WBEZ News

Former ComEd lobbyist Jay Doherty received a one-year prison term – slightly less than the 15 months prosecutors wanted. HOST: MELBA

Chicago chef Curtis Duffy is opening up about life and restaurants in a new memoir out today [Tue].
 
 “Fireproof” is a deeply personal book that traces Duffy’s story ... starting with his parents’ death in a murder-suicide. Duffy also writes about his time in some of the city’s top kitchens. 
 
 And he talks about running his restaurant Ever… which is prominently featured in the FX series “The Bear.” WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers recently sat down with Duffy
 HOST: DIXON

Almost half of all home health care aides are immigrants.
 
 As the Trump administration continues its mass deportation campaign, Chicago area care agencies say they have immigrant employees who are afraid to go to work. 
 
 For people who rely on that care, it’s getting harder to find workers to come to their home. 
 
 WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang has the story of one Chicagoan with a disability who is struggling to get the help she needs.
 HOST: DIXON

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best.
 
 This week, we got this question from Dan.
 
 He asks: "I have $500-thousand dollars in my 401(k), is there anything I can do to minimize taxes? I am thinking about retirement in a couple of years."
 
 To find out, we called up an expert.
 HOST: DIXON

Lollapalooza will bring thousands to Grant Park through the weekend. 
 
 On Sunday, local artist Kaicrewsade will make his debut at the festival.
 
 He sat down with host Nudia Hernandez from WBEZ sister station Vocalo to discuss his setlist and share advice for other young artists.
 
 HOST: LARA

They are ringing you up at the register, keeping swimmers safe and running social media accounts for a lot of grown-ups.
 
 Chicago area teenagers are on the job this summer. 
 
 Working teens faced a tougher time landing a job this year. The June unemployment rate for teenagers was up significantly over last year. 
 
 Chicago Sun Times reporter Emmanuel Camarillo and WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana spoke to a group of teens who found work. 
 
 Here is what they have to say about finding a job, what they learned and how they’re spending their paychecks.
 HOST: LANE

Later today [Fri], teenagers from across the city will pitch social media campaigns they’ve created to ad executives and city officials.
 
 They aren’t trying to get their peers to buy hair care products or funny looking stuffed animals. They want them to turn away from guns. 
 
 WBEZ’s Sarah Karp tells us what one group of teens working with a West Side community organization came up with. HOST: LANE

Earlier this month we published a list of our 12 favorite artisanal ice cream shops in Chicago. 
 
 And we challenged our readers and listeners: The first person to try all 12 would get a prize. 
 
 If you’re still trying for the chance to win, I’m sorry to say that you have been beaten for quite some time. 
 
 The winner, Jeffrey Jacobs, joined WBEZ’s Lisa Labuz to tell us how he completed our ice cream bucket list challenge in fewer than 50 hours. 
 
 HOST: LANE

President Donald Trump’s new tax bill cuts the number of income-based repayment options from four to just two. 
 
 Critics say both options are more expensive for borrowers. 
 
 WBEZ higher education reporter Lisa Kurian Philip sat down with All Things Considered host Melba Lara to break it down. 
 HOST: DIXON

Every year, the musician-run Chicago Philharmonic performs a concert series in Chicago’s parks. 
 
 But this isn’t your average orchestra concert. 
 
 WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar reports.
 HOST: DIXON

Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg has died at 65 after an extended battle with cancer.
 
 In 15 seasons with the Cubs, Sandberg was a 10-time All-Star, a nine-time Gold Glove winner, and the National League M-V-P in 19-84.
 HOST: MELBA

Lollapalooza returns to Chicago Thursday, and several local artists will nab the spotlight. 
 
 Chicago’s Emily Clairice Woods, who performs under the singular name Clairice, will perform during the Chicago Made Showcase.
 
 She stopped by the studios of WBEZ sister station Vocalo to talk to Nudia Hernandez about her setlist and the making of her new, heartfelt EP.
 HOST: DIXON

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best.
 
 This week, we got this question from John in the city’s Norwood Park neighborhood.
 
 He asks: “What’s the best way to build a financial portfolio for your children that won’t impact their tax liability or college financial aid, but will allow them to build credit?”
 
 To find out, we called up an expert
 HOST: DIXON

The musician Sinead O’Connor was a singular voice in music who inspired a generation of women artists.
 
 Two years after her death, the new book Nothing Compares to You: What Sinead O’Connor Means to Us asks 25 writers to consider her impact. 
 
 WBEZ contributor Alison Cuddy sat down in the studio with Martha Bayne, who coedited the book with Sonya Huber. 
 
 They were joined in conversation by Chicago essayist Zoe Zolbrod. 
 HOST: DIXON

They came for the ‘American Dream.’ The husband says conditions in detention were ‘inhumane.’ The wife has enrolled in the government’s program to self-deport. HOST: LARA

The beginning of the school year is just weeks away, but the Chicago Public School district is still staring down a massive budget deficit. 
 
 The district is grappling with a budget shortfall of $734 million dollars. 
 
