WBEZ News

Many have become homeless despite federally-funded programs, and 60,000 Illinois households are behind on rent and could face eviction. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Odette Yousef

As the nation’s third largest public school district searches for new leadership, advocates are looking for systemic changes. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Sources said the UIUC campus church’s culture, structure and charismatic leader were among the reasons why so many stories of sexual abuse remained hidden for so long. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Susie An

More on the culture and power structure at Covenant Fellowship Church, which allowed spiritual abuse and the mishandling of sexual misconduct to go unchecked for years. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Susie An

TikTok Chicago historian Sherman "Dilla" Thomas talks about the life of intrepid Jean-Baptise Point DuSable and the long fight for recognition for Chicago's founder. Host: Lisa Labuz; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Teachers are, once again, facing uncertainty with a return to school this fall. As the new year approaches, they are squeezing a little more out of summer break. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad

Ever heard of carbon offset programs, meant to balance out your carbon footprint? Umair Irfan, science writer for Vox, shares more on how well they actually work. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

A church in downstate Illinois is grappling with what former members call a past culture of spiritual abuse and mishandling of sexual misconduct. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Susie An

Indoor masking is now recommended in most of Illinois. But, health experts explain this delta-fueled COVID-19 surge may not be as deadly. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Linda Lutton

Asiaha Butler is a co-founder of RAGE, the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. She shares how the pandemic has contributed to youth homelessness, and how that might be contributing to the violence in Chicago. Host: Lisa Labuz, Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Mike Grover died at age 38 earlier this year. Last month, his wife Lea told their three daughters about her favorite memory of him. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Bill Healy

The Chicago Tribune and the Better Government Association have been reporting on a breach at the Illinois Attorney General's office which took place in April, and who might be behind it. Host: Melba Lara; Guest: Jared Rutecki

In Chicago, areas flush with resources are also flush with trees. But a new city agency could be tasked with changing that “tree inequity." Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

The Jackson Park Football field in Chicago's Woodland neighborhood was bustling with teens again after the long pandemic shut down. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

As the Chicago Bears looks to improve on their 8-8 record last year, veteran players report to training camp today to prepare for the 2021-22 season. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cheryl Rae Stout

Something as big as climate change can impact even the little parts of life. During this week's climate conversation we’re talking REALLY small: insects, with Professor Alex Harmon-Threatt, pollination ecologist at the University of Illinois. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Paula Robinson is a Chicago developer who pushed to make sure residents had their voice heard in a new megadevelopment on the city's South Side. Plans for "Bronzeville Lakefront" on the former site of Michael Reese Hospital were approved by the city earlier this week. Host: Araceli Gómez-Aldana; Reporter: Natalie Moore

Chicago Public Schools leaders are insisting that almost all students should be back in classes full time this fall, but some parents are pushing back. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

A sweeping plan to address climate change in the Chicago region involves goals ranging from reducing C02 emissions to addressing social equity issues. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Michael Puente

Doctor Emily Landon, infectious disease specialist with UChicago Medicine, details the precautions people should still be taking as COVID-19 cases rise in Illinois. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland visited an anti-violence program on the city’s West Side on Thursday. Eddie Bocanegra runs READI Chicago, and shared more on Garland's visit. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Chicago Public Schools announced the results of votes by elected councils on whether to keep police in schools. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Sarah Karp

After more than a year stuck at home during the pandemic, Chicago teens are reemerging and getting to be kids again. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

Rosa Escareño has had a front-row seat to Chicago politics for decades, starting work for City Hall right out of high school and quickly moving on to serve in top leadership roles. She's currently overseeing enforcement of the $15 dollar minimum wage, but retires at the end of the month. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Becky Vevea, Lauren Frost

Pastor Donovan Price is the Founder of Solutions and Resources, a non-profit working to provide healing for survivors of gun violence in Chicago. He was also one of the people out trying to help victims’ families this weekend, when Chicago Police say 56 people were shot and 11 were killed in the city. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Urban historian and Tiktok celebrity Shermann "Dilla" Thomas and WBEZ's Lisa Labuz dive into some lesser-known Chicago history. Today: the story of the Jones brothers. Producer: Cianna Greaves

