The Rundown | Chicago News

Midway and O’Hare airports could get nearly three million travelers over the next two weeks. Illinois is getting funding to improve broadband infrastructure and access to high speed internet. A lawsuit by state’s attorneys from across Illinois challenging the constitutionality of the SAFE-T Act had a hearing in court.

A winter storm could hit the region hard later this week. The Federal Transit Administration is providing millions in funding to make Chicago-area public transit systems more accessible. The Illinois State Board of Education released a “spending dashboard,” showing how Illinois school districts spend COVID recovery aid.

Grief – does it have to be sad? How do children grieve? What if you feel awkward talking about loss with a loved one who’s grieving? Julie Weatherhead is a grief counselor and co-founder of Got Grief House. On today’s episode, she speaks to these questions and more.

A Chicago alderman talks about preventing school violence after Friday’s shooting at Benito Juarez High School left two teens dead and two others injured. A newly announced research center in Chicago will focus on the societal and medical impacts of cannabis. Folks gathered outside Wrigley Field Sunday night for the First Night First Light Hanukkah event, despite freezing temperatures.

Ye – the artist formerly known as Kanye West has been stirring up quite a bit of controversy lately, and it’s a lot to take in. But if you really think about it, he’s always been a lot to take in – for better or for worse. Professor Jeffrey McCune Jr. has written about, researched and taught classes on the artist, and he’s here to add even more nuance to how we think about Ye’s existence in the cu...

The City of Chicago encourages residents to be prepared and utilize City services and resources during the Winter season. A new lawsuit says the way Cook County conducts property tax sales illegally discriminates Black and brown residents by leaving them with no equity. Some Chicago anti-violence workers believe an assault weapons ban won’t do enough to curb city-wide gun violence.

Experts advise going outside, instead of staying in, to mitigate seasonal affective disorder symptoms. After 9 years, the Jane Byrne interchange is set to fully reopen. An update on Wednesday’s City Council votes, including an approved funding plan to extend the CTA Red Line southbound to 130th Street.

The season of ‘Dibs’ is coming. Motorists, are you ready? Author, historian, and Chicago tour guide, Adam Selzer, talks about Chicago’s unofficial dibs tradition of saving a shoveled parking space, using lawn chairs – or, in his case, a frozen pair of pants. He’ll share some dibs suggestions, funny stories, and the legal piece of things, too.

Illinois homeowners need to check their smoke alarms before a new law takes effect on January 1st. The proposed Bally’s casino in River West is one step closer to reality. The NBA’s MVP award is renamed to honor Michael Jordan.

Hearings on a proposal to ban assault weapons in Illinois have started. A push to repeal automatic property tax increases in Chicago fails. An estimated 200-thousand pilgrims traveled to suburban Des Plaines to honor The Virgin Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We are firmly in the age of the emoji, whether it’s texting a homie or emailing a coworker. And as helpful as emojis can be, there’s some tension and disagreement between age groups on what they mean and how they should be used – especially in the workplace. Erin talks with some WBEZ co-workers and a communications expert on the emojis that make Millennials smile and Gen Z cringe.

Chicago city council members will consider a plan to raise nearly a billion dollars to cover the long awaited extension of the Red Line. Faith leaders are partnering to bring a credit union to Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, the first in several years. Pastor Michael Pfleger is reinstated at St. Sabina.

Traditional holiday activities can be comforting, but at times, monotonous. If those activities are leaning more toward the latter for you this year, WBEZ’s Samantha Callender has a guide to help freshen up your fun holiday season to-dos.

Chicago winters are getting warmer. The Chicago Sky is celebrating Brittney Griner’s release from a Russian prison. Illinois State Sen. Mike Simmons discusses ways to address youth mental health at a panel with the U.S. Surgeon General.

Today marks the deadline for eighth graders to apply for a seat in a Chicago public high school outside their neighborhood. Paleontologists are working with Dinosaur Sue at the Field Museum to see why Tyrannosaurus rexes’ arms are so short. An online petition is calling on the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to rescind the honorary doctorate it awarded to Ye.

The way inflation has us barreling through our bank accounts, a little money help could go a long way. Both Cook County and the City of Chicago are starting to provide that help in the form of monthly cash payments directly to residents. Erin talks with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Elvia Malagón about how these programs work and what sets them apart from other pilots across the country.

A new study found that Chicago distributes public money evenly, but private sector investments fall along racial and wealth lines. A looming fiscal cliff could be coming for the the Regional Transportation Authority if local transit agencies — like the CTA — don't get financial aid soon. The SAFE-T Act is now law and the REAL ID deadline is extended.

An upcoming meeting will show potential plans for Pilsen’s largest vacant lot. Citizen scientists are keeping tabs on chloride levels in Illinois rivers and streams. The state is offering a new, injectable treatment for HIV, starting in January.

Ten people are competing with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the February municipal election. Some folks are backing her, others are on the fence, and then there are those who never supported her and never will. WBEZ city politics reporter, Mariah Woelfel, gives us a sense of where people are coming from.

Illinois lawmakers approve a bill requiring free access to menstrual products in state correctional facilities. The Chicago Bears no longer have the most wins of any franchise in NFL history. The price of gas has gone down, but the price of children’s cold medicine has gone up.

Sneakerhead University is the type of place you go when you’re ready to be dipped in the history of pop culture, through gym shoe drip. It’s an interactive, sneaker culture museum that opened up this fall in Chicago. Owner and curator, Shay Belvin, tells us what it’s about and who it’s for. And yes, we do talk about Ye.

Illinois lawmakers pass changes to the criminal justice reform package known as the SAFE-T Act. Banks that hold the city’s money have made little progress in closing the lending equity gap. Protesters from the now-closed St. Adalbert Catholic Church are suing the City of Chicago.

Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban starts today. Black community groups in Chicago are calling for more equitable funding for HIV and AIDS programming on the South and West Sides. Democratic state lawmakers are proposing to ban the sale of assault rifles in Illinois.

About one-third of people in Chicago, over the age of 5, speak a language other than English at home. Today, we talk with WBEZ data reporter, Amy Qin, about the most common languages spoken in the city, who’s speaking them and the broader context of immigration, culture and community.

Chicago’s Magnificent Mile has more storefront vacancies than ever, and business owners want to reinvent it. Illinois is moving ahead with plans for electric vehicle charging stations on major interstates. The deadline for expired IDs is coming.