The Chicago Report

Tonight — Chicago reacts to the sacking of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, the fallen dictator pleads not guilty in New York federal court. The U.S. military is celebrating a successful operation — but what does the future hold for Venezuela, the U.S., and the world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: Crime, budgets, Operation Midway Blitz, Springfield — no question off limits as we go one on one with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson — plus, will he run for reelection? His surprising answer. Plus, Paris and Tia talk CPS school board drama. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Turns out Chicago property taxes are going up — we’ll tell you by how much and why! And he’s the voice of Chicago news — the legendary anchorman Bill Kurtis stops by to talk about covering the major events of the last 60 years. It all started with a tornado — and it’s all in his new autobiography, Whirlwind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In part two of this special edition of "The Chicago Report," we continue the countdown of the top political stories of the year, covering stories five through one. This episode examines last-minute efforts in the Illinois General Assembly to avoid a transit fiscal cliff, Governor J.B. Pritzker’s tense trip to Washington, and the public split between Chicago Public Schools and CEO Pedro Martinez am...

On a special edition of "The Chicago Report," we count down the top 10 political stories of the year, beginning with stories 10 through 6. This episode covers major moments including City Council clashes over a global debate, a budget battle that pushed Chicago to the brink of a shutdown, Senator Dick Durbin’s decision not to seek reelection and the race to replace him, ongoing Bears stadium drama...

Tonight: The mayor chooses not to sign or veto the budget — so what exactly did he do? And a potential massive breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment thanks to work at Northwestern University — we get the lowdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: Will he or won’t he — the Mayor Johnson watch begins as the mayor mulls signing the city’s alternative budget proposal. Some sites start to emerge in northwest Indiana as the Bears’ interest might be more than flirtation. A Chicago non-profit aimed at spurring home ownership gets a $10 million gift. And the central force animating the nation’s politics — a new book examines the rise of na...

Tonight: The Bears pull an audible and now say they’re looking at Northwest Indiana for a new stadium — is the Hoosier State ready to roll out the red carpet? And President Trump saber rattles a possible war in Venezuela. We get the very latest from Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: Chicago’s so-called alternative budget takes another step toward passage — will Mayor Johnson sign on? Part of the plan is to legalize video gambling in most Chicago bars and restaurants — that could help some Chicago businesses, but hurt others. And need a way to bridge the political divide at family gatherings? We get the lowdown on a new game developed at Northwestern University. Learn...

Tonight: More meetings. More arm twisting. More pontificating. But does the city have a budget agreement yet? And — research from the University of Chicago gives insight into how social media has supercharged the current era of violent threats against lawmakers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: City budget bonanza — opposition alderpeople reveal their latest proposal, which they hope the mayor signs onto to avoid a city government shutdown. A popular downtown Riverwalk concessionaire files a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Johnson administration and the city — why he says he was stripped of his business because of his race. The debate over self-driving taxis — some lawm...

Tonight: Hoosier State holdup: A defeat for the Trump administration as the Indiana State Senate rejects mid-decade redistricting that would’ve given Republicans a potential clean sweep in Congress. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth sounds off on National Guard troop deployments, the future of Obamacare subsidies, and more. The family of a fallen officer sues her ex-partner and the City of Chicago...

Tonight: City budget standoff intensifies — will they get a deal before the holidays or risk an unprecedented Chicago shutdown? A top Trump administration official speaks out exclusively to The Chicago Report — why he says threats to withhold funding to the CTA unless it improves public safety are legal. Will the U.S. follow Australia’s lead and ban social media use for kids under 16? The surprisi...

The conversation continues with Maura Smith on her new film about her late husband, "Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: The mayor pulls back some on the corporate head tax — will alders buy it? The city's budget director explains. A downtown alderman modifies his "snap curfew" proposal in the hopes City Council will pass it this time — in the wake of last month's deadly teen takeover at the Christmas tree lighting. What went on behind closed doors? Washington lawmakers see video and meet with central playe...

Tonight: The city of Chicago careens toward a possible government shutdown — as Mayor Johnson and 26 city council members face off on competing budget proposals. The ever shrinking entertainment industry — what a potential merger of Netflix and Warner Brothers, or Paramount and Warner Brothers, means for you the viewer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: Northwestern students react to the school's $75 million agreement with the Trump administration. President Trump targets Minnesota's Somali population — how the Land of 10 Thousand Lakes is responding. O'Hare is on track to reclaim the title of world's busiest — but that could mean more traffic, delays, and headaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tonight: President Trump saber rattles an invasion into Venezuela — as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces fallout from a controversial double strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean. Who exactly is to blame for the higher Cook County property taxes — the answer is a little complicated. And we pay tribute to a Chicago media giant — dead today at 70. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Tonight: A group of council members says to the mayor — we see your budget proposal with a corporate head tax — and we present to you ours, without one. What’s in it and will it have the votes? Northwestern University agrees to a $75 million settlement with the Trump administration to unlock nearly $800 million in federal grants — why some faculty members say it amounts to capitulation. And a Chic...

Tonight: Controversy at the Christkindlmarket – why vendors at the popular German winter festival at Daley Plaza are reeling from the mayor's last-minute decision to limit crowds. The oft-debated SAFE-T Act – is it responsible for recent high-profile crimes like the Loop burning? And does it need to change? We get both sides of the argument. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...

A victim of assault at the hands of CTA burning suspect Lawrence Reed speaks out about her 2021 case, and why prosecutors urged her to allow them to drop charges against the 72-time arrestee. Terror in Washington, D.C. – the latest on the shooting of two National Guard members that has reportedly left them in critical condition. And a close-up view of America’s third coast – an author walks the la...

Tonight: President Trump once again threatens to send troops into Chicago. Plus — the county's troubled electronic monitoring program comes under new scrutiny. Why did a judge let Lawrence Reed out onto the street despite 72 prior arrests? The answers might shock you. The future of the Affordable Health Care Act — how much are subsidies going up, and do Trump and Republicans actually have a plan?...

Coming up on "The Chicago Report:" The U.S. House committee investigating the Chicago Teachers Union demands five years of financial audits, escalating questions about CTU’s political spending and influence over upcoming school board races. We also break down Chicago’s latest CTA attack and the Loop mass shooting, and what they reveal about Cook County judges, the SAFE-T Act, and renewed calls for...

Coming up on "The Chicago Report:" A stunning reversal as Federal prosecutors on Thursday filed a motion to dismiss charges against Marimar Martinez, who was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent last month. Plus, the man accused of setting a woman on fire at a CTA stop faces federal terrorism charges, Congressman Darin LaHood weighs in on the Epstein files, and a Northwestern University study...

Coming up on "The Chicago Report:" A repeat offender accused of setting a woman on fire at a Loop CTA station now faces federal terrorism charges. Plus, Governor Pritzker and a White Sox executive meet with Pope Leo XIV in Rome, and the Epstein files bill lands on the president’s desk. We’ll also look at why childbirth complications remain higher among African American women — and what experts say...