First a pandemic and scrutiny over police brutality. Now, police say long hours are hurting efforts to improve officer mental health. Alexa James, a wellness advisor for the Chicago Police Department, speaks about the challenge of caring for Chicago’s police. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Why does it seem like there are more severe signs of climate change, in our northern hemisphere, in the extreme northern areas like Alaska or the arctic? Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

The city of Chicago recently released a food equity agenda. Angela Odoms-Young, a professor at University of Illinois at Chicago and member of the city's food equity council, shares details on what's prioritized. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Natalie Moore

In West Garfield Park residents are hoping a new community plaza will start to turn the tide of gun violence, often concentrated in just a handful of Chicago's poorer, neglected neighborhoods. Reporter: Patrick Smith; Guest: Christyn Freemon

One in 10 CPS high schoolers attend schools for dropouts. That number could grow as students emerge from the pandemic. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

What's causing the dangerous heat from Death Valley to the Pacific Northwest? Illinois State Climatologist, Doctor Trent Ford explains, and shares whether it could move toward Illinois. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

The Illinois Department of Corrections has been making changes to how it uses solitary confinement, in response to a lawsuit that has been dragging on for 5 years. Alan Mills, a civil rights attorney representing people imprisoned in the state of Illinois, has been working on the lawsuit. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Shannon Heffernan

The far-right politician from Georgia traveled to Effingham, Illinois to headline a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, an downstate Republican. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

The US economy added 850,000 jobs in June, but despite the high number of job openings, labor shortages persist. Martin Eichenbaum, co-director of the Center for International Economics and Development at Northwestern University, discusses what's behind the labor shortage. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Carjackings continue to be a significant crime problem in Chicago, and many of them are committed by minors. Sidnee King details more from a new investigative report by the Better Government Association. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Mark LeBien, Lauren Frost

The highest-vaccinated areas are majority white and affluent; the lowest are majority Black and low-income. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Becky Vevea

100 people were shot in the city of Chicago this weekend, according to Chicago police. Eddie Bocanegra, senior director of the Heartland Alliance program READI Chicago, shares what he thinks is driving these high levels of shootings. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

This week, Chicago enacted a $15 dollar an hour minimum wage. Madeline Talbott, an originator of the Fight for 15 campaign, speaks on this milestone for a labor movement which began over a decade ago. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Odette Yousef

What happened when children told their military veteran father, Sam Guard, they’re ashamed to be Americans. Producer: Bill Healy

A newly released university police report shows a student reported allegations against Brad Aldrich in 2018, at least the sixth recorded allegation against the former coach. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tony Arnold, Dave McKinney

This past weekend alone, police say 74 people were shot and 6 people were murdered. June saw some of highest murder totals for the summer in decades. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Unpredictable times for the Chicago-based Boeing, as it tries to rebound from two 737 MAX plane crashes that killed more than 300 people. Dominic Gates, of the Seattle Times, earned a Pulitzer Prize last year for the newspaper’s coverage of the plane-maker. Host: Lisa Labuz; Producer: Lauren Frost, Mark LeBien

In our weekly climate conversation, we’re talking rain, flooding, and the effects of climate change, with atmospheric scientist Doctor Scott Collis, of Argonne National Laboratory. Host: Lisa Labuz; Producer: Lauren Frost

The new law lifts a $1,000 monthly sales cap for home bakers and allows them to sell to customers beyond farmers markets. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Natalie Moore

The close of this school year marks the end for Harper High School in the South Side neighborhood of West Englewood. Staff and alumni are begging for a second chance. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Following a year of schooling during the pandemic, parents want their kids to keep learning over break. But they also want them to have some fun again. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

Tornadoes swept through Chicago’s western suburbs on Sunday, damaging homes, knocking down trees and injuring multiple people. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Michael Puente

A police investigative report obtained by WBEZ shows authorities investigated at least two other encounters involving youth. No charges were filed. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Tony Arnold

More than 100 homes in Chicago’s western suburbs were damaged during Sunday night's storms. Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford, explains what made these storms different, and how can people prepare for a similar situation. Host: Lisa Labuz, Mary Dixon; Producer: Lauren Frost