WBEZ News

Under new leadership, a 1980s program designed to prevent white flight is now assisting local residents with repairs and remodeling. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Natalie Moore

Pedro Martinez is currently superintendent of a San Antonio school district. He will become CPS' first permanent Latino leader. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Chicago Public Schools says it will ramp up contact tracing amid complaints that it’s taking too long to inform parents their children have been exposed. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Elaine Little resigned after WBEZ reported Little had herself been under investigation in a previous job for alleged conflicts of interest. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

It's fall membership drive time at WBEZ, and we wanted to give you a peek behind the scenes on how we do what we do. Linda Lutton took time to share the whys and hows of her reporting, as well as some tape that had to be cut for air! Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Erin Kahoa

WBEZ's Lisa Labuz talks to TikTok historian Sherman “Dilla” Thomas about the Pullman neighborhood, its founder, and the laborers who lived there. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Jack Darin, an advocate for the new energy bill passed by Illinois legislators explains how he thinks it’ll help the fight against climate change. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Emboldened by new data, Latino aldermen are seizing the moment and turning City Council committee meetings into the latest battleground for equity. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

A temporary 9/11 memorial is giving Chicagoans an opportunity to remember the terrorist attacks of 20 years ago. Host: Araceli Gómez-Aldana; Reporter: Linda Lutton

Twenty years after the terrorist attacks, recollections are still vivid for some, while others only know a post-9/11 world. Host: Araceli Gómez-Aldana; Reporter: Adora Namigadde

Hal Bergen was sent by the U.S. military to Germany at the end of WWII, where he helped run the sound system for the Nazis’ trial for war crimes. Bergen’s daughter Kathy brought him to StoryCorps, where he told her about his front row seat to history. Producer: Bill Healy

WBEZ’s Mary Dixon speaks with "Horsegirl," a young Chicago band, about getting to perform on the same stage as their Punk rock idols. Producer: Cianna Greaves

Only eight districts submitted a remote program to the state. “Why go backwards and not have options for families?” one superintendent said. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

A new House plan Friday would require coal-fired power plants to cut carbon emissions by 2035 and eliminate them entirely by 2045. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Tony Arnold

The troubadour of the city’s barrios and soundtrack to the Chicano rights movement will be honored this weekend at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Linda Lutton

This year there have already been 167 shootings on the Chicago area’s expressways. Illinois State Police Director, Brendan Kelly, talks more about what's behind these shootings. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Expanded federal unemployment benefits are set to expire this weekend. WBEZ's Esther Yoon-Ji Kang talked with Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Executive Director, Karin Norington-Reaves, about the current job market and what's at stake. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Texas now has the strictest laws against abortion rights in the United States. For a local reaction, WBEZ’s Natalie Moore spoke with Jennifer Welch, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Public officials have struggled to effectively communicate scientific understanding around COVID-19 during the pandemic. CNN Medical Analyst, Dr. Leana Wen shares tips on navigating life with the ever-changing novel coronavirus. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Every 10 years, officials convene to craft Chicago's ward boundaries. But how, when and where will this all shake out? We broke it down. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Tik Tok historian Sherman Dilla Thomas talks about the Divine Nine - and the many prominent Chicagoans who've been part of these historically Black fraternities and sororities. Host: Mary Dixon, Lisa Labuz; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Nearly all of CPS' 340,000 students were due back in-person for the first time since March 2020 as questions circulate about the district's readiness. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

We’ve had a lot of scorching days in the Chicago area this summer. Illinois State Climatologist, Doctor Trent Ford helps explain why. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

There are about 35,000 Asian Americans living in greater Chinatown — more than enough for a majority in a single Chicago ward. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Chicago Public Schools students are due back in classrooms on Monday. Teachers are focusing on making up for the drawbacks of virtual learning. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad

Twenty years ago, Latanya Rutledge was a student at an alternative high school. Now she works there. Producer: Billy Healy

WBEZ has an update on the state of the district as its 341,000 students gear up for the first day of school on Monday. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Schools say they’re prepping to support students but some teens worry they could be penalized if they’re not ready emotionally to go back to “normal.” Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Susie An

New teams will consist of a cop, paramedic and mental-health clinician. Some advocates are concerned because the police will retain a role. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

“Greenwashing” is a term that describes when companies market their products as environmentally friendly. Xi Marquez helps us understand who’s greenwashing and who’s actually green. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

We spent the summer talking with Chicagoans working to reduce shootings. Here's what they say is driving violence — and is needed to stop it. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Top elections forecaster David Wasserman says Illinois Democrats' aim for a three-seat swing in congressional seats could have national implications. Host: Araceli Gómez-Aldana Reporter: Dave McKinney

The Park District's deputy inspector general says he was taken off the job in an attempt to “impede and obstruct” the investigation into alleged sexual misconduct at the city's public beaches and pools. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

WBEZ conducted the survey after health experts have for months reiterated the important role local leaders can play in persuading people to get vaccinated. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

WBEZ finds wealthier areas show much higher teen vaccination rates. With no immunization mandate, local districts face a season of uncertainty. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp, Susie An

Members of the anti-violence program Chicago CRED are graduating high school Thursday, a major moment in their path away from gun violence. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

As mourners prepare for the funeral of slain Chicago Police Officer Ella French, her death is hitting other female cops hard. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell; Speakers: Aquarius Leonard, Briana Nieves, Tawanda Johnson, Tena Al Farah

TikTok historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas discusses Fred Rice Junior, Chicago’s first African American Police Superintendent, who was appointed in August 1983. Host: Mary Dixon, Lisa Labuz; Producer: Cianna Greaves

How one city of Chicago nursing contract reveals a larger trend in the healthcare industry of relying on temporary nurses to fill critical staffing shortages. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Claudia Morell

What can we do when someone says they don’t believe in climate change at all? Melissa Widhalm, operations manager for the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, shares some tips. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

From rebuilding relationships to anticipating learning gaps, four teachers share what’s on their minds as they return to classrooms. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad

Putt-putt and avian conservation meet in the newly restored course, located in Douglass Park. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost

Chicago flutist Jennie Oh Brown speaks with writer Howard Reich about the complex relationship between musicians and critics. Producer: Billy Healy

A young woman whose complaint prompted an ongoing investigation makes her first public comments on alleged misconduct at the city’s beaches and pools. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in Chicago, and the nation. We visit the seniors of "36 Mandrake," at some local courts in Cottage Grove on the South Side. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Natalie Moore

Treatment for infertility wasn’t deemed essential during the pandemic. Now, doctors see the return of old patients — and a long list of new ones. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Araceli Gómez-Aldana

The Illinois legislators who wouldn’t answer -- Black Democrats and white Republicans -- represent some of the least vaccinated areas. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Tony Arnold, Dave McKinney

With more than $1.8 billion heading Chicago’s way in COVID-19 relief, some hope city officials listen to how the public wants the money spent. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Chicago Police Department Chaplain Father Dan Brandt says slain Officer Ella French was an animal lover and a great police officer. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Dr. Scott Collis, atmospheric scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and Illinois State Climatologist, Dr. Trent Ford share local takeaways from the U.N. climate change report released Monday. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost