WBEZ News

Dr. Allison Arwady was fired abruptly last week after four years leading the Chicago Department of Public Health. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Some Illinois lawmakers are planning legislation to require a lawyer for all children under police interrogation. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Coming into this school year, Chicago’s mayor and public school leaders say a top priority is to transform the city’s long troubled special education system. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Sarah Karp

Larry Snelling is CPD’s counterterrorism chief. Johnson selected him from three candidates chosen by a new panel called the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

This college application season, rising high school seniors have a new stressor on the brain: the Supreme Court. That’s because the Justices ruled in June that colleges could no longer consider a students’ race in the admissions process. As universities adjust to this new reality, teens of color around the Chicago area are sorting out what the decision means for them. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: L...

Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson has selected the department’s Counterterrorism Chief Larry Snelling to succeed interim Superintendent Fred Waller. Snelling was one of three finalists chosen by the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

The Illinois Supreme Court is upholding the state’s ban on assault weapons. The ruling came down Friday, rejecting the argument that the law violates the state constitution. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mawa Iqbal

Bally’s Casino has promised thousands of jobs for Chicago-area residents. Since April, the company has sponsored four months of what they call “dealer school.” All students needed was a high school diploma, and they got free training to be blackjack, roulette and craps dealers. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

Summer is nearly over for thousands of students in the Chicago area. WBEZ’s Nereida Moreno stopped by a back-to-school event on Chicago’s Northwest Side to hear what kids are thinking about as the first day approaches. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

For nearly a decade, Bernard Lilly Sr. has shepherded kids from Chicago’s West Side to and through college. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Philip

The most decorated gymnast ever came to the Chicago area this weekend to end a two-year break from competition. Simone Biles not only dominated the meet, she packed the arena with pre-teen gymnasts who recognize her as more than an athletic superstar. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Another insider from the world of former House Speaker Michael Madigan goes on trial Monday. The perjury and obstruction of justice case against former Madigan aide Timothy Mapes is sure to focus on his loyalty to the boss and, possibly, more wiretaps. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dave McKinney

While some hot-sauce hounds are splashing the cash to get their hands on Huy Fong sriracha, WBEZ found some local alternatives. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Chicago Public Media is examining the defining issues facing our democracy and reforms proposed to strengthen it. One of those reforms has been bubbling in Chicago for more than a decade, but has yet to scale up in a way advocates crave. It’s called participatory budgeting – a process that aims to make government spending more transparent by allowing residents to vote on how to spend money in thei...

This year’s festival includes performances by Kendrick Lamar, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lana Del Ray, and K-pop sensation TXT. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Chicago Public Schools faced a wave of criticism after removing a principal from one of its top rated schools last spring. The principal and his supporters charge the action was unfair and left his reputation in tatters. They say it’s part of a pattern of removing Black principals. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Sarah Karp

In the weeks after a massive rainstorm at the start of July, WBEZ has found that Chicagoans filed a record number of basement flooding reports with the city’s 3-1-1 service. Thousands of Chicagoans were left with flooded basements, waterlogged furniture and mounting costs for repairs. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Amy Qin

You can’t beat an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day. But if you’re drinking on a rooftop, in a bar, or at the ballpark, that brew is going to cost a pretty penny this summer. Because beer is the latest casualty of inflation. And it’s hitting beer drinkers in the wallet. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Michael Gerstein

Host: Araceli Gomez-Aldana; Reporter: Cheryl Rae Stout

From Albany Park to Pilsen, Chicago street vendors have faced challenges for years around licensing and public health requirements. But now with a new mayor and City Council, these small business owners who push carts with food and wares hope they’ll get some more help. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang

A math teacher on Chicago’s West Side is keeping young people engaged this summer with an internship program that she went through herself in middle school. Jadah Dowdy was one of the first-ever student interns at the LEARN network of charter schools. And now, 13 years later, she’s running the program and working to expand it. Host: Lara Melba; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

This week, we’ve been exploring the many answers to the question “what is the meaning of home?” And for Marco Lopez, home meant being on the move… packing up his life into a box and going. But now that he has a family of his own, he’s ready to put down roots. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cynthia Salgado

The laws that regulate zoning and land use in Chicago can drive impactful change for both businesses and residents. Yet the average person has little knowledge of what those laws are or how they work. The Metropolitan Planning Council is leading a new community informed project to assess Chicago’s zoning practices. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious college admissions policies is causing ripple effects right here in Illinois. Earlier this month, Western Illinois University said it was ending a scholarship for incoming students of color in order to comply with the ruling. Then, just as quickly, Western this week reversed itself and reinstated the scholarship. Host: Lara Melba; Report...

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious college admissions policies is causing ripple effects right here in Illinois. Earlier this month, Western Illinois University said it was ending a scholarship for incoming students of color in order to comply with the ruling. Then, just as quickly, Western this week reversed itself and reinstated the scholarship. Host: Lara Melba; Report...