WBEZ News

The initial rule was to get your second Pfizer shot 21 days after your first, or your second Moderna shot 28 days after your first,. That guidance has now shifted, according to infectious disease specialist Dr. Mia Taormina. Producer: Mariah Woelfel

In an emotional press conference the mother of Adam Toledo said her son still loved legos and hotwheels. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, Linda Lutton

Chicago’s Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady says if people are fully vaccinated, two weeks post your final vaccine dose you do not need to abide by quarantine travel restrictions. Find all our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ.

Big changes and smaller crowds at Wrigley Field Wednesday, as the Cubs welcome fans back to the ballpark for their home opener. Cubs President of Baseball Operations Crane Kenney explains what fans can expect. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

One year after the pandemic hit, the city’s Black neighborhoods remain the hardest hit by job loss and its fallout. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

So far, the school district has only confirmed that about 20% of the 6,600 staff on leave or working remotely will be back in person when attendance doubles next month. Host: Becky Vevea; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Emergency Medicine Specialist Dr. Halleh Akbarnia says, for the most part, all Illinois residents who are eligible can be seen at any state vaccine location. Find all our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ

Hunger in Illinois has reached shocking levels during the past year of the pandemic, particularly for Black and Hispanic families with kids. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Odette Yousef

Two weeks ago, Illinois' COVID-19 positivity rates were trending at record lows. Today, state health officials are urging caution as cases and hospitalizations climb. Illinois Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike provides an update. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Just one out of every 10 applicants received help last year, but the city is gearing up to provide another $80 million in rental assistance. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Natalie Moore

Chicago’s public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady says if your family and friends are vaccinated, you could have a pretty normal wedding. Find all our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ

Dr. Jessie Leyse is an infectious disease specialist who spent time in Africa fighting Ebola. She spoke with her aunt, Heidi Rockwell, about battling COVID-19 at home. Producer: Bill Healy

Northwestern professor Michelle Buck grappled with physical distance from her mother, who has advanced dementia, and her infant granddaughter. Producer: Mariah Woelfel

Among 25 suburban districts surveyed by WBEZ, wealthier districts were less likely to see drops in attendance last fall than poorer ones. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Susie An

The hospital is supposed to help the low-income Austin neighborhood, but information surfaced this week about Loretto making vaccines available to many ineligible groups. Breaking news editor for Block Club Chicago, Kelly Bauer, provides the latest. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Writer Suzanne McDonough, whose immune diseases make her especially vulnerable to COVID-19, felt comfort in a world of masks and caution. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Mariah Woelfel

Evanston City Council’s groundbreaking vote to approve a reparations program is just the first step in the city’s movement toward reparative justice. Alderman Robin Simmons discusses Evanston’s historic move. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Cianna Greaves

The inquiry comes from the same office reportedly investigating financial transactions related to Trump Tower Chicago. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tony Arnold

Chicago-area landlord Derrick Rowe had to sell three properties and borrow against his retirement to make ends meet this year. Producer: Mariah Woelfel

As Illinois expands the vaccine rollout, there's still a disparity among Black and Latino residents — and a long way to go to herd immunity. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Becky Vevea

There’s a fight over a controversial plan to move a metal shredder to Chicago's South Side. Steve Joseph is CEO of Reserve Management Group, the company that wants to operate that recycling facility. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Linda Lutton

Writer Stan Engelsen's emergency room experience brought back memories of losing a loved one to AIDS in the 1980s. Producer: Mariah Woelfel

The first jury trial in Cook County began on Monday, more than a year after the court mostly shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter; Patrick Smith

Author Jian Ping added winter swims to her routine, and it has been magical. Producer: Becky Vevea

The Illinois Department of Corrections halted in-person visits last March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But a year later, there’s still no plan to allow families to reconnect. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

More vaccinators - not just more vaccines - are helping get people get inoculated more quickly. Host: Araceli Gómez-Aldana; Reporter: Becky Vevea

