WBEZ News

Today marks the end of cash bail, and officials from a rural county in Central Illinois are worried about how that will impact their drug problem. Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn says that while they hope to have more treatment options in the area, jail is the best way to wean people off of drugs. However, criminal justice advocates say jail should not be part of a person’s treatment journey. Host...

Today is the first day of Riot Fest. The Foo Fighters, The Cure and Kim Gordon are among the artists performing at the three-day punk rock festival at Douglass Park. Festival owner and co-founder Mike Petryshyn joins us now with more… Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is considering setting up a city-owned grocery store to address food access issues in South and West side neighborhoods. The first step is studying how to do this with input from experts and community leaders. One of those leaders is Anton Seals Junior, who is the lead steward of Grow Greater Englewood, a food justice organization. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Natalie...

Neighborhoods on Chicago’s West and Northwest sides have experienced the biggest increases. Citywide numbers are still lower than 10 years ago. Reporter: Anna Savchenko; Host: Melba Lara

Black Restaurant Week is underway here in Chicago. The annual celebration of Black culinary traditions also highlights Black-owned businesses. WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves spoke with organizer Derek Robinson about this year’s campaign. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Local, regional transportation is contending with a lot ... including low ridership and a massive budget shortfall. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning -- or CMAP – has spent the better part of a year trying to come up with solutions. Their goal is to make operations sustainable for the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and the suburban bus system Pace. Reporter: Claudia Morell; Host: Melb...

Migrants living in Chicago shelters and police stations have little or no access to health care. A local group of medical students is stepping up to help. WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves spoke with Sara Izquierdo. She’s one of the founders of the Mobile Migrant Health Team, a group of volunteer medical students providing critical care for migrants housed at police stations. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter...

Migrants living in Chicago shelters and police stations have little or no access to health care. A local group of medical students is stepping up to help. WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves spoke with Sara Izquierdo. She’s one of the founders of the Mobile Migrant Health Team, a group of volunteer medical students providing critical care for migrants housed at police stations. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter...

The fall semester is underway in Chicago – even though it’s technically still summer. This is the earliest start date for Chicago Public Schools in recent memory. But the weather – even today’s 80 degree heat – doesn’t seem to impact how students dress. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

Chicago is the largest U-S city requiring contracts for domestic workers. That means employers must provide written contracts with hours, wages and other information for house cleaners, nannies and caregivers who work in the city. The point is to protect workers and professionalize the industry. But workers rights advocates say very few domestic workers have gotten contracts. And employers still d...

Chicago Public Schools’ new board president is a 33 year old Chinese American who worked as a teacher and ran a parent advocacy organization. Jianan Shi was appointed for a 15-month term. Then, the district will transition to a partially elected board. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Government wiretaps are proving pivotal in a string of political corruption trials going through Chicago’s federal courthouse. That happened last week with the perjury and obstruction conviction of Timothy Mapes, a one-time aide to former Illinois House Speaker Madigan. And secret recordings figure to play a prominent role in the upcoming bribery and racketeering trials of former Chicago Alderman...

There are more than six thousand elderly people behind bars in Illinois. Many require intensive, round-the-clock medical care. It’s care prisons can’t provide … there are reports of sick and elderly patients left sitting in their own waste. Some have died. And even the inadequate care is expensive. A new law that took effect last year is supposed to relieve some of the strain on the prison system...

A federal jury took barely five hours to reach a verdict in the perjury and obstruction of justice trial of an aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The conviction of Timothy Mapes today represented more dismantling of Madigan’s once-powerful political machine that ran Springfield with an iron fist for decades. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Dave McKinney and Noah Jennings

You can add another music festival to Chicago’s vibrant scene: the one day Pool Party today at the Salt Shed. It’s being organized by the leader of the Chicago band Beach Bunny, Lili Trifilio. You might know their songs “Cloud Nine” and the TikTok viral “Prom Queen”. Lili Trifilio is here to tell us more about her Pool Party. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mary Dixon, Cianna Greaves

Temperatures are rising again today in Chicago. The weather will feel like 115 degrees. The city is opening more cooling centers but for migrants who are arriving here from Texas and other places, but there’s sometimes no escape from the heat. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Michael Puente

Chicago Public Schools has welcomed thousands of immigrants from Central and South America over the last year. Many started classes for the first time yesterday. WBEZ’s Nereida Moreno followed one Venezuelan family living at a city-run shelter on the North Side. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

Today is Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 100th day in office. This mayor has placed less emphasis on the marker – instead painting his approach to governance as deliberate and long-term. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is marking a milestone this week: 100 days in office. He won by running a progressive campaign but has worked to build bridges with former opponents in his quest to be a mayor quote- “for all of Chicago.” Johnson has taken a slower approach to building out his cabinet and to pursuing legislative goals than previous administrations. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporters: Tessa W...

As the double strike against Hollywood production companies wears on, actors and writers in the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild of America have been speaking out about their realities. For the vast majority of these artists, it’s not all about red carpets and hefty paychecks. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Pilot Herb Hunter became the main announcer of the Chicago Air and Water Show back in 1988. He joins WBEZ’s Melba Lara to talk about the impromptu audition that got him the gig, and what he loves about it. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Lauren Frost

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will for the first time welcome hundreds of thousands of students to school on Monday. Johnson’s newly-seated, hand-picked board members have said they want to hit the ground running and transform the school district. What does this mean for families and children? Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp, Cianna Greaves

For nearly a year, thousands of migrants have been transported to Chicago by bus from border states like Texas. A lack of adequate housing and services in the city has left these individuals and families susceptible to dangers, including abuse and exploitation. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

With expressway construction backing up drivers and post-pandemic troubles plaguing Chicago’s buses and trains, Metra — the region’s commuter rail — is undeniably having a moment. Ridership is cresting, its users are loyal. But even it can’t shake a looming fiscal cliff faced by transit agencies everywhere and the reality that worklife, and commuting habits, are indelibly altered in COVID’s wake....

Chicago’s City Council is in its 100th year under its 50-ward structure. But some alderpersons and good government advocates say there are reforms that are still needed to make it a legislative branch that’s truly independent from the mayor. Proposals include everything from altering the council’s structure to creating a constitution for the city. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Tessa Weinberg