WBEZ News

Lollapalooza returns to Chicago Thursday, and several local artists will nab the spotlight. Chicago’s Emily Clairice Woods, who performs under the singular name Clairice, will perform during the Chicago Made Showcase. She stopped by the studios of WBEZ sister station Vocalo to talk to Nudia Hernandez about her setlist and the making of her new, heartfelt EP. HOST: DIXON

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances. Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best. This week, we got this question from John in the city’s Norwood Park neighborhood. He asks: “What’s the best way to build a financial portfolio for your children that won’t impact their tax liability or college financial aid, but w...

The musician Sinead O’Connor was a singular voice in music who inspired a generation of women artists. Two years after her death, the new book Nothing Compares to You: What Sinead O’Connor Means to Us asks 25 writers to consider her impact. WBEZ contributor Alison Cuddy sat down in the studio with Martha Bayne, who coedited the book with Sonya Huber. They were joined in conversation by Chicago ess...

They came for the ‘American Dream.’ The husband says conditions in detention were ‘inhumane.’ The wife has enrolled in the government’s program to self-deport. HOST: LARA

The beginning of the school year is just weeks away, but the Chicago Public School district is still staring down a massive budget deficit. The district is grappling with a budget shortfall of $734 million dollars. HOST: DIXON

President Donald Trump promised lower prices “on Day One” during his campaign last year. So last December, the Chicago Sun-Times started tracking prices at four different grocery stores – and found that very few items dropped in cost. Sun-Times reporter Stephanie Zimmermann and WBEZ editor Emilie Syberg met with Charlotte Maggio at a local grocery store to talk about how *she* shops for food as co...

We’ve been following a couple seeking asylum in the US, until the husband was arrested and later deported under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. He spent nearly three months in detention. Alone and with three young kids …his wife is out of work and sometimes they don’t have enough to eat. She fears getting arrested herself. Things are so bad, she is ready to self deport to Venezu...

The Chicago soul producer and arranger Charles Stepney died at the age of 45, before his musical contributions could really be understood. But now that is changing, thanks to his daughters — Eibur, Charlene and Chanté. The sisters recently stopped by WBEZ and spoke with arts reporter Courtney Kueppers about their father’s legacy. HOST: DIXON

Since President Trump took office, we’ve been hearing a lot about federal agents arresting immigrants outside schools, on their way to work, or after appointments in immigration court. But, we don’t have many first-hand accounts about what happens next. HOST: LARA

Since President Trump took office, we’ve been hearing a lot about federal agents arresting immigrants outside schools, on their way to work, or after appointments in immigration court. But, we don’t have many first-hand accounts about what happens next. HOST: LARA

Illinois’ Democratic Congressional coalition is sounding the alarm after Congress voted to claw back $9 billion dollars in funding from public broadcasting and foreign aid. Chicago Public Media stands to lose $3 million dollars a year … or about six percent of its budget. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois joined WBEZ Reset host Sasha Ann Simons today to talk about the rescissions bill and the f...

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances. Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best. This week, we got this question from Linda in suburban Oak Forest. She says: "In October 2025 my IRA will be free of early withdrawal penalties. I had $50-thousand dollars in there for 10 years and only earned $13-thousand dollars....

Congress has signed off on the Trump administration’s plan to claw back $9 billion dollars in previously allocated funds. That includes 1-billion dollars in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR, PBS and their member stations – including WBEZ. HOST: DIXON

Chicago-based housewares company YouCopia is facing steep financial pressure due to higher tariffs on imports from China. Lauren Greenwood is president of YouCopia. She joins us now to discuss what this has meant for her business. HOST: DIXON

Chicago dance and variety production The Fly Honey Show is hosting its grand finale this month with a series of performances. Co-founder Erin Kilmurray sat down with Vocalo to discuss the creative side of a grand finale. HOST: DIXON

Federal drinking water rules require public officials across the country to tell customers when their homes are connected to lead pipes. Of the 10 cities with the most lead service lines, only Chicago has confirmed it has not finished sending out notices. As of last week, and 8 months past a federal deadline, the city has only notified 7 percent of impacted Chicagoans. Lead is a toxic metal. Expos...

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances. Then each week, we bring you answers from the people who know best. This week, we got this question from Sheri in Skokie. She asks: “I’m recently retired and want to move my money out of my 403b because they don’t offer many sustainable options for investing. What’s your advice on where to place my...

Secondhand store owners in Chicago say they’re seeing a significant increase in shoppers. That could be driven by higher prices in the wake of President Trump’s trade war. Shoppers are also considering the environmental impact of shopping secondhand. Sun-Times contributor Olivia Dimmer joins us now to tell us more about what she found after speaking with secondhand and consignment shop owners *and...

The Color Purple is coming to Chicago. The musical version of the 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker, will be on stage at the Goodman for the first time. HOST: DIXON

Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances. This week, we got this question from Ben in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. He asks: “How do people move from short-term savings, plus a 401k, to mid-term savings for unclear goals? I'd like to start investing toward a house beyond a normal savings account, and I'm not sure where to start.” HOST:...

This is WBEZ. The “World’s Largest Karaoke” party returns to Chicago this evening for a second year. The event, hosted by the Salt Shed on the Near North Side, features thousands of aspiring amateur vocalists. HOST: DIXON

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made headlines recently when he issued the first veto by a mayor in nearly 20 years, on an ordinance to create snap curfews for kids. But a look at Chicago’s long list of historic vetoes reveals the power wasn’t always such a novelty. HOST: DIXON

In Illinois, Medicaid is a lifeline for one in four people who are low income or have a disability. This public program pays for everything from seniors in nursing homes to mothers and their newborns. It also pays for children who are dependent on medical technology to live at home instead of in an institution. HOST: DIXON

A bill that could help bring pilot programs for overdose prevention sites to Illinois didn’t pass during the recent legislative session. HOST: MELBA

Senate Republicans in Washington have been hashing out the details of a major legislative package. President Trump’s proposed tax cuts and spending priorities could mean big changes for Illinois – including large cuts to people on Medicaid and food stamps. Here to tell us about what this bill could mean for folks here is Tina Sfondeles – the national politics reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. HO...