WBEZ News

Earlier this year, PBS premiered a new documentary about the world-renowned chef Edna Lewis. 
 
 A local screening at the University of Chicago revealed how much Lewis has influenced Chicago’s Black chefs. 
 
 HOST: LANE

Juan Hernandez was a teenager when he was sentenced to prison. He was 32 when he finally completed his high school education.

Vacant offices across Chicago’s downtown are being converted to apartments. 
 
 Developers and city officials hope the conversions will transform downtown into a full-fledged neighborhood.
 
 Here to catch us up on this is Abby Miller, who covers real estate development for the Chicago Sun Times. 
 HOST: DIXON

Dozens of Chicago skaters, unicyclers, and rollerbladers have been spending some Thursday nights grooving …. in an old TJ Maxx. 
 The next South Loop “Skate Rave” will take place this Thursday. 
 WBEZ contributor Anita Li brings us this report from a recent skate.
 HOST: DIXON

The federal Head Start program for low-income children has been under attack by the Trump administration.
 
 Funding is uncertain under the president’s proposed Year One budget.
 
 This includes money to nurture the littlest learners — infants and toddlers up to three years old.
 HOST: MELBA

A sea of protesters took over downtown streets on Saturday afternoon for Chicago’s No Kings protest against the Trump administration. 
 
 Tens of thousands of people participated in the peaceful event.
 
 They all expressed different reasons for being there. 
 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 a question from John in Rogers Park.
 HOST: DIXON

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When kids pass through the school house doors they are supposed to feel safe and welcomed.
 
 That’s not what happened to one Black girl at a mostly white Chicago public school.
 
 Her story played out as the district has struggled to tackle a rising number of complaints of racism and other forms of discrimination.
 
 WBEZ’s Sarah Karp tells us how the girl’s mother is responding.
 HOST: LARA

Approximately ten percent of babies nationwide are born prematurely and some families end up in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NIC-U.
 
 But as complications and emergencies arise during birth … for the non-birthing parent, there isn’t much support. 
 
 WBEZ’s Araceli Gomez-Aldana reports on a local dad’s group that is hoping to change the misconception about what dads want and need during the birth process. 
 HOST: DIXON

Governor J-B Pritzker is on Capitol Hill today testifying on behalf of Illinois’ sanctuary law before a Congressional oversight committee. 
 
 The Democratic billionaire has retained a powerful D-C lawyer to prepare for what’s going to be a high-profile appearance.
 
 Chicago Sun Times reporter Tina Sfondeles is there.
 
 She says Pritzker – who is seen as a potential Presidential candidate in 20-28 – can’t afford any missteps. 
 
 HOST: LARA

Just in time for summer, Chicago’s home for so-called “outsider art” has reopened after a multi- million-dollar renovation and expansion. 
 
 WBEZ’s Courtney Kueppers took a trip to the newly reimagined Intuit Art Museum in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood and has this story. HOST: DIXON

President Donald Trump has stripped many immigrants of the temporary protections that have allowed them to live and work legally in the United States.
 
 Now, many immigrants from countries like Haiti and Venezuela have a tough decision to make: live in the U.S. illegally and risk deportation, or go back to countries that continue to face political unrest and violence. 
 
 WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad has the story of one teacher facing that tough choice. HOST: DIXON

Chicago attracted more than 55 million visitors last year (2024). 
 
 That was up almost 7 (6.5) percent from the year before ... but it's still behind the city's pre-pandemic levels. 
 
 Kristen Reynolds – the new president and CEO of Choose Chicago – spoke with WBEZ host Clare Lane about this summer’s inbound travel forecast. 
 HOST: MELBA

Chicago homicide numbers keep heading down.
 
 So far this year, the city has recorded nearly 30 percent fewer murders than during the same period last year.
 
 And the city’s so-called safety gap has narrowed.
 HOST: DIXON

A new book reclaims the narrative of Dr. Edith Farnsworth, the Plano patron of Mies van der Rohe. HOST: DIXON

The decade-long criminal pursuit of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan finally comes down to this.
 
 On Friday, a man once regarded as the state’s most powerful politician will be sentenced for multiple corruption convictions.
 
