WBEZ News

During the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in Chicago last fall, immigration agents took away a mother on the Southwest Side. Her three children were all U.S. citizens. They were left to fend for themselves. And they did for nearly four weeks … … until a 27-year-old woman — a stranger — stepped in to help.

For 40 years, the Green Mill has hosted The Uptown Poetry Slam. Its founder Marc Smith remains the emcee He is known for creating a monthly night of performance in the same bar that was a favorite haunt of Al Capone. Recently, a special guest arrived. South Side native Mayda Del Valle, the city’s new poet laureate, stepped up to the mic. HOST: LABUZ

A Chicago police officer was shot and killed over the weekend at Swedish Hospital. Alphanso Talley is accused of killing John Bartholomew and critically wounding another officer. A lot of questions remain about the circumstances of the shooting, so here to catch us up on what we do know is WBEZ’s public safety senior editor Tom Schuba. HOST : MELBA

The classic August Wilson play “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” tells the story of a real life blues legend …Ma Rainey. The play is currently onstage at the Goodman Theater. And it's bringing more attention to the real Rainey, who recorded all her music in Chicago at Paramount Records a century ago. HOST: LANE

The US Department of Justice announced Friday it’s expanding its efforts to seek and implement the death penalty. Meanwhile, it’s been fifteen years since Illinois abolished capital punishment for state convictions. One of the activists who has been instrumental in advocating against the death penalty, here AND nationwide… is Sister Helen Prejean. Sister Helen first started counseling people on de...

Some Chicagoans who’ve been picketing or protesting the federal government’s actions are trying out a different form of civil disobedience this year. They’re not paying their federal taxes. That’s as longtime tax protesters are seeing an avalanche of interest from people appalled at the Trump Administration’s violent deportations, the war against Iran, and U.S. support for Israel in Gaza. HOST: LA...

A tax plan aimed at enticing the Chicago Bears to stay in Illinois passed the state House with bipartisan support last night. The measure now moves to the Illinois Senate. Here to break down where things stand is WBEZ Senior Statehouse Reporter Mawa Iqbal. HOST: LARA

Chef Rick Bayless and his restaurant, Frontera Grill, are a cornerstone of Chicago’s dining scene. But these days a new chef is shaping the restaurant’s next era. And it centers around plants. HOST: LANE

Chicago has been getting a LOT of rain lately. Streets all around the city have flooded. Water has seeped into people's basements. And partly because of climate change, this is all expected to get a lot worse. The likelihood of heavy rainstorms has increased sevenfold here over the past century. And our sewers can't handle the increase. HOST: LANE

The Chicago Latino Film Festival is underway in the Lakeview neighborhood. The two week event spotlights more than 80 titles from around the world- and it’s the largest and longest-running festival dedicated to showcasing work by Latino filmmakers in the United States. This year’s event comes at an intensely political time for some filmmakers and their subjects. HOST: LANE

One year ago, the village of Broadview had a budget surplus and a cheery outlook. Now, the western suburb is preparing for the next fiscal year and it’s facing a deficit along with unexpected and ongoing expenses. Broadview racked up nearly $4-hundred thousand dollars in its own costs due to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in town. Communities elsewhere have been shielded from cos...

An 18-year-old and his mother were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement a month ago. The teen had just played his first soccer game of the spring season, and he was getting ready to graduate from Mather High School on the North Side. HOST: LANE

Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability has released body cam footage from the shooting death of officer Krystal Rivera, who was killed by her police partner Carlos Baker in June of last year. WBEZ’s Public Safety Senior Editor Tom Schuba is here now to tell us about what the footage reveals. HOST: LARA

In his heyday, the Black media mogul John H. Johnson reached millions with his iconic magazines “Ebony” and “Jet.” His wife, Eunice, founded the Ebony Fashion Fair and the beauty line of the same name. Now their granddaughter, Alexa Rice, is making her own way in the beauty business decades later. HOST: LANE

Chicago’s inaugural poet laureate, avery r. young, will soon debut his brand new opera. The show is loosely based on his family’s story during the Great Migration. It will bring notes of blues and funk to the Lyric Opera House. HOST: LANE

More students in Chicago and across Illinois are getting official recognition for being able to speak, read and write in English and another language. The Seal of Biliteracy can get students college credit and a leg up at jobs. HOST: LANE

Piles of research have shown that EDUCATION leads to better outcomes for people getting out of prison – and prevents them from going back. In Illinois, a small percentage of people in custody get to take college classes while they serve time. But when they do get out and want to continue their education… there’s another barrier. HOST: MELBA

Some people locked up in prison in Illinois say personal appearance takes on a whole new significance behind bars. It’s one thing they can control. But in a prison… beauty and hygiene products can be expensive and hard to come by. Still, women in state custody have learned to reclaim their beauty. HOST: PUENTE

April 12, 2026 — Prisoncast!

As the U-S and Iran maintain an uneasy ceasefire, there are growing concerns about the Trump administration’s use of religion to justify its actions. Earlier this week Trump talked about wiping out an entire civilization. And yesterday war secretary Pete Hegseth said, “God deserves all the glory.” That kind of rhetoric has drawn criticism from religious leaders including Pope Leo the 14th, and Car...

Starting this month (APRIL), the Chicago area will see a wave of events in honor of America’s 250th birthday. Last year, the National Endowment for the Arts pledged millions of dollars in federal funding to projects tied to the milestone. This came after a Trump-directed shakeup at the N-E-A caused the agency to shift focus to “America 250” programming grants. Several Illinois arts groups ended up...

It’s been one blow after another for many migrants in Chicago in the last year—the Trump administration ended programs that allowed them to work and live in the United States legally, and without a steady income finding affordable housing has become even harder. And on top of that, these challenges make them particularly vulnerable to scams— and a new state housing law is only making a difficult s...

A bag can hold a lot more than just your belongings – for some, it holds memories. That’s the case for Chicago-based influencer Helena “Yoonie” Kim, who carefully restores vintage Coach bags in social media videos that rack up millions of views. The passion for finding and restoring vintage Coach bags goes well beyond Kim. It’s an Internet-wide trend. There are dozens of Facebook groups and hundre...

The Men’s N-C-A-A basketball tournament has whittled down to four schools…The University of Illinois, UCONN, Michigan, and Arizona. Illinois takes on UCONN in the first of 2 national semifinal games

Chicago is known for deep dish pizza, Italian beef, and classic dogs. But where in town can you grab the best burger? WBEZ food contributor Maggie Hennessy has a new book called “The Burger Bible”. She writes about 80 of the world’s best burgers, including a few in Chicago. HOST: LANE