WBEZ News

A social worker in Chicago raised money over the summer so each of her students could get a special basket of things to help them deal with their feelings. Host: Susie An Reporter: Sarah Karp

Republicans triggered a House investigation into State House Speaker Michael Madigan’s dealings with ComEd, but the speaker’s ouster appears to be a political longshot. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Dave McKinney

Seniors struggle with isolation and the pandemic has only made that worse. Experts say isolation can be risky for their physical and mental health. But organizations around the Chicago area are trying to help with online classes, teletherapy, and visits to senior citizens’ homes. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Edie Rubinowitz

Sister Carol Fox is 83 years old, a Dominican nun who lives on her own in suburban Chicago. A few months ago, Lenore Fox Monti asked her aunt to record a remote interview for StoryCorps. Producer: Bill Healy

Some families are hiring tutors to oversee remote learning pods, and some worry this could leave some kids further behind. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Susie An

Community members in Chicago’s Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods are trying to keep an independent bookstore open after its owner died last month. A GoFundMe campaign for Heirloom Books has already raised about $13,000. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Vivian McCall

Tensions are high again in Kenosha Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s visit to the town brought out demonstrators, some supporting the president and others opposing him. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Michael Puente

President Trump is expected to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin Tuesday, a city once known for automotive manufacturing. Despite the turmoil of the last week and half, Kenosha residents say their city is a great place to raise a family. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Michael Puente

Two midwives have ambitious plans to open a freestanding birthing center on the South Side. Pregnant women have few options to deliver. And there will be fewer choices next year after Mercy Hospital in Bronzeville closes. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Kristen Schorsch

Gun violence continues to take lives in Chicago. There was a mass shooting at a pancake house this weekend and in a separate incident two police officers were shot. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Sarah Karp

If a rider won't wear a mask, CTA bus drivers aren't allowed to confront them. Drivers say more needs to be done to help push mask wearing and social distancing. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Sixty-five years ago, 14 year old Emmett Till from Chicago was brutally beaten and lynched in Mississippi. As a child, Ollie Gordon lived in the same building as Emmett Till in Chicago, and she shared what she remembers from that time.
 
 Host: Melba Lara
 Producer: Lauren Frost

Immigration advocates say that the citizenship process has become more difficult under President Donald Trump. They say there are longer delays and more scrutiny of applicants. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Maria Ines Zamudio

We asked women in Illinois politics how they’re marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, and what challenges are still ahead for women. Gordon-Booth represents the 92nd District, and was also the youngest woman and the first African American woman from central Illinois to serve as assistant majority leader for the state Democratic Party. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Illinois Republicans ended their national convention Thursday night and now have an eye on the November elections. For President Donald Trump and his acolytes, it was a week of bashing the media, the Democrats and Joe Biden. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Dave McKinney

Some districts have rolled out plans for reopening with in-person instruction and then reversed course by deciding to start remotely. It’s created divisions in school communities, and teachers are feeling the pressure. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Susie An

We asked women in Illinois politics how they’re marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, and what challenges are still ahead for women. Robin Kelly has represented the 2nd Congressional District since 2013 and previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

The Board of Education approved a one year school police contract while also approving a plan to come up with an alternative by March. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Sarah Karp

We asked women in Illinois politics how they’re marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, and what challenges are still ahead for women. Lori Lightfoot is Chicago’s first Black female and openly gay woman to be elected to the office. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Police in Northern Illinois have arrested a 17 year old in connection to the killing of two people last night during unrest in Kenosha. The killings came on the third night of protesting in the town just over the Wisconsin border following the shooting by police Sunday of Jacob Blake. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Patrick Smith

We asked women in Illinois politics how they’re marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, and what challenges are still ahead for women. Illinois state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit is in her third term representing the 84th District, and is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Parents feeling uncertain about Chicago Public Schools’ plan for the fall are seeking other options for their kids. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

100 years ago this week, the 19th amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution. To mark the occasion, WBEZ starred an “inspiration chain:” asking women in Illinois politics what challenges are still ahead, and who inspires them to be public servants. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Illinois Republicans are low on money, prestige and power. But here’s how they’re hoping to energize voters during their party’s national convention this week. Host: Mary Dixon, Becky Vevea Reporter: Dave McKinney

College students are returning to school in pandemic-adjusted ways, and international students are concerned about how all the changes could affect their potential futures in the U.S. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Minju Park

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic will likely hit harder and last longer in Chicago’s Black neighborhoods than in the city’s white communities, according to research from Chicago State University. Reporter: Natalie Moore Guest: Ernst Coupet

This summer has not been easy in Chicago: a global pandemic, civil unrest, all while the city’s beaches remain closed. But Chicagoans and tourists alike are often jumping in the lake off concrete slabs that line the lakefront path - even though that’s technically against the rules.
 
