WBEZ News

It's a big day for Chicago foodies: Today is National Italian Beef Day. Reporter: Lauren Frost

Experts at the Field Museum say it's likely to stay that way. Reporter: Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco; Host: Melba Lara

FINOM — the experimental indie band from musicians Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart — has a new album out today. ‘Not God,’ is the Chicago duo’s first album under their new name. Over the last decade, Cunningham and Stewart have carved a unique creative path across Chicago’s sonic landscape. Sima and Macie join me now to talk a little bit about that journey and their new music. Host: Mary Dixon

President Michael Schill is one of three university leaders to face harsh questions and criticism from House Republicans today. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Melba Lara

Singer-songwriter Andrew Bird spent most of his twenties hanging out at the Green Mill, the legendary jazz club in Uptown. Now, the indie rocker is putting his own spin on classic jazz standards. His latest album, Sunday Morning Put-On, features veteran improvisers like guitarist Jeff Parker and pianist Larry Goldings. Bird walked WBEZ contributor Hannah Edgar through the creative process behind a...

Greyhound could be evicted from its West Loop Chicago terminal come October. Transportation advocates are slamming the city for not stepping in with a solution. Half a million passengers pass through the station yearly. Flixbus, the company that owns Greyhound, says bus services aren’t ending. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco visited the terminal to talk to riders about why Greyound is important to...

Two experts from the regional EPA office join WBEZ to tell us what we can expect. Reporter: Lauren Frost; Host: Melba Lara

Northwestern University has come under fire from multiple directions. Northwestern President Michael Schill will face a Congressional committee next week for his part in it. But the people who brokered the deal think it should be a model for resolving conflict on campus without calling in the cops. WBEZ's Lisa Kurian Philip reports. Host: Lisa Labuz

A North Side Chicago woman was one of the first advocates to help migrants when they were sent to police stations. She's an immigrant herself, living here on a religious visa. Due to backlogs with the federal office that oversees immigration, she and her husband are having a hard time finding a path to stay in the United States legally. WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad has her story. Host: Lisa Lab...

After confusion in the Democratic Cook County State’s Attorney race, city and county election officials look to report joint vote totals. Reporter: Noah Jennings; Host: Mary Dixon

From endorsing a new Bears’ stadium to revoking the subminimum wage, Johnson’s critics and allies examine where he and the city are going. Reporters: Fran Spielman, Mariah Woelfel, Tessa Weinberg; Host: Mary Dixon

As a musician, sound engineer and provocateur, Steve Albini was a dominant force across Chicago’s musical landscape for more than 40 years. He died of a heart attack late Tuesday at 61. Host: Mary Dixon

The abrupt closings of 17 Foxtrot and Dom’s stores in Chicago late last month are still reverberating. It’s not just employees who were caught off guard with layoffs. Dozens of Chicago-area vendors – from cold brew to snacks – are now trying to find new and creative ways to sustain their businesses. WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang has their story. Host: Mary Dixon

This time of year, millions of birds cross Illinois each night on their spring migration north. Many will hit the windows of Chicago's skyline. Reporter: Lauren Frost; Host: Melba Lara

A breakdown in the financial aid process means students are making one of the biggest purchases of their lives without knowing how much it will cost. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Melba Lara

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is restoring more than one-thousand acres of land in the southwest suburbs. This is the biggest ecological restoration project ever for the forest preserves. WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch recently took a walk in the woods to see what this transformation could look like. Host: Mary Dixon

Illinois lawmakers passed landmark regulation five years ago to clean up the state’s coal ash pollution. But several years later…advocates are still waiting for the first clean-up permits to be issued. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has the story. Host: Mary Dixon

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office estimates the drugs — which include Wegovy, Mounjaro and Ozempic — will cost taxpayers $210 million the first year. But others put that number much higher. Reporter: Dave McKinney; Host: Melba Lara

Residents who live in the West Side neighborhood where 26-year-old Dexter Reed was killed by police in March are still reeling from the trauma of that day. Reed was fatally shot in a confrontation with Chicago police during a traffic stop for a seatbelt violation. Earlier this month, Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability released police body-cam video of the shooting. The surrounding...

The 2024 elections are just a few months away. However, a task force of state officials and voter rights advocates is already thinking about how Illinoisans will vote in the 20-28 presidential primaries. One option on the table is Ranked choice voting. WBEZ statehouse reporter Mawa Iqbal joins Mary Dixon now to discuss how ranked-choice voting could shape future Illinois elections.

At Monday’s funeral for Chicago police officer Luis Huesca, family, friends and fellow officers painted a picture of a man who was a great cop … and a lot more. Huesca was remembered as a world traveler. A musician. And a supportive friend always willing to help others. WBEZ’s Michael Puente has more. Host: Mary Dixon

Hundreds of University of Chicago students set up an encampment in the Main Quadrangle on Monday, joining groups on over 100 university campuses nationwide in support of Palestinians. Reporter: Lisa Kurian Philip; Host: Melba Lara

One of Chicago’s Park Community Churches in the Uptown neighborhood has been a lifeline for migrants and asylum seekers. As families seek to live a normal life, couples want to get married. But getting married in Venezuela is expensive and cumbersome with paperwork. So the church held a wedding for 15 couples on Friday. WBEZ’s Adriana Cardona Maguigad attended and has this audio postcard. Host: Ma...

Ghian Foreman – the longest serving member of the Chicago Police Board – has left the agency. Foreman served on the police oversight commission for 14 years - much of that time as the president. He was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley. He’s departing with the future of the agency in doubt – after a judge’s ruling that officers facing termination and year-plus suspensions have the right to bypas...

He was shot and killed outside his home early Sunday morning while returning from work. At his funeral Monday - Huesca’s family will be getting support from the mother of another slain officer. WBEZ’s Michael Puente reports. Host: Mary Dixon