 If Madigan gets a long prison term, could his next step be to seek relief from President Trump?
 HOST: MELBA

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 heard from Dan in Irving Park, who recently got scammed.
 HOST: DIXON

Officer Krystal Rivera was an animal lover, a devoted mom and a dedicated public servant.
 
 That’s according to family members who spoke today (FRI) with the Sun-Times’ Mary Norkol.
 
 Rivera was shot and killed during a pursuit in the Chatham neighborhood last night (THURS).
 
 Mary Norkol joins me now to tell us more about the shooting…and about Officer Rivera.
 
 HOST: LARA

Chicago has recorded 157 murders so far this year.
 
 
 That’s the fewest through this date of any year in more than a decade.
 
 
 Some experts are crediting publicly funded street outreach known as community violence intervention.
 
 
 WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell got a close-up look at that outreach on the city’s West Side.
 HOST: DIXON

Thursday is Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. 
 
 WBEZ’s Michael Puente talked to some Chicago-area fans of the team next door. 
 HOST: LARA

A ballet version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet opens Thursday and runs most of June. The man behind it is the esteemed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. HOST: DIXON

The White House has submitted a rescissions package to Congress, asking them to eliminate over a billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS.
 
 This follows an executive order last month where President Donald Trump aimed to defund C-P-B, which is now facing lawsuits.
 
 Here to tell us more about what this means for WBEZ is Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell.
 HOST: MELBA

Rising costs and political uncertainty has some people rethinking their summer travel plans. 
 
 Whether you're flying off to a faraway destination or looking to explore closer to home, there are a few things you need to know before you go. 
 
 WBEZ producer and travel writer Andrea Guthman joins me now with a few tips on how to maximize your summer vacation.
 HOST: DIXON

A new opera premiering in Chicago highlights the lesser-known women at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. 
 
 Chicago Opera Theatre is staging the production through Sunday.
 
 HOST: DIXON

Local rapper Jay Wood is known for his authentic lyrics and energetic shows. When it comes to fashion, he’s influenced by streetwear, skate culture and growing up around Chicago.
 
 Wood says his music and fashion styles inspire and reflect each other.
 
 The artist recently visited our studios for the latest segment of Vocalo’s Getting Dressed series.

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.
 HOST: DIXON

Illinois lawmakers have adjourned for the summer.
 
 Over the weekend - they passed a state budget just a few minutes before their midnight deadline Saturday night – but there’s plenty they left on the table.
 
 Here to talk about it with us is WBEZ Statehouse Reporter Alex Degman – Alex, good morning.
 HOST: DIXON

One of the objectives of President Trump’s tariff strategy is getting companies to move their operations from overseas to the United States. This strategy is known as reshoring. 
 
 While experts have doubts this strategy will work, some people in Northwest Indiana hope to take advantage of the policy. 
 HOST: LABUZ

A new investigation by the Invisible Institute and ProPublica reveals that The Chicago Police Department has failed to vigorously investigate allegations of sexual assault by officers. A review of over 300 sexual assault and misconduct complaints found claims were often downplayed or ignored, sometimes allowing officers to abuse again and again. Reporters Dana Brozost-Kelleher and María Inés Zamudio are here to share their findings. HOST: LARA

Immigration remains a flashpoint between President Trump and Illinois Democrats.
 
 Lawmakers in Springfield have vowed to serve as a firewall against Trump’s deportation agenda. 
 
 And as they wrap up their Spring legislative session, several bills that would further put Illinois at odds with the federal government have stalled.

A new investigation by the Invisible Institute and ProPublica reveals that The Chicago Police Department has failed to vigorously investigate allegations of sexual assault by officers. 
 
 A review of over 300 sexual assault and misconduct complaints found claims were often downplayed or ignored, sometimes allowing officers to abuse again and again.
 
 Reporters Dana Brozost-Kelleher and María Inés Zamudio are here to share their findings.
 HOST: LARA

University researchers have been left in limbo by federal funding freezes ordered by the Trump administration. 
 
 This includes medical researchers here in Chicago who have spent decades digging into critical public health problems.
 
