WBEZ News

The Jackson family dynasty is likely to return to the U.S. Congress. The son of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. beat 16 other Democrats. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Three different mega-donors are spending tens of millions of dollars to try to influence the outcome of the Republican primary for Illinois governor in Tuesday's election. Reporter: Dave McKinney

Climate change poses a threat to toxic sites close to Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Host: Melba Lara; Guest: Howard Lerner

Leading Illinois GOP U.S. Senate candidate protested at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Reporter: Dave McKinney

Chicago Board of Ed members will be considering a controversial proposal to build a new high school today. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Three republicans are running in next week’s primary election for Illinois attorney general. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Baby formula is becoming harder to find. We look at how Chicago families and non-profit organizations are coping with the frustration of finding baby formula. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Araceli Gomez-Aldana

A new WBEZ analysis shows the youth organization that Chicago mayoral candidate Kam Buckner was tasked to lead slowly diminished in the four years it was under his watch. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Chicago Public Schools has limited the role of police in schools, hear what happened next. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

A study by cardiologists at Northwestern University looks at the reasons behind disparities in heart disease between Black and white patients. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Illinois teens are taking matters in their own hands to push the needle on mental health services in schools. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

Donald Trump’s endorsement could end up being a big factor in the bitter primary fight for reelection between Miller and Davis. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Alex Degman

A WBEZ and ProPublica investigation found that guards in the Illinois Department of Corrections remained on staff, even after the department found they had committed serious wrongdoing. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Shannon Heffernan

On the 10th anniversary of DACA, we hear from an undocumented academic and activist on how the program has shaped his life. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Anna Savchenko

New polling by the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ shows Illinois Republicans like downstate Senator Darren Bailey and former President Donald Trump. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Dave McKinney

Oak Woods Cemetery is one of the most historically important cemeteries on Chicago's South Side. Urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas joins WBEZ’s Lisa Labuz to tell us more about the historic resting place.

In our weekly climate conversation, we compare climate goals from the last couple of Chicago mayors. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Monica Eng

CPS grads recount their school year through comedy. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

Conversations about gun regulations have been top of mind lately as the country, and even our region, has been experiencing gun violence. Reporter: Michael Puente

WBEZ asked three Chicago Public Schools graduates to look back on their time in school through comedy. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter; Susie An

In Chicago's Little Village neighborhood this week, a beautiful food pantry opened in a revamped corner store. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Natalie Moore

New research shines a light on the long covid patients suffering from neurological symptoms more than a year after contracting the disease. Host: Mary Dixon; Guest: Dr. Igor Koralnik

Two incumbent Democratic members of Congress from Chicago’s western suburbs are running against each other in this month’s primary. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Hannah Faris

Gender-based violence has been the shadow pandemic during the COVID-19 lockdown. Immigrant women struggling with domestic violence face additional challenges, including language barriers, immigration status and fear of police. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: María Inés Zamudio

Will Pritzker pay the same political toll as Rauner over deaths at a state veterans' home? Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dave McKinney

The state’s child welfare agency says it has nowhere else to put the children. Opponents call it cruel, and a civil rights violation. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Last week Chicago’s air was unusually dry, with dewpoint temperatures dropping to the 30s and 40s. Dr. Trent Ford joins to discuss climate in Chicago. Host: Melba Lara; Guest: Dr. Trent Ford

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church is using a funeral home for weekly services as it makes plans to rise from the ashes. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Adora Namigadde

WBEZ found that the big fundraising is done by schools where most kids aren’t low income, And increasingly, the money is going to hire staff. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Natalie Moore

The landfill in Waukegan will soon be home to 20,000 solar panels, part of a trend to reuse Superfund cleanup sites. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Caroline Kubzansky

WBEZ found that fundraising by CPS schools has skyrocketed since 2010. And the big fundraising is by schools where most kids aren’t low income. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

In recordings from a closed-door meeting, former park district board president Avis Lavelle said she left to relieve pressure on Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

In our series, Kids Ask, we hear from a 5 year-old curious about what an opinion is. Susie An talks to Dr. Marisha Humphries from UIC. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Susie An

Historian and WBEZ contributor Shermann Dilla Thomas, and midday host Lisa Labuz discuss the history and architecture of Quinn Chapel AME Church on Chicago's South Side. Host: Mary Dixon & Lisa Labuz; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Some Chicago Asian Americans want to make sure their heritage month is not forgotten. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Chicago remains a common scapegoat in gun violence debates. Host: Melba Lara; Guest: Dr. Kimya Barden

We hear how the pandemic changed everything for four local 2022 college grads. Host: Melba Lara; Host: Anna Savchenko

The data that could help illuminate disparities has never been public here. After a WBEZ inquiry, the state is evaluating whether that should change. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Kristen Schorsch

An Illinois fifth grade teacher shares how she’s navigating the shooting in Texas with her students. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

Some teens at Waubonsie Valley High are so into the project that teachers have to prod them to leave the prairie and go to their other classes. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

The mayor’s push to amend the city’s curfew comes after a 16 year old was fatally shot in Millennium Park. Lightfoot’s amendment would change the current citywide curfew for teens to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The plan is scheduled for a vote in committee today and would still need full council approval. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

A complete re-design of the Field Museum’s former Native North America Hall opens today. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lauren Frost

After an investigation found that students at small, majority Black and Latino high schools were steered toward JROTC, CPS pledged to make changes. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Alex Ruppenthal

“It’s like my soul left my body,” said Chanell Holliday during a visit with classmates of her son. He was fatally shot on Saturday near The Bean. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Susie An

North Lawndale College Prep's drama therapy class helps students express themselves and process their emotions through poetry. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

In 2019, WBEZ asked Lightfoot her thoughts on everything from the environment to crime. Three years later, we took a look at her progress. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Becky Vevea

Shermann 'Dilla' Thomas provides a lesson on lesser known history in Chicago, discussing the Jones brothers. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Labuz

Co-founder of Chicago Environmentalists, Katherine Tellock, speaks about the group's online guides to green and sustainable businesses in Chicago. Host: Melba Lara

Data from a new sensor network shows the highest rates of pollution in Little Village, Austin, Englewood, Irving Park and other neighborhoods. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: María Inés Zamudio

Alexandra Antoine has been creating community-informed art for years. Now she’s digging into the Garfield Park neighborhood and welcoming its residents to create alongside her. Reporter: Araceli Gomez-Aldana