WBEZ News

A Northwestern University psychology professor is recruiting transgender youth and their parents for a study. He says he’s aiming to find out “how gender dysphoric youth live their lives.” But parents of and advocates are warning against participating in the survey, saying the professor has an agenda and could harm the trans community. HOST: MELBA

In just a couple of years, Macquline King has gone from being an elementary school principal in Chicago Public Schools to interim CEO. Now she has the permanent position. HOST: LANE

Navy Pier has unveiled a new symbolic sign marking the start of Route 66. HOST: PUENTE

H-I-V infection rates in Chicago are rising after declining for about two decades. Infections went up by 29% between 20-22 and 20-24, with about half of those cases affecting Latinos. It comes as federal funding for H-I-V treatment and prevention for the communities most at risk is under attack.

Anyone who has spent time around Chicago's DIY music scene has likely encountered Charles Joseph Smith. He’s the guy breaking it down on the dance floor and selling his homemade cassettes. But in the background, Smith is also a piano prodigy and prolific composer … who is finally getting his due. HOST: LANE

A Chicago man convicted of laundering cocaine funds remains a major player in Illinois’ state regulated cannabis industry. David Berger was found guilty late last year for aiding a Mexican cocaine trafficking ring back in 2021. But he’s still closely associated with a network of weed dispensaries operating in Chicago and Illinois under the name Ivy Hall. HOST: LANE

Founded in 1850, Olivet Baptist Church is one of Chicago’s oldest Black churches. By 1916, Olivet had become a national model for how a church could serve Black migrants coming North during the Great Migration. The church went beyond spirituality and supported their everyday needs for survival. In part two of WBEZ’s Faith in Action series, Nicole Jeanine Johnson shares the story of Olivet’s legacy...

Alt-rock band “The Academy Is..” is back with new music after nearly 20 years. The Barrington natives returned to the scene with an ode to Chicago… a single titled “L Train” HOST: LANE

We heard from Chicago-raised flutist Emma Gerstein in 20-24 after the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s European tour. But this year…Gerstein is touring with extra cargo. She recently gave birth to her second son. She filed this audio diary from the road to fill us in on what it’s like to perform at classical music’s highest level – with a 10-month-old baby in tow. HOST: LANE

A Chicago charter school network found itself in such bad financial straits that it’s being forced to close the doors of its two high schools, for good. That sent some 570 students searching for a new school with less than three months in the year. It is an unprecedented situation not just for the students, but also for the schools charged with taking them in. HOST: LANE

A growing number of *food delivery robots* are driving around Chicago’s north and west sides. Can Chicagoans and bots share the sidewalk? HOST: LANE

One of the more unusual pieces of theater on stage so far this year is White Rooster, by Lookingglass ensemble member Matthew Yee. HOST: LANE

It’s March Madness time. If you’re a college basketball aficionado, have you locked in your NCAA tournament picks? Well, brackets close today… so we’re bringing you some last minute tips to help you out. HOST: LANE

It’s a list that includes Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Governor J-B Pritzker to name a few. HOST: MELBA

A Chicago dancer is summoning a witchy force in her original solo performance, which she will soon take international. HOST: LANE

In Cook County, circuit judges have the power to make decisions about things like who goes to prison, holds a driver’s license, or keeps their kids. And they’re elected for long terms — 6 years. This year, there are fewer judicial candidates running overall, either countywide or in a subcircuit. Most races are uncontested. But on Chicago’s South Side, there’s an unusually crowded field for 2 open...

Older adults in the Chicago area are at risk this spring of losing food benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP. It comes after President Donald Trump’s 20-25 sweeping tax overhaul expanded work requirements for the program to include 55- to 64-year-olds. A new WBEZ analysis finds a significant number of Chicagoans in this age group could be affected. Here to break it...

Toni Preckwinkle is running in the Democratic primary for a fifth term as Cook County Board president. She’s had the job for 16 years and also is head of the powerful Cook County Democratic Party. But she’s getting some stiff competition from Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly. HOST: LANCE

Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events and driving habitat loss across the country. Now, a group of regional scientists want to produce more native seeds to replace what’s being destroyed. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco visited Chicago Botanic Garden’s seed bank to get the story. HOST: LARA

The Tony-award winning musical “Hamilton” is back on stage in Chicago after pulling out of a slate of performances at the Kennedy Center. With all that’s happening in the world now, we wanted to know what fans thought of the story of America’s birth. HOST: LANE

Reporter Araceli Gomez-Aldana with voting info ahead of Tuesday’s primary elections. It’s important to know your rights and what security will look like at in-person polling places. HOST: LANE

First elected in 20-16…Susana Mendoza has been Illinois’ comptroller for nearly a decade. Now…she’s stepping aside. And four Democrats are vying for the seat. HOST: MELBA

In West Garfield Park on Chicago’s West Side, residents have the lowest life expectancy in the entire city. They’re expected to live on average until they’re 67 years old in this mostly Black low-income neighborhood… compared to 87 in the Loop. But there is a homegrown solution to help people live longer … a network of community gardens. HOST: MELBA

The Trump administration deported hundreds of people from the Chicago area last fall. We’ve heard a lot about their arrests, but rarely how they try to rebuild their lives after the trauma of being sent back. One of them is a beloved Southwest Side neighbor who lived in Chicago for decades and was removed after being labeled a gang member. Like most people arrested, he did not have a criminal reco...

The Trump administration deported hundreds of people from the Chicago area last fall. We’ve heard a lot about their arrests, but rarely how they try to rebuild their lives after the trauma of being sent back. One of them is a beloved Southwest Side neighbor who lived in Chicago for decades and was removed after being labeled a gang member. Like most people arrested, he did not have a criminal reco...