 HOST: MELBA

Sueños is one of the largest Latin music festivals in the country. It’s known for its reggaeton music and bringing Latin artists from across the globe to Grant Park in Chicago. But the city’s influence on the festival may be causing a shift in its identity.

This month, a new play premiered in Chicago that offered audiences a glimpse into the experiences of foster children.
 The show Alex in Windyland was co-written by children who are in the foster care system …. and it encouraged theatre-goers to take action after watching. 
 WBEZ contributor Adora Namigadde takes us inside Filament Theatre on the Northwest Side. 
 HOST: DIXON

The Chicago Housing Authority has a brand new Healthy Homes Division. The team will help address environmental issues like lead, mold and air quality for more than 30 thousand public housing residents. 
 
 WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang sat down with the group’s new leader – Elizabeth Poole — to discuss what this new department means for CHA. 
 HOST: DIXON

A research project at the University of Illinois could find a new homegrown source for sustainable fuel for air travel.
 HOST: MELBA

This week, Homeland Security officials are ramping up enforcement actions across the United States, arresting immigrants who show up to their court hearings.
 
 Chicago’s immigration court downtown was no exception.
 
 WBEZ’s immigration reporter Adriana Cardona Maguigad has more.
 
 HOST: MELBA

Sueños starts tomorrow. 
 
 The Latin music festival is considered the unofficial start of Chicago’s busy summer event season. 
 
 But at least one alderperson has raised the question of whether Chicago should do more to secure its large festivals. 
 
 WBEZ arts reporter Courtney Kueppers is here to talk about that
 HOST: LABUZ

The Chicago Blackhawks have named Jeff Blashill (BLASH-uhl) as the team’s new head coach.
 
 WBEZ producer Noah Jennings sat down with sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout to learn more about the Hawks’ new coach.
 
 HOST: MELBA

Only three times in the history of music has the classical world convened to celebrate the composer Gustav Mahler. An invitation to play at Mahler Fest is a big deal. 
 
 Last week, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra received a 10-minute standing ovation there for their rendition of Mahler’s Seventh. 
 
 WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar filed this dispatch from Amsterdam.
 
 HOST: DIXON

Chicagoans with student debt are feeling whiplash and extreme confusion under President Donald Trump.
 
 Trump has called previous efforts to ease the burden of student debt “illegal” — and is closing pathways to affordable repayment and cancellation.
 
 WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip has the story of a longtime resident of Little Village who is trying to navigate what she calls– all this “noise.” 
 
 HOST: DIXON

President Donald Trump is going after student borrowers. 
 
 He’s called past efforts at student debt relief “illegal.”
 
 And he’s ramping up efforts to collect unpaid educational debt.
 
 The new approach has some Chicagoans feeling stressed…and hopeless.
 
 WBEZ's Lisa Kurian Philip brings you the story of one man who went back to school to gain financial security.
 
 But the loans he borrowed to pay for it are getting in the way. 
 HOST: DIXON

A haul of precious artifacts once housed in the state’s Abraham Lincoln presidential museum will be hitting the auction block this week.
 
 But the famed Lincoln collector who originally owned the items is telling WBEZ exclusively she’s appalled to see the prized Lincoln relics be – in her words – “dispensed to the wind.”
 
 WBEZ’s Dave McKinney has more.
 HOST: MELBA

TPS allows eligible non-citizens to live and work in the U.S without fear of getting deported.
 
 The court’s decision allows the Trump administration to end TPS protections for some Venezuelans while the case moves through the appeals process.
 
 The termination came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow the Trump administration to move forward with plans to end the program for a specific group of TPS holders until a final decision gets challenged in court. 
 
 WBEZ’s immigration reporter Adriana Cardona Maguigad spoke with World Relief Chicagoland immigration attorney Sarah Flagel [FLAY-GUL] about what’s a stake for many Venezuelans in Chicago and the country 
 Host: Melba

Earlier this month, a festival dedicated to the composer Gustav Mahler brought some of the world’s best orchestras under one roof. 
 
 Chicago’s own symphony was there, marking a first for an American orchestra.
 
 WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar filed this dispatch from Amsterdam after talking to festival fans …. and Mahler’s granddaughter.
 HOST: DIXON