The Rundown | Chicago News

The annual U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute conference brought together thousands of high schoolers from around the country. A new research center at the University of Chicago aims to reduce disparities in cancer prevention and treatment. A proposed bill in Springfield could make it easier for people who own products from microwaves to video cameras to get those items fixed.

A Chicago woman who was the victim of a wrongful police raid five years ago is demanding the city enact reforms to prevent others from experiencing what she did. Labor unions are targeting two far-right state lawmakers in southern Illinois by funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars toward their primary opponents. A project to help restore the environment for aquatic plants in part of the Illino...

Emily and Tyler Nevius celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in January, but they were too tired to throw a big party. In the past few months, years of hard work have culminated in the opening-slash-reopening of the Ramova Theatre. The historic movie theater in Bridgeport is now a concert venue, backed by the Neviuses, Chance the Rapper, Jennifer Hudson, Quincy Jones and dozens of other invest...

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t saying whether the city will chip in more money along with the state of Illinois and Cook county to care for migrants. The Illinois comptroller wants the governor to prioritize putting any new, available money towards the state’s rainy-day fund. Incumbent Iris Martinez is facing a tough re-election battle to keep running Cook County’s Circuit Court system.

The Chicago City Council has rejected letting the union for rank-and-file cops bypass the Police Board and contest the most serious discipline in private arbitration. The state of Illinois and Cook County are partnering to spend another $250 million to care for migrants being sent to Chicago. The head of Columbia College Chicago is stepping down July 1.

WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos broke the story in 2021 about a major internal investigation within the Chicago Park District – one where several current and former supervisors in the aquatics department were accused of regularly committing “sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, workplace violence and other criminal acts.” The fallout from the scandal included resignations,...

The Chicago City Council today is scheduled to take its final vote on who should make decisions in serious police discipline cases. A proposal in Springfield would require any law enforcement agencies encrypting their police scanner transmissions to still make their live activity available to the media. Details on where Chicago residents can cast their ballots early for the March 19th primary star...

Some of Lurie Children’s Hospital’s communications are back up, two weeks into a cybersecurity issue. Employees at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago are the latest to work toward unionizing. The National Weather Service has called for a hazardous weather outlook overnight across north central and northeastern Illinois.

Sulyiman Stokes grew up in Auburn Gresham on Chicago’s South Side, and he fell in love with music at a young age. His winding artistic journey has taken him to Los Angeles and back to Chicago, and he has stepped in and out of the music industry. Now, he’s carving out a path as a multidisciplinary musician and photographer. In this episode, Stokes talks about using his art to tell Black narratives....

Some Chicago anti-violence activists are worried about a city decision to disconnect a gunshot-detection system. A new proposal before Illinois lawmakers would allow terminally ill people to end their own lives with lethal medication. Both Democratic candidates running for Cook County State’s Attorney are pledging to reduce crime if elected.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he will disconnect the controversial gunshot-detection system called ShotSpotter until later in the year. Flight attendants picketed at O’Hare Airport Tuesday and thousands of ride-share and delivery drivers plan to strike at O’Hare and nine other airports on Wednesday. Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard will return to action next week following a jaw injury.

Tricia Hersey organizes communal naps through the Nap Ministry. Her New York Times bestselling book “Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto” came out in 2022, and we’re still thinking about it. In this episode, host Erin Allen continues the conversation with Hersey. They talk about rest within the framework of Black liberation—and how resting affects the world around us. This episode originally aired on...

The longtime chief of staff to ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been sentenced to multiple years in prison. Chicago Public Schools might finally be getting rid of the custodial management company that has long been accused of leaving some schools filthy. After the head of Chicago’s Howard Brown Health centers has stepped down, workers say they hope the new leader will prioritize their...

Timothy Mapes, the longtime chief-of-staff to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has been sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. The outage at Lurie Children’s Hospital continues – it’s been going on for nearly two weeks. New analysis shows nearly half of renters in Chicago are spending too much of their income on rent and utilities.

If you don’t know Tricia Hersey’s name, you’ve probably seen her work. Hersey founded The Nap Ministry, perhaps best known for its popular Instagram account, with the hope of teaching others how to rest in a society that glorifies grind culture.  Hersey’s New York Times bestselling book “Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto” explores her lifelong project of resting under capitalism. In this episod...

Chicago’s multi-million dollar contract with the company that runs the gunshot detection technology known as ShotSpotter expires on Friday. Black health advocacy groups are calling on the state to properly fund Black-led HIV and AIDS treatment providers. If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you may have seen some Illinois farmers during a commercial break.

Authorities say an overnight fire caused extensive damage to the Palace Grill on Chicago’s Near West Side, an iconic Chicago restaurant known for its breakfasts and filled with decades of memorabilia. Starbucks workers in the southwestern Illinois town of O'Fallon are seeking to unionize. Illinois House Republicans say they want to put money back in your pocket at tax time next year through a meas...

Black History Month is a time to look back at the big names that changed history, but also the smaller names that are making Black history right now, according to Arionne Nettles, director of Audio Journalism Programming at Northwestern University’s Medill School. “The people who are living legends to me are perhaps everyday people,” Nettles said, nodding to the Black teachers, journalists and eve...

A new Illinois state senate bill would require a lawyer for anyone under age 18 throughout an interrogation in police custody. Illinois Republicans are hoping that they’re not entirely shut out of this year’s state budget process – again. A union that represents 3,800 Illinois Department of Transportation workers has voted to authorize a strike.

Lurie Children's Hospital confirmed its network was accessed by a “known criminal threat actor.” ComEd is trying to entice businesses to buy electric vehicles while the Chicago Auto Show is in town. A downstate Illinois funeral home director had his license revoked last year after a state investigation found he had given dozens of families the wrong cremated ashes.

Rundown host Erin Allen joins a conversation of three generations of Black women to talk about Black History Month – how we celebrate it and learned about it – by looking at the historic "firsts" of the past and those we should honor in the present. Weighing in on the topic are the crew from WBEZ’s sister podcast, When Magic Happens.

Mail ballots for Chicago’s March primary election are starting to be sent to voters today. Three Democratic lawmakers in Springfield are pushing to make fertility services more accessible. A judge is denying former President Donald Trump’s bid to stall an objection to his place on Illinois’ primary election ballot.

A new report says the medical care provided in Illinois prisons is so bad that people are dying. The deadline to file papers to run for seats on Chicago’s Local School Councils has been extended to Feb. 14. New research from Northwestern University says artificial intelligence is improving doctors’ accuracy when they diagnose certain skin diseases.

These days, it feels like there are two options if you want to get out of the house for Valentine’s Day: gooey couple’s outings and anti-Valentine’s singles events. But on The Rundown, we’re always looking for new and interesting ways to spend your time. Enter Crying at the Shed, a three-day film festival at the Salt Shed that combines film, music and Valentine’s vibes. In this episode, host Erin...

Some new intel on the troubled prison healthcare provider that just got a $4 billion contract from the state of Illinois. Progressive lawmakers and activists are trying to make Illinois the eighth state to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers. Staff at two Little Village charter schools continue striking today.