WBEZ News

The emails reveal that a Cook County elected official and key ally to House Speaker Michael Madigan got secret payments from the utility. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Dave McKinney

The Available City envisions thousands of vacant parcels in Chicago as one large space, with multiple uses that benefit entire communities. David Brown, a professor at UIC School of Architecture, is looking to Chicago’s South and West Sides and imagining how to use that space creatively. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Natalie Moore

Pantries report they’re seeing greater demand than ever for a free Thanksgiving meal during the pandemic. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Minju Park

Chip Mitchell wraps up our series on Illinois nursing-home ownership with a look at COVID-19 infections and deaths tied to one of the industry’s biggest operators.

How the Illinois Department of Public Health traces an outbreak at a wedding. Mariah Woelfel.

Chip Mitchell reports on the staffing challenges and operational factors that are making nursing homes a source of so many COVID-19 deaths in Illinois

Illinois Department of Health Medical Director talks about tracing an outbreak at a Chicago Factory. Mariah Woelfel.

A few freshmen from the Chicago area at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne talk about life on campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mariah Woelfel reports on how Illinois Department of Public Health performs contact tracing after COVID-19 Outbreaks happen in social settings. This time at a Chicago-area pool party

In the Chicago area, workers from every sector of the economy have filed more than 1,000 complaints, alerting the federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to unsafe conditions at work, including direct exposure to the virus.

During The Pandemic, Who Owns A Nursing Home Can Be The Difference Between Life And Death

Experts say testing plays a crucial role in stemming the spread of the coronavirus, but not all Illinoisans have equal access. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Kristen Schorsch

A new report from ProPublica Illinois shows that child labor is not a thing of the past in Chicago’s western suburbs. Reporter Melissa Sanchez profiled a group of immigrant teenagers in Chicago’s western suburbs. Host: Melba Lara Producer: Lauren Frost

Chicago leaders say more people should be locked up before their trials to prevent violence. A new study out of Loyola University says that has “no effect” either way. Host: Lisa Labuz Reporter: Patrick Smith

Dr. Philip Skiba is a Sports Medicine Specialist in suburban Park Ridge. He talked about his experience with COVID-19 patents and what he’s seeing when it comes to patients reporting long term effects. Host: Mary Dixon Producer: Araceli Gomez-Aldana

A federal investigation into corruption in Springfield and Commonwealth Edison is taking a huge step closer to one of the biggest players in Illinois politics. Among the four people charged Wednesday was Michael McClain, a close confidante of Illinois House Speaker and Democratic boss Michael Madigan. Host: Lisa Labuz Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

The indictments came down this Wednesday evening, connected to a long-running corruption scandal that implicates Illinois’ most powerful politician – Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Tony Arnold

COVID’s resurgence in Illinois means more residents have had it. That’s shifting some attitudes about the disease. But even within a single family, the takeaways can be profoundly different. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Odette Yousef

Many Catholic schools have been offering in-person learning this fall despite a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in Illinois. Their in-person approach has been closely watched by Chicago Public Schools officials, who are now planning to bring some students back in mid-January. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

"Consistently, between 25% and 30% of the Latino electorate has voted Republican,” says Sylvia Puente of the Latino Policy Forum. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Natalie Moore

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos represents northwest Illinois from Peoria, and the Quad Cities, to Galena and Rockford. She shared her thoughts about the the election, and what’s next in a Biden-Harris administration. Host: Melba Lara, Mary Dixon Producer: Araceli Gomez Aldana

The Miami Marlins have a new general manager - and it’s a historic choice with a Chicago connection. The team announced they’ve hired Kim Ng the first woman and the first Asian-American to be a GM in Major League Baseball. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Cheryl Raye Stout

Billie Riepma’s son Dillon died in 2015, and she donated his organs. Laurie Diagne received his lungs, and formed a special bond with Billie. For StoryCorps, they talked about how loss brought the two women together. Producer: Bill Healy

For eight months now, public officials have asked us to fight the pandemic together by making good individual choices. More about why, and how some doctors and experts are trying to get people to do the right things: wear a mask, keep your distance, stay home. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

As COVID-19 cases rise, schools weigh the risk of in-person learning versus what is lost when students learn remotely. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Susie An