WBEZ News

We're answering YOUR questions about the National Guard and immigration agents possibly being deployed on Chicago's streets.

We’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week we get your questions answered by the people who know best.
 
 Students are back in the classroom, and for high schoolers, they’ve got a big decision coming up. Calvin Buss from Godfrey, Illinois asks: 
 
 "When looking for a good college, do I look for the cheapest college that I can afford without having to take out loans? Or do I take out loans and go to the best college I can possibly afford? My thought behind it is, will I meet the people that I need to get to those higher positions at a more expensive school, or will I do just fine without meeting those people?"
 
 To find out, we called up an expert.

The Chicago Bears are back! We talked with WBEZ sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout about how the team is looking and what we can expect from the season. HOST: LANE

President Donald Trump has been threatening to send the National Guard to Chicago, in what he calls an effort to curb violence in the city, despite lowering crime numbers.
 
 The threats come shortly after Trump deployed the National Guard into Washington DC, citing similar concerns.
 
 Sun-Times national political reporter Tina Sfondeles is in Washington DC and joins us now to talk about what she’s seen. 
 
 HOST: LABUZ

President Donald Trump has been threatening to send the National Guard to Chicago, in what he calls an effort to curb violence in the city, despite lowering crime numbers.
 
 The threats come shortly after Trump deployed the National Guard into Washington DC, citing similar concerns.
 
 Sun-Times national political reporter Tina Sfondeles is in Washington DC and joins us now to talk about what she’s seen. 
 
 HOST: LABUZ

President Donald Trump has been sending federal immigration agents to Chicago. 
 
 And more are expected to arrive as part of a plan to increase immigration enforcement efforts. 
 
 A group of volunteers in the Pilsen neighborhood on Chicago’s south side wants to stop them from making arrests in their community and warn families before they get there. 
 
 HOST: LABUZ

Hundreds of federal agents are being sent to a suburban naval base from Los Angeles, but they're not the National Guard. We talk with Sun-Times reporter Violet Miller about which agents are being sent and what we can expect them to do. HOST: LANE

Crime stats in Chicago see it fewest summer murders since 1965

President Donald Trump has threatened to send federal troops into Chicago to fight crime.
 But teenagers who liven area of the southeast side notorious for gun violence, have strong feelings about what that could mean for their community.

O’Hare Airport has broken ground on a new $1.3 billion dollar terminal Concourse D. Sun-Times Architecture Columnist Lee Bey says the designers plan to create a more calming and intimate space, with daylight, plants and a kids play area. HOST: LANE

The Chicago Public Library has selected its One Book, One Chicago title for 2025. 
 
 The book is Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez. 
 
 Olga Dies Dreaming tells the stories of two successful Latino siblings who must confront the impact of long-held family secrets as their estranged mother returns to their lives.
 
 WBEZ contributor Adora Namigadde sits down with Xochitl Gonzalez to discuss the book. 
 HOST: LANE

LaToya Baines was at her lowest when she was in prison. 
 
 But a woman she met there helped her survive almost a decade behind bars. 
 
 Now, LaToya is helping others at their lowest points … through her work at a violence prevention agency.
 
 She calls it the job of her dreams. 
 
 WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko brings us her story. 
 HOST: DIXON

Typically, you can find Chicago baritone Will Liverman on opera stages across the country. 
 
 But this summer, Liverman did something different.
 
 He released a double album of art songs inspired by two 20th Century Black poets Paul Dunbar and his wife, Alice. 
 
 WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar has more. 
 HOST: DIXON

There were spirited anti-Trump protests around the U.S. Monday. Some of the loudest voices were in Chicago where the president has threatened to deploy National Guard troops.

Chicago’s biggest EDM event happens this weekend. 
 
 The ARC Music Festival celebrates Chicago as the home of house music. 
 
 On the lineup is Chicago DJ Hiroko Yamamura. 
 
 She’s one of the few local DJs who has claimed a spot every year.
 
 Yamamura recently sat down with Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez to discuss her approach to a festival set.
 
 HOST: DEGMAN

There are many unanswered questions about President Trump’s threat to send the National Guard to Chicago, leaving Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and other leaders frustrated at the lack of information from the feds.
 HOST: DIXON

It’s no secret Chicago has a lead pipe problem:
 
 It’s got the most lead service lines of any city in the country. And those pipes can leach toxic lead into our drinking water.
 
 But there hasn’t been a way for people to see if their home has a lead pipe, which neighborhoods have the most, and who’s most affected. 
 
 Until now.
 
 We mapped it ALL out. 
 
 WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has more.
 HOST: DIXON

Today…is gonna be the day…that Oasis plays in Chicago. 
 
 It’s the 20th stop on a sold-out tour that has been the talk of rock music all year. 
 
 And the reunion hits especially close to home for one of Oasis’ biggest fans…who just happens to live here. 
 
 Camila Trimberger-Ruiz takes us to Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood. 
 
 HOST: LARA

What does the law say about President Donald Trump’s threats to send troops to the city of Chicago?
 
 Trump has been talking up the possibility for more than a week now to purportedly help with crime.
 
 Jon Seidel has been digging into whether doing that would be constitutional.
 HOST: MELBA

The Illinois film industry is booming and it’s bringing big bucks to the local prop industry, with Chicago antique shops and prop houses supplying items seen on hit TV shows. HOST: DIXON

The Chicago band Rise Against started in the city’s gritty punk scene in the 1990s.
 
 The band has gone from small clubs to major labels, grown up, had families. But its members still make music that is politically and socially conscious. 
 HOST: MELBA

People working to reduce violence in Chicago are decrying President Donald Trump’s continuous threats to send the military to the city.
 
 Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan runs the anti-violence organization Chicago CRED.
 HOST: MELBA

In Illinois and across the country, schools, hospitals and community organizations depend on social workers to function. 
 
 But there are never enough social workers to go around. 
 
 It’s one of those jobs that doesn’t pay well – and in most cases requires a master’s degree. 
 
 Now, President Donald Trump and Republicans are piling on yet another deterrent to becoming one:
 
 Limits on how much in federal debt students can borrow to attend graduate school. 
 
 WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip has the story. 
 HOST: DIXON

As famine is declared in Gaza, Chicago area doctors are meeting with Illinois lawmakers to share their experiences and prompt action to end the war in Gaza. HOST: DIXON

There’s a small medical facility on Chicago’s Far South Side that calls itself ‘the little hospital that could.’
 
 But the chief medical officer at Roseland Community Hospital is not sure it can weather what’s coming next.
 HOST: MELBA

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we get your questions answered by the people who know best.
 
 This week, we got this question.
 
 “I’m Kylie Jones, I’m 24, and I’m from Evanston, Illinois, and I was wondering, given the state of Social Security, that may not be a possibility for me in the future. Are there any extra steps that I should be taking to prepare for retirement?”
 
 To find out, we brought in an expert.

Chicago’s new police oversight chief has been wiping out or dramatically scaling back recommendations to fire officers who investigators say have committed serious misconduct.
 
 These reversals are undoing months and years of investigative work and they’re coming at the request of the city’s top cop. 
 
 
 HOST: DIXON

Decades after the Union Stock Yards closed, Chicago continues to be a steak destination.
 
 Steakhouses open regularly, but this year brings an especially large crop of newcomers. 
 
 Between the fresh faces and the old guard — is Chicago teetering on steakhouse saturation? 
 
 HOST: DIXON

Chicago’s love for Korean skincare might be facing a setback.
 
 A new trade deal between the U.S. and South Korea includes a 15 percent tariff on Korean goods.
 
 That means beauty products may get pricier or harder to find.
 
 HOST: DIXON

Everybody knows Wisconsin as the land of cheese. 
 
 But in Chicago, one industry expert wants the local cheese scene to ripen. 
 
 Chicagoan Alisha Norris Jones, is a part of a new wave of cheesemonger who want to make goudas and cheddars more approachable. She’s even got a cameo in a new documentary.
 
 WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers has more. 
 HOST: DIXON

It’s back to class on Monday for most Chicago public school students.
 
 And that means a lot of kids are taking care of one of the most important things: picking their first day outfits.
 
 WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana checked in with some high schoolers to find out what they’ll be wearing, what’s trending and to hear their advice for teens still sorting out what to wear.
 HOST: DEGMAN

Chicago students begin classes today in the city’s public schools. Students can expect some changes as Chicago Public Schools grapple with a massive budget deficit. Fewer lunchroom workers, crossing guards and custodians. Some start and dismissal times have also been shifted earlier. But CPS officials say they have done their best to keep cuts away from the classroom. HOST: GOMEZ-ALDANA

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we get your questions answered by the people who know best.
 
 This week, we heard from Morgan from Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
 
 She says: “I hear a lot of things about inflation and tariffs, so I want to know a good way to budget and prepare for any changes in my spending habits."
 HOST: GOMEZ-ALDANA

Each fall, more than 15-hundred freshmen start class at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. 
 