 Host: Becky Vevea
 Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Illinois Democrats concluded their party's national convention Thursday night albeit remotely. It was a week of awkward pauses, silent applause lines, and lots of reminders to politicians that their computers were on mute. Host: Odette Yousef Reporter: Tony Arnold

Chicago Public Schools is promising a better experience for students than when classes were abruptly cancelled in the Spring. At least, that’s what it says in the remote learning guidelines for the Fall released this week. Host: Odette Yousef Reporter: Sarah Karp

This week the FDA authorized a COVID-19 test for emergency use that was created by faculty at the University of Illinois. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called it “game-changing” for statewide and even national testing. Professor Paul Hergenrother helped develop the saliva-based and fast-acting test. Host: Becky Vevea Producer: Lauren Frost

Through laughs and tears, family members shared with WBEZ the health journeys and personal stories of people who died from COVID-19. Host: Greta Johnsen Producer: Joe DeCeault Speaker: Antonia Lopez, Darryl Johnson, Britt Anderson, Pat King, Dameon Madison, Larry Price, LaFreida Poe

From jibaritos to rib tips, lines are forming down the block at some comfort food spots in Chicago. “The lines just got longer during the pandemic,” said one owner. “People want something they can’t make at home.” Host: Greta Johnsen Reporter: Monica Eng

Villa at Windsor Park, a nursing home in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, has the highest COVID-19 death toll in the city. Federal data shows that Villa at Windsor Park is in the bottom 20% of nursing homes when it comes to staffing levels for nurses and CNAs.
 
 Host: Greta Johnsen
 Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Many teens in Chicago have spent their summers protesting about life challenges and racial injustice. Others are finding their voice through audio storytelling with After School Matters, a program that connects high school students with hands-on experiences. Host: Greta Johnsen Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

A group of twenty women of color who are leaders in Chicago’s philanthropy community wrote an op-ed about anti-Black racism. They’re calling on their own sector to combat racial disparities through investment and advocacy. Host: Becky Vevea Guest: Felicia Davis

Black and Latino neighborhoods in Chicago have been ravaged by the coronavirus. One of the most heavily affected is the 60623 ZIP code, which includes the mostly immigrant community of Little Village and the mostly Black North Lawndale neighborhood.
 
 Host: Greta Johnsen
 Reporter: Maria Ines Zamudio

As colleges and universities gear up to restart, faculty and staff are increasingly speaking out about concerns for their safety. So what will colleges look as they try to reopen?
 
 Host: Greta Johnsen
 Reporter: Kate McGee

Over the next few weeks, the Archdiocese of Chicago is opening its schools for in-person learning after shutting them down in March due to COVID-19. The reopening of Catholic schools has been welcomed by many working parents, but it’s also facing criticism from teachers. Host: Greta Johnsen Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

Almost all the city’s majority black schools voted this summer to keep police officers. The 15 of the 17 schools that will have them removed are mostly Latino or mixed. Host: Becky Vevea Reporter: Sarah Karp

We know who the presidential nominees will be. And this year is all virtual. But here’s three reasons why some Illinois politicos say we still need a national convention. Host: Susie An Reporter: Becky Vevea

Thompson was known as “Big Jim” during his long career, which eventually made him the state’s longest-serving chief executive. Host: Susie An Reporter: Dave McKinney

College freshmen already had a rough end to high school. Many are nervous and uncertain how their first semester of college will unfold. Host: Greta Johnsen Reporter: Kate McGee

WBEZ spoke with the relatives of 50 Chicago COVID-19 victims to understand the systemic conditions behind the pandemic’s disproportionate impact. All week we’ll bring stories from communities with the highest death rates.
 
 Host: Greta Johnsen
 Reporter: Natalie Moore

Even though they’re meeting remotely, Illinois Democrats are facing a lot of questions about the future of their leader due to a sprawling corruption investigation. Host: Greta Johnsen, Mary Dixon Reporter: Tony Arnold

Author and longtime Knox College Professor Robert Hellenga spoke from hospice to his former student, Joseph Lennon, about literature, death and grades. Producer: Bill Healy

All across Illinois, local election authorities have been mailing out applications for voters to request a mailed ballot. It’s part of a temporary vote by mail expansion in the state ahead of the November election. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Claudia Morell

Instead of Milwaukee sight-seeing, parties, and balloon drops, Illinois delegates to the DNC will be delegating from their couches. But these first-time delegates say they’ll still push for their platforms. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Tony Arnold

Englewood residents are still grappling with the aftermath of another police shooting of a Black man on Sunday. Some contradict the police version of events. They want authorities to release any video of the shooting. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Maria Ines Zamudio

Cabrini-Green came together following the shooting death of a child this summer, just as they did after a similar tragedy in the ‘90s. As the community grieves, residents share how they are coping and responding to turmoil. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Natalie Moore

Between COVID-19, social unrest, violence and burgeoning budget deficits, the first-term Chicago mayor has been tested like no other. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Becky Vevea