The Rundown | Chicago News

Former workers at the Foxtrot Commissary on Chicago’s South Side rallied today after abrupt mass layoffs. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the owners of the Chicago Bears should pay for the vast majority of the costs of a new potential stadium – not Illinois taxpayers. Former USC quarterback Caleb Williams is now a Chicago Bear; he was the first overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft.

We often hear the phrase “LGBTQ+ community.” But in a city as big as Chicago, it can be challenging for queer people to actually find their community. That’s where Jake Wittich comes in. “We have one of the more thriving LGBTQ districts in the country,” Wittich said. He is the newsletter editor at the Windy City Times, where he and his colleagues recently launched the queer events newsletter Chica...

Student activists have been camping out on Northwestern University’s campus for over 24 hours now. Governor J.B. Pritzker highlights his plans to fight homelessness in Illinois. Chicago Teachers Union is warning that support staff, including teachers aides and clerks, may be victims in this year's budget.

A newly-released autopsy report shows Chicago police shot Dexter Reed at least 13 times. Student activists have set up what they’re calling a “liberation zone” at Northwestern University as part of a national movement demanding school officials cut ties with Israel and protect students’ right to protest. The Chicago Bears are expected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the opening pick...

Sarah Jones wants places of worship to use their space for more than just worship. “Congregations might use their space on Friday, Saturday, Sunday for worship services, but their space can accommodate more than that, and they want it to do more than that, right?” Jones said on the Rundown podcast. “Helping congregations think about what else could be happening in their space that still aligns wit...

Illinois elected officials remain “highly skeptical” of the Chicago Bears’ new plans for a domed, lakefront stadium. Caleb Williams could be a Chicago Bear by the end of the day: we’ll preview tonight’s N-F-L draft. A proposal in the Illinois House would make it a felony to block traffic on major roadways for more than 5 minutes, which could impact protesters.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is throwing strong support behind a plan for a new, publicly-owned Bears stadium south of Soldier Field. The family of a 26-year-old man who was fatally shot by Chicago Police during a traffic stop is suing the city and the officers involved. The suspect in the Highland Park massacre appeared in court today.

This year’s Chicago Palestine Film Festival opened nearly 200 days into the war in Gaza—to a sold-out weekend. Festival executive director Nina Shoman-Dajani said she believes it is more important than ever to share Palestinian stories. “We have really doubled down in our conviction to share Palestinian narratives and stories,” she said. In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Shoman-Dajani and...

Chicago and the state of Illinois will work together to combine the city’s homeless shelter and migrant systems. Chicago Congresswoman Delia Ramirez wants to transition all of the nation’s public housing stock into zero-carbon, electrified homes. Some parents are pushing back against the potential closure of a bilingual school in suburban Skokie.

Dom’s Kitchen and Market and Foxtrot Market are closing stores in Chicago less than a year after merging. Illinois state officials are working to reduce disparities that make Black women more likely to die during pregnancy than white women. The Chicago Bears have scheduled a Wednesday news conference to announce plans for “a state-of-the-art, publicly-owned enclosed stadium” on the city’s Museum C...

April is National Poetry Month, so we wanted to revisit one of our favorite conversations. If you watch any shows set in Chicago, you’ve probably seen LaRoyce Hawkins. He plays Kevin Atwater in “Chicago P.D.” and its many crossover shows. You might also know him as Michael “Shaw” Owens in the Max Original “South Side.” But he’s also a lifelong poet and comedian. During the Hollywood strikes last f...

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth supports more aid for Israel alongside billions for humanitarian aid. Research shows Chicago has more mass shootings than any other U.S. city. A compromise plan to expand O’Hare Airport has a new proponent – Illinois U-S Senator Dick Durbin.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is sending his condolences to the family of a Chicago police officer who was killed over the weekend while off-duty. Toni Preckwinkle was unanimously re-elected to another two-year term as head of the Cook County Democratic Party. The Palestinian Film Fest kicked off this weekend at the Gene Siskel Film Center in the Chicago loop.

WBEZ theater reporter Mike Davis spoke with a dozen Chicago theater actors about how they’re getting by , and the bottom line, Davis said, is that the vast majority are struggling on the financial front. He said that holds true whether they are unionized, Equity actors getting work at Chicago’s big name theaters, or if they’re non-Equity actors working in smaller storefront theaters. “This is just...

A Chicago Police officer was shot and killed over the weekend while heading home after his shift. Mayor Brandon Johnson is pushing back at suggestions the CTA needs new leadership. Shoppers should expect demonstrations outside Walgreens stores in the south suburbs.

Illinois could soon be home to its first-ever federally recognized tribal reservation. Front-of-house staff at The Goodman Theater in Chicago voted in favor of joining a union. Chicago’s Kenwood Academy High School took home the Urban Debate National Championship trophy in Evanston.

Imagine dancing your heart out with your bestie like you used to, but still getting home by 10 p.m. That’s the idea behind Earlybirds Club , according to creators (and high school friends) Susie Lee and Laura Baginski. “It’s a dance party for women that starts early and ends early because we all value our sleep,” Baginski said. They’ve only hosted one event so far, in February. They say it sold ou...

The Chicago City Council could vote today on spending an extra $70 million for migrant care. Suburban mayors are pushing back against a potential grocery tax cut at the state level. There’s an effort underway to rename Northwestern’s John Evans Alumni Center.

The Cook County Board unanimously approved giving up to $70 million dollars to Chicago to cover food expenses for migrants. A state law that currently prohibits public school closings in Chicago could be extended until 2027. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois is concerned about how law enforcement will handle protesters during the Democratic National Convention.

Helene Achanzar’s job is to introduce students to poetry. She’s the director of programs at the Chicago Poetry Center. That means she manages education programs in Chicago Public Schools, organizing poetry residencies and performances for students of all ages. “Getting to meet an artist, as a student or as a young person, I think, can really change the trajectory of someone’s life,” Achanzar said....

Four Chicago lobbyists are escaping serious punishment for improper donations to Mayor Johnson’s campaign. Some Cook County commissioners are concerned about blowback from voters and their communities as they vote to give Chicago money to help migrants. Former Arizona Congresswoman and gun control advocate Gabby Giffords addresses Chicagoans at the City Club.

Four lobbyists avoided serious punishment this week for improperly donating to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign. Chicagoans will soon be allowed to ride electric scooters overnight. The Chicago Bulls could soon be in playoff contention.

Artist Faith Ringgold, who passed away on Saturday at 93, was known for her work in a variety of artforms and for her sometimes jarring political pieces. One of her boldest works depicts the stars of the American flag reading the word “DIE” and the stripes reading the n-word. Titled “Flag For The Moon,” the piece briefly got the artist arrested for flag desecration when she displayed it in 1970. “...

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal paid Chicago a visit yesterday to fundraise. The Chicago Teachers Union is calling for every school to have a person on hand to help students work through conflicts. University of Illinois students, alumni, and staff traveled to Springfield yesterday to make the case to lawmakers for more money for the school system.

The Illinois House is advancing a measure to prohibit closing selective enrollment Chicago public schools until 2027. For the first time in its 90-year history, the Brookfield Zoo will house koalas. Severe weather could hit parts of the Chicago area tonight.