 HALF of them are the first in their family to attend college.
 
 That’s a big milestone for a group that faces challenges not only in applying to college — but in adjusting to it and graduating.

Each fall, more than 15-hundred freshmen start class at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. 
 
 HALF of them are the first in their family to attend college.
 
 That’s a big milestone for a group that faces challenges not only in applying to college — but in adjusting to it and graduating.

"Stone Yard Devotional" isn't your typical beach read, but it's a novel that will stay with you. That's why local author Christina Henriquez thinks you should pick it up this summer.
 HOST: DIXON

Our show Prisoncast has been serving people in Illinois prisons and jails for more than three years.
 
 We’ve received hundreds of messages from incarcerated people – many saying they’re working to better themselves while they do time.
 
 But, there are barriers to that… some of which are only skin deep.
 
 Prisoncast producer Lauren Frost has this report on how tattoo removal programs could help people in custody to start fresh.
 HOST: DIXON

In the 1980s, nearly fifteen hundred bike messengers zoomed through downtown Chicago, rushing legal documents, packages, and contracts across the Loop.
 
 Today, just three registered courier companies and about fifty messengers remain.
 
 So how is this old-school job surviving in a city dominated by Uber Eats and Amazon deliveries?
 
 Sun-Times reporter David Struett breaks it down. HOST: DIXON

There's nothing better than spending a sunny summer afternoon in the park with a good book. Arts and Culture intern Camila Trimberger-Ruiz sat down with local author Rafael Frumkin to hear what's on her summer reading list. HOST: DIXON

Illinois is one of the bluest states in the country … so much so that more than two-dozen Texas House Democrats fled here to protest a proposed congressional map in their home state that could broaden Republican power in Washington.
 
 Governor J-B Pritzker is among the Democrats promising to fight – but does that include a new map in Illinois?
 HOST: DIXON

Summer is a great time to crack open a new book. Arts and Culture intern Camila Trimberger-Ruiz sat down with local author Sonali Dev to hear what's on her summer reading list. HOST: DIXON

MJ the Musical, an award winning musical about the days leading up to Michale Jackson’s 1992 “Dangerous World Tour” is coming back to Chicago. The production opens August 12 at the Nederlander Theatre. The show explores the father-son dynamic between Michael and his father Joe Jackson, as well as highlighting 25 of the King of Pop’s biggest hits. HOST: DIXON

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development dismissed two long fought Chicago cases the feds had previously said showed discriminatory practices.

Captain James Lovell, retired astronaut, part of Apollo 8 moon mission in 1968, died Aug. 7. In 2018, he joined Sun-Times reporter Robert Herguth for a conversation on the Face to Faith podcast. Lovell shared his journey from an upbringing in Milwaukee to his illustrious career with NASA. He discussed his childhood fascination with aviation, inspired by his uncle, and his path to the Naval Academy. Lovell reflected on his experiences as an astronaut, including his thoughts on space, religion, and the coexistence of science and faith.

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we get your questions answered by the people who know best.
 This week we’ll discuss what to know before you take out a travel insurance policy.
 HOST: DIXON

It’s been nearly two years since the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
 
 There’s intense international pressure for the two sides to enter into a ceasefire to get food to starving women and children. 
 
 Souher Gonzales of northwest suburban Morton Grove is leading an effort to get much needed food and other necessities to Palestinians in Gaza. 
 
 She founded a non-profit group last year called the Watermelon Sisters. 
 
 Souher joins us to talk about the group’s efforts. 
 HOST: PUENTE

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in the Chicago area today.
 
 She pushed a Trump administration narrative about immigrants and about federal efforts to get the dangerous ones out of the country.
 
 WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell was there today in west suburban Lombard.
 
 HOST: LARA

The days are long, hot, and humid - so what better way to pass the time than with a good book? Arts and Culture intern Camila Trimberger- Ruiz sat down with Chicago author Keir Graff to hear what's on his summer reading list. HOST: DIXON

This week, at an art gallery in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood a group of advocates and community members came together to make a quilt.
 
 But this quilt isn’t your average bedspread.
 
 Every square is a PORTRAIT of someone who is – or used to be – locked up inside an Illinois prison.
 
 WBEZ’s Lauren Frost was there, and has this story.
 HOST: DIXON

Finding a job can be a difficult task, but it can be especially hard for teenagers with little to no work experience.
 
 Sun-Times education reporter Emmanuel Camarillo sat down with WBEZ’s Melba Lara to share what he found after speaking with job placement experts, as well as Chicago teens working summer jobs.
 HOST: DIXON