 HOST: DIXON

President Donald Trump promised lower prices “on Day One” during his campaign last year.
 
 So last December, the Chicago Sun-Times started tracking prices at four different grocery stores – and found that very few items dropped in cost.
 
 Sun-Times reporter Stephanie Zimmermann and WBEZ editor Emilie Syberg met with Charlotte Maggio at a local grocery store to talk about how *she* shops for food as consumer prices stay high.
 HOST: DIXON

We’ve been following a couple seeking asylum in the US, until the husband was arrested and later deported under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. 
 
 He spent nearly three months in detention. 
 
 Alone and with three young kids …his wife is out of work and sometimes they don’t have enough to eat. She fears getting arrested herself. 
 
 Things are so bad, she is ready to self deport to Venezuela. She enrolled in Trump’s self deportation program and is scheduled to leave by the end of the month.
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad brings us her story. 
 
 HOST: LARA

The Chicago soul producer and arranger Charles Stepney died at the age of 45, before his musical contributions could really be understood. 
 
 But now that is changing, thanks to his daughters — Eibur, Charlene and Chanté. 
 
 The sisters recently stopped by WBEZ and spoke with arts reporter Courtney Kueppers about their father’s legacy.
 HOST: DIXON

Since President Trump took office, we’ve been hearing a lot about federal agents arresting immigrants outside schools, on their way to work, or after appointments in immigration court.
 
 But, we don’t have many first-hand accounts about what happens next. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Since President Trump took office, we’ve been hearing a lot about federal agents arresting immigrants outside schools, on their way to work, or after appointments in immigration court.
 
 But, we don’t have many first-hand accounts about what happens next. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Illinois’ Democratic Congressional coalition is sounding the alarm after Congress voted to claw back $9 billion dollars in funding from public broadcasting and foreign aid.
 
 Chicago Public Media stands to lose $3 million dollars a year … or about six percent of its budget. 
 
 U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois joined WBEZ Reset host Sasha Ann Simons today to talk about the rescissions bill and the future of the Democratic party … including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
 HOST: LARA

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best.
 
 This week, we got this question from Linda in suburban Oak Forest.
 
 She says: "In October 2025 my IRA will be free of early withdrawal penalties. I had $50-thousand dollars in there for 10 years and only earned $13-thousand dollars. I felt I was used by my financial adviser and do not want him to advise me of what to do with the money now. But I don't know what I want to do with it. CD ladders? High interest savings account?"
 
 To help find the right next steps for Linda, we called up an expert.
 HOST: DIXON

Congress has signed off on the Trump administration’s plan to claw back $9 billion dollars in previously allocated funds. 
 
 That includes 1-billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR, PBS and their member stations – including WBEZ.
 
 HOST: DIXON

Chicago-based housewares company YouCopia is facing steep financial pressure due to higher tariffs on imports from China. 
 
 Lauren Greenwood is president of YouCopia. She joins us now to discuss what this has meant for her business. 
 HOST: DIXON

Chicago dance and variety production The Fly Honey Show is hosting its grand finale this month with a series of performances. Co-founder Erin Kilmurray sat down with Vocalo to discuss the creative side of a grand finale. HOST: DIXON

Federal drinking water rules require public officials across the country to tell customers when their homes are connected to lead pipes. Of the 10 cities with the most lead service lines, only Chicago has confirmed it has not finished sending out notices. As of last week, and 8 months past a federal deadline, the city has only notified 7 percent of impacted Chicagoans. Lead is a toxic metal. Exposure is linked to developmental delays and behavioral issues. HOST: DIXON

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best.
 
 This week, we got this question from Sheri in Skokie.
 
 She asks: “I’m recently retired and want to move my money out of my 403b because they don’t offer many sustainable options for investing. What’s your advice on where to place my IRA - With great options for sustainability without many/any fees?”
 
 To find out, we called up an expert
 HOST: DIXON

Secondhand store owners in Chicago say they’re seeing a significant increase in shoppers.
 
 That could be driven by higher prices in the wake of President Trump’s trade war. 
 
 Shoppers are also considering the environmental impact of shopping secondhand. 
 
 Sun-Times contributor Olivia Dimmer joins us now to tell us more about what she found after speaking with secondhand and consignment shop owners *and* customers.
 HOST: LANE

The Color Purple is coming to Chicago. The musical version of the 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker, will be on stage at the Goodman for the first time. 
 HOST: DIXON

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 This week, we got this question from Ben in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood.
 
 He asks: “How do people move from short-term savings, plus a 401k, to mid-term savings for unclear goals? I'd like to start investing toward a house beyond a normal savings account, and I'm not sure where to start.”
 
 HOST: DIXON

This is WBEZ. The “World’s Largest Karaoke” party returns to Chicago this evening for a second year. The event, hosted by the Salt Shed on the Near North Side, features thousands of aspiring amateur vocalists.
 
 HOST: DIXON

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made headlines recently when he issued the first veto by a mayor in nearly 20 years, on an ordinance to create snap curfews for kids. 
 
