The Rundown | Chicago News

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected in Chicago in response to several measles cases at one of the city's largest migrant shelters. Nearly four out of 10 Illinois residents say they favor banning teaching critical race theory in public schools. The Equal Pay Chicago Coalition is discussing ways to close disparities in gender pay.

In 2015, a young Black man named Freddie Gray died in police custody. His death and the subsequent protests in Baltimore served as inspiration for playwright Anna Deavere Smith. She wove Gray’s story into a play called “Notes from the Field.” At its core, the play explores the school-to-prison pipeline. Smith’s one-woman plays are composed of verbatim monologues from interviews she conducted. And...

Chicago health care advocates say the spread of serious diseases is inevitable when migrants are placed in crowded spaces with little ventilation. Convicted former Chicago Alderman Edward Burke – and his law license – are becoming an issue in a tight Supreme Court race. Eileen O’Neill Burke tells public officials at the City Club she’s running for state’s attorney because she is “not giving up on...

The Chicago Bears say they are willing to put up $2 billion of their own money towards a new stadium in the city, but the statement from the team was light on other details. The state of Illinois is finally making available $18.5 million to assist and protect witnesses of violent crime. The conflict-ridden Illinois Supreme Court is letting convicted former Chicago Alderman Edward Burke keep his la...

Maryam Taghavi’s exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art examines the things we cannot see and our own ability to perceive the things we can. It’s aptly titled “ Nothing Is .” “When you stare at something, in a way, it stares back at you,” Taghavi said. “The lake, the water or the clouds, the sky or trees, or the street, all the texts on the street. So these things sort of speak back at you, and...

Two confirmed cases of measles in a Pilsen migrant shelter are leading to calls for more proactive health screenings for migrants. Illinois residents have had more than $40 million dollars worth of student debt canceled under the new federal SAVE plan. This is the last week Illinois voters can request a mail ballot for next week’s March 19th primary election.

Chicago public health officials say a child has tested positive for measles at one of the largest migrant shelters in the Pilsen neighborhood. Abortion rights advocates are protesting the recent opening of an Indiana-based crisis pregnancy center in Chicago. The city of Chicago now has its first Native and Pollinator Garden Registry Advisory Board.

Al Capone. Operation Greylord . Four former Illinois governors in federal prison.  We have a long history of corruption around these parts, but WBEZ government and politics reporter Dave McKinney thinks that the present day – with figures like former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke – may take the cake. “It’s a little funny to think about what’s going...

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth brought an infertility specialist to President Biden’s address last night. A state lawmaker has ideas for a new Bears stadium near Soldier Field. Chicago has been developing twice as much away from transit stop as opposed to near them.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is standing by his call to permanently eliminate the state's 1% grocery tax. A Democrat-backed effort in Springfield would legalize psilocybin—psychedelic mushrooms. Many migrants living in Chicago are having difficulty getting a driver’s license.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Illinois has become a popular destination for people seeking abortion care. Now, lawmakers are turning their attention to in vitro fertilization, or IVF. In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled embryos fertilized through IVF should be considered people. The state’s governor has since signed legislation to protect IVF providers from legal liabili...

Chicago officials are preparing for the DNC Convention that comes to town in August. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is celebrating a decision that will put the Bring Chicago Home referendum back in the hands of voters. A new proposal for funding Illinois’ public universities could increase the number of Black and low-income students getting college degrees.

Cook County’s top prosecutor is praising the guilty verdicts against the man who killed Chicago police officer Ella French and attempted to kill her partners. A new grant program will address food insecurity across Illinois. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced this year's Chicago Blues Festival lineup, including a special performance by Buddy Guy as part of his...

Jim Bachor is known for filling Chicago potholes with old world, mosaic tile artwork. But his work doesn’t depict Roman emperors or ancient religious figures. More often it’s a pack of Marlboro cigarettes or a delicious frozen ice cream treat . “I’ve found that my goal in life is to drag the artform of the mosaic kicking and screaming into the 21st century,” Bachor said.  Bachor recently open...

Critics of a mayor-backed plan for a partially elected school board say grassroots candidates will have a hard time running. Proposed legislation in Springfield would ban small, single-use containers for personal care products like soap and shampoo in hotels. A former Democratic Illinois governor is teaming up with a Republican on ethics reform for politicians.

The Illinois Senate has passed a bill to create a partially elected Chicago school board. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago has access once again to patients’ electronic medical records, more than a month into a cybersecurity outage. Early voting is underway for people incarcerated at Cook County Jail.

Soup & Bread is an event at a bar in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood – The Hideout – where anyone who wanders in can get a free meal of soup and bread the first Wednesday of every month during Chicago’s chilly season. Organizer Martha Bayne said it’s not just about showing up and getting some free soup, but to invite people into a “classically third space, where people can come together outsi...

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says Democrats will benefit from having Donald Trump on the ballot this year. A former Illinois appellate judge has raised more than twice as much as her Democratic primary opponent in the race to replace Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. A Northwestern University alumna has created a drill to help surgeons operate on skulls.

The Supreme Court is putting an end to an Illinois challenge to knock Donald Trump off the ballot. Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin continues to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The suburbs outpaced Chicago last year in fatal pedestrian and bicycle traffic crashes.

Many of Chicago’s new migrants came to the United States seeking refuge. But once here, they can encounter shelters with dirty living conditions and, at times, staff who make racist comments and sexually harass residents, according to over 200 grievances obtained by WBEZ. “There are still ongoing issues based on the data and my conversations with people,” said WBEZ immigration reporter Adriana Car...

Reproductive rights advocates are working to make fertility treatment more affordable in Illinois. Expanded early voting is underway today for the March primary election. A state commission released plans for a funding formula for public universities to address years of disinvestment and volatility.

Democratic lawmakers in Illinois are bracing for impact after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are considered people. Starting Monday, voters in suburban Cook County will have more places to cast votes in the March 19th Illinois Primary. The CDC has new recommendations for those who test positive for COVID-19.

A few months ago, Rundown producer Justin Bull brought you the story of some of Chicago’s feral cats, the people who care for them, and why both are so present among us here in Chicago. In the time since, he heard from a few folks who say it’s not all whiskers and catnip.  This month for WBEZ’s Curious City , Justin went a little deeper, talking with more feral cat advocates and detractors ,...

A Cook County judge is siding with Donald Trump to put her order booting him from the Illinois ballot on hold. Oak Park’s contracts with two migrant shelter locations have ended. Seven more people say they were framed by former Chicago Police Detective Reynaldo Guevara.

The six-figure state pension for the convicted aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan is being suspended. A federal judge is postponing the sentencing of four former ComEd lobbyists and executives who were convicted of bribery in a major corruption trial. A Chicago-area economic development organization hosted a town hall to rally support for legislation to advocate for small busine...