Evanston resident Susannah Pratt reading her essay about the monotony of her new life working from home each day during the COVID-19 pandemic. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Mariah Woelfel

One year since coronavirus changed life as we know it in Chicago, WBEZ’s Claudia Morell spoke with Mayor Lori Lightfoot about her efforts to take charge during this once in a generation pandemic. Host: Melba Lara

Undergraduate student enrollment at many Illinois colleges and universities is down this year. Some students say they needed a break to reflect and realign their goals. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

There’s some relief in the local baseball economy now that a limited number of Cubs and Sox fans can attend home games starting next month. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Michael Puente

Chicago Public Schools is diving into hybrid learning where students get a blend of remote and in-person instruction. Even with remote learning going well, Olga Contreras wants her students back in class. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

The board of the Fraternal Order of Police lodge has 28 members. Not a single one is Black. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

The latest in WBEZ’s series of essays marking one year of COVID-19 comes from 9-year-old Ellis Curry. Producer: Mariah Woelfel

WBEZ has been asking you to share essays on how this pandemic impacted your life. Jorge Valdivia, a graduate student from the Southside of Chicago, discusses the loss, and the growth, he’s experienced this past year. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Mariah Woelfel

Pritzker spoke with WBEZ about his optimism about vaccinations, struggles with the mask mandate and thoughts about Republican criticism of his pandemic response. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tony Arnold

Bare grocery shelves and lockdowns during the pandemic triggered painful traumas for some refugees of war-torn countries now in Chicago. Host: Mary Dixon; Producer: Odette Yousef

The Noble charter school network is one of many charters nationally backing away from punitive discipline policies aimed at students of color. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

WBEZ has been asking listeners to share stories about how this past pandemic year has impacted their lives. Chicago teacher Mel Georgiou remembers packing up at her South Side school for what most thought would be a few weeks of shutdown.

Stephanie Thompson and her coworker Pamela Fairley talk about breaking stigmas associated with poverty. Producer: Bill Healy

According to Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s health department is providing vaccine to homeless shelters around Chicago. The city funds more than 3,000 beds at 50 homeless shelters. Find all our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ

The Greater Chicago Food Depository serves Cook County, stocking 450 food pantries in the city and the suburbs. CEO Kate Maehr believes it’ll be many years before hunger returns even to pre-pandemic levels. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Odette Yousef

Alexa James, the CEO of the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is joining the department after working for years in partnership with the Chicago Police. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Patrick Smith

The city has established a Chicago Monuments Project to grapple with a complicated history and think of new ways to develop public art for the future. WBEZ’s race, class and communities team brings perspectives from the project's advisory committee. Host: Lisa Labuz

The U.S. House will vote today on $1.9 trillion in relief funding for extended unemployment benefits, direct payments for families and individuals, and help for local government and schools. Host: Mary Dixon; Guest: J. B. Pritzker, Raja Krishnamoorthi

After first allowing front-line health care workers and long-term care facility residents access, the state of Indiana has been increasing who’s eligible based on their age. Find all of our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ

While people with serious underlying health conditions can get vaccinated in most of Illinois, those the most at-risk to any infection say life won’t get back to “normal.” Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Vivian McCall

Three people who took part in a one-month hunger strike are among the activists fighting to block a new shredding plant on Chicago’s Southeast Side. Reporter: Linda Lutton; Speakers: Yesenia Chavez, Oscar Sanchez, Chuck Stark

All three of the vaccines available in the U.S. have good protection against all of the variants we know of, says Chicago Department of Public Health’s Dr. Allison Arwady. Find all our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ

Pregnant women were not included in initial trials for vaccines, however they are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19. Dr. Lisa Green with Family Christian Health Center says expecting mothers should discuss their options with their doctor. Find all our coverage at WBEZ.org/VaccineFAQ

While some aldermen may complain that her leadership style leaves them out of the discussion, some of Lightfoot's supporters see ongoing conflict as a sign of strength for the mayor. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Claudia Morell