 But a look at Chicago’s long list of historic vetoes reveals the power wasn’t always such a novelty. 
 
 HOST: DIXON

In Illinois, Medicaid is a lifeline for one in four people who are low income or have a disability.
 
 This public program pays for everything from seniors in nursing homes to mothers and their newborns. 
 
 It also pays for children who are dependent on medical technology to live at home instead of in an institution.
 
 HOST: DIXON

A bill that could help bring pilot programs for overdose prevention sites to Illinois didn’t pass during the recent legislative session.
 HOST: MELBA

Senate Republicans in Washington have been hashing out the details of a major legislative package.
 
 President Trump’s proposed tax cuts and spending priorities could mean big changes for Illinois – including large cuts to people on Medicaid and food stamps.
 
 Here to tell us about what this bill could mean for folks here is Tina Sfondeles – the national politics reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.
 HOST: DIXON

The officer who officials say accidentally shot and killed his partner earlier this month had more than a dozen misconduct complaints against him in just three-and-a-half years on the force.
 HOST: LANE

Chicago has more lead service lines than any place in the country. 
 
 Although the dangerous lead pipes were banned in 1986, the city laid down a significant number before the ban took effect. 
 
 A recent federal rule mandated that water systems across the country finish replacing all their lead pipes in about two decades. 
 
 But an investigation by WBEZ, Grist and Inside Climate News found Chicago’s plan could take 30 years longer.
 
 Here to tell us more is Keerti Gopal from Inside Climate News and WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco.
 HOST: DIXON

The Chicago band Daisychain is having a big summer with the release of their debut album – “All in a Name” and heading out on tour.
 
 To make the album, the band teamed up with a producer who is a veteran of projects with Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Tool.
 HOST: DIXON

For nearly 50 years, Links Hall has been a cornerstone of Chicago’s dance scene. After this weekend, it will close for good. 
 
 HOST: DIXON

Hundreds of police personnel, friends and family gathered to pay their respects to Officer Krystal Rivera today at her funeral. 
 
 Rivera lost her life earlier this month when her own partner accidentally shot her during a foot chase, police say. 
 
 WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko reports from the Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park. 
 
 HOST: LANE

The Trump administration is looking to defund the Legal Services Corporation. 
 
 That organization allocates federal money to non-profit legal providers. 
 
 Cuts to its budget could mean less legal representation for victims of domestic violence and veterans.
 
 HOST: DIXON

The Trump administration is looking to defund the Legal Services Corporation. 
 
 That organization allocates federal money to non-profit legal providers. 
 
 Cuts to its budget could mean less legal representation for victims of domestic violence and veterans.
 
 HOST: DIXON

Juan Hernandez was just a teenager when he went away to prison.
 
 He was in his 30s before he earned his high school diploma.
 
 To get there, he had to fight through wait lists, denials and administrative barriers.
 
 And he’s not the only one. 
 
 In Illinois, thousands of men and women have been unable to access education in prison because of the length of their sentence.
 
 Reporter Charlotte West from Open Campus brings you Juan’s story.
 
 HOST: LARA

Actor Amy Morton is instantly recognizable, even if you don't know her name. She plays Sergeant Trudy Platt in NBC’s Chicago P.D., and she’s been in a lot of movies. After eight years away, Morton is returning to her creative home at Steppenwolf Theatre to perform in the play You Will Get Sick.
 HOST: DIXON

For some people, this month’s Pride celebrations come with mixed feelings. President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders targeting transgender and non-binary people.
 
 He’s also ramped up his aggressive mass deportation campaign.
 
 So for transgender migrants seeking asylum in the United States, life has become even more dangerous and unpredictable.
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad met up with a transgender woman from Venezuela who's facing that uncertainty. HOST: DIXON

Since his election as the first American Pope, Pope Leo The Fourteenth has been public about his Chicago roots.
 
 But less is known about his political views – particularly when it comes to local issues.
 
 Well we now have a glimpse into what the pope thinks about one major Illinois law passed nearly 15 years ago.
 
 HOST: LARA

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances.
 
 Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best.
 
 This week, we got this question from Todd in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood:
 
 He says, “The biggest scam is the lack of security of so many organizations we use on a daily basis. How can we really protect our information?”
 HOST: LANE

Illinois lawmakers are trying to rein in a new way to pay for college and training programs. 
 
 They’re called income share agreements, or ISA’s: a student gets the cost of tuition paid in exchange for a cut of their future income. 
 
 Supporters say they can be a good alternative to high-interest private loans.
 
 But critics liken them to indentured servitude.
 
 HOST: LANE

Starting Saturday, all outdoor public pools in Chicago will be open every day this summer for the first time since before the pandemic. 
 
 But the pools will close before summer ends … when the city can be hit with extreme heat. 
 
 It’s been a slow climb back to a seven-day schedule for the Chicago Park District. 
 
 Chicago Sun-Times reporters Brett Chase and Lauren FitzPatrick analyzed the pool schedules in recent years and also looked at the role pools play in offering relief from the heat.
 
 HOST: LARA