side neighbor who lived in Chicago for decades and was removed after being labeled a gang member. Like most people arrested, he did not have a criminal record, despite claims by the government.
 HOST: MELBA

Fifteen-term Congressman Danny Davis is retiring.
 
 13 Democrats are competing to replace him.
 
 Like Davis, several have roots on the West Side.
 HOST: MELBA

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi is running for reelection.
 
 He faces Lyons Township Assessor Pat Hynes in next week’s Democratic primary.
 
 HOST: LANE

After a private service at Rainbow PUSH headquarters, Jackson will be buried at Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery. 
 HOST: PUENTE

Being a Cook County Board of Review commissioner usually is a low-profile job.
 
 But commissioners have enormous power – they can lower your property taxes.
 
 And in recent years, there’s been plenty of attention on the tax-appeals board … thanks to rising tax bills … the Bears stadium drama … and a drunk-driving arrest.
 
 WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos reports on the re-election battles involving two Board of Review commissioners.
 
 HOST: LARA

Catholicism remains the religion most Latinos in the U.S. identify with. 
 
 But there’s been a steady decline over the last decade. 
 
 Some who have left have turned to Islam. 
 
 Now – there’s a new place for them to practice their faith even as events here at home and in the Middle East present challenges. 
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente reports. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Protesters arrested during the Trump Administration’s deportation campaign last fall are beating the charges in court. 
 
 Cases against 17 of 32 known defendants have already collapsed. 
 
 But even when charges are dropped, failed prosecutions take a toll on those arrested.
 
 HOST: LANE

Today [FRI], dignitaries and celebrities will gather on the city’s South Side to celebrate the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson.
 
 A legacy that includes Operation Breadbasket, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and two presidential campaigns. 
 
 But before any of that, Jackson was just a kid from Greenville, South Carolina.
 
 HOST: LANE

For most of the last 80 years, two people have represented a large chunk of Illinois’ 9th congressional district.
 
 First, it was Sidney Yates – who served nearly a half century.
 
 Then, Jan Schakowsky took office in 1999 and she’s been there since – but this is her last term.
 
 It’s the first time in generations that so many people have fought for this seat.
 
 WBEZ’s Alex Degman brings us an overview of the race.
 
 HOST: LARA

Thirty year-old conductor Klaus Mäkelä will soon become the Chicago Symphony’s next music director. 
 
 While working with the orchestra, he’s become a familiar face inside another cultural gem: the Art Institute. 
 
 HOST: LANE

A new report by a court-appointed monitor found the more than 30-thousand people locked up in Illinois prisons are still receiving substandard medical care.
 
 The Illinois Department of Corrections has been under a consent decree to improve health care since 2019.
 HOST: MELBA

For nearly 200 years, the Black church has been a rock for its members in Chicago. 
 
 Through faith, they’ve shielded their fellow man from the harsh realities of racism.
 HOST: MELBA

Last year WBEZ and the Sun Times surveyed 20 top arts, culture, and humanities nonprofits.
 
 We wanted to see what progress they’ve made to diversify their staff and boards. 
 
 This comes after the 20-20 murder of George Floyd sparked a year of activism and reflection.
 
 
 And since our previous reporting, three additional arts organizations have agreed to share their data. 
 
 HOST: LANE

Keshia Golden is facing murder charges for fatally stabbing her boyfriend three years ago. 
 
 She says she did it to save herself and the couple’s unborn child. 
 
 But as her court date looms, so does her fear: will a jury believe that she acted in self-defense?
 
 HOST: LANE