In one bite-sized episode every weekday, we'll keep you informed, tickled, geeked, and pondering on Chicago's news, culture and people. Each episode starts with a quick news roundup from the WBEZ newsroom, followed by a deep-dive into one of the biggest or most curious stories from our city. The Rundown podcast is a one-stop-shop for all things Chicago.
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A men’s homeless shelter in Gary is trying to raise money to outfit a new facility. The Chicago Bears’ season is right around the corner, and the team is gearing up with preseason practices and games. One arm of Illinois’ Imagination Library program has seen an influx of enrollments following the passing of its founder, Dolly Parton. Plus, the Korean band BTS is back in Chicago this week for two sold-out shows at Soldier Field as a part of the group’s “Arirang” world tour. It’s been seven years since the K-pop boy band last performed in Chicago. The group has built an army of fans in Chicago a
People will have stricter guidelines next year when they use e-bikes and other micro-mobility vehicles. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says his tenure hasn’t been “perfect,” but he’s touting his efforts to boost mental health access, youth jobs and new revenue streams. Sky gazers in the Chicago area can see a partial lunar eclipse Thursday night. Plus, a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling on mail-in voting is drawing close scrutiny from pro-democracy advocates with 10 weeks until the fall election. The high court’s conservative bloc is allowing President Trump to move forward with an executive order
Illinois could receive over $700 million in a settlement with Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. Northwest Indiana power utility NIPSCO filed multiple applications for customer rate increases while hundreds of thousands of residents were without power. Dolly Parton was widely known as an award winning music icon, but her work with her Imagination Library has made a local impact in Illinois. Plus, Monday marked the start of classes for Chicago Public Schools. The day was filled with all the typical excitement and nerves you see on the first day. But there were also lingering co
Power is expected to return to all Northwest Indiana residents Tuesday. Democratic Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is calling on the head of the postal service to resign. A private group wants to slash the travel time from downtown Chicago to O’Hare to 15 minutes. A Chicago zoologist has named a newly-discovered species of snake after Slash, the guitarist for Guns N’ Roses. Plus, an update from WFYI reporter Barb Anguiano on the situation in Indiana.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun is calling for an investigation into NIPSCO’s response to power outages in Northwest Indiana. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public School leaders rang the symbolic bell at a West Side elementary school Monday morning. People who live on Chicago’s South Side will soon have the chance to train as midwives in their own community. Plus, besides deep-fried Oreos, Cheetos-covered corndogs, and pork belly and fries in a cone, the Illinois State Fair last week offered a heaping serving of politics. Democrats are working to re-elect Governor JB Pritzker, replace
A Chicago police officer who racked up more complaints than any other officer in recent years now faces firing. Tornado sirens were accidentally activated this morning in multiple Chicago suburbs for the second time in three days. The annual Supertri Chicago is returning this weekend to the city. Plus, we hear from a journalist in Gary, Indiana, about the city’s continued struggle to regain electricity following last week’s storm.
Northwest Indiana power utility NIPSCO now says all of its customers should be restored by the end of Tuesday. Chicago will continue to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. with a free concert at Clarendon Community Center Park. The Pulitzer Prizes and the Chicago-based American Library Association on Thursday announced the national tour of “Pulitzer on the Road.” Plus, when a 64-year-old man from west suburban Addison was detained during the early weeks of Operation Midway Blitz last September, his family tried for months to keep his sandwich shop afloat while trying to get him out of
The Illinois Tollway Board Wednesday morning unanimously approved the first passenger toll increase since 2012. Rats are a problem that have plagued Chicago for years, but there are ways to prevent their spread. The Chicago Bears are continuing training camp, but their injury list is starting to pile up. Plus, school lunch used to be good. We explore how Chicago Public School lunches went from delicious to disappointing.
A gruesome discovery at a far South Side funeral home earlier this month has exposed a lack of state oversight of the funeral and burial industry. A long-delayed casino complex in Chicago's River West neighborhood says its massive debt creates “substantial doubt” for its future. Millions of birds migrate through Chicago every year, but traveling around glass buildings can be deadly. Plus, Puerto Rico is going through a major water crisis due to severe drought. The island’s government began cutting water service to people’s homes and that’s causing anger. The crisis is exposing major weakness i
Puerto Rico is experiencing a major water crisis due to severe drought, and Chicago's large Puerto Rican community is keeping an eye on what’s happening on the ground. Chicago has a break from the rain on Monday, but don’t put away the umbrellas yet. The Chicago Bears beat the Cleveland Browns in a preseason matchup on Saturday and had a practice Sunday. Plus, former charter school operator Aspira has declared bankruptcy. It comes just 11 years after the nonprofit built a modern school in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood with $27 million dollars from the state of Illinois. Now, Aspira wants to
Chicago homeowners affected by severe flooding could see some financial relief. The Chicago Sinfonietta has reached a one-year labor agreement with its musicians. The Chicago Bears open the preseason on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns. Plus, in recent years, many Chicago renters have been priced out of their neighborhoods. In some parts of the city, there’s an ordinance in place that gives tenants a shot at buying their building if it goes up for sale. But, it’s not easy buying a building. One Northwest Side group is trying to change that with help from some young organizers.
Four more belugas arrived at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium on Thursday from a shuttered aquatic park in Niagara Falls, Canada. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says the Chicago Bears have discussed various provisions they want to see in an Illinois stadium plan, but the team hasn't put a specific legislative proposal on the table. A new study shows chatbots could be changing who wins some research grants. Plus, for Muslim families in the Chicago area, it is a challenge to find a preschool that reflects their values and supports their children’s development. Culturally and religiously competent options
A bloc of 27 Chicago City Council members is calling on Bally's to resume construction on its full, planned downtown casino development. Tornadoes have been sweeping through Illinois and the Chicago metro area this year, far from the traditional Tornado Alley. The Chicago Bears open the preseason at Soldier Field on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns. Plus, when Alexandra Usher was a grad student at University of Chicago, she’d often get stuck in traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive. It gave her a lot of time to stare off into the lake. One day she noticed something odd. What she saw was the
The Chicago area is relatively calm after a wild afternoon of thunderstorms, strong winds and tornado warnings. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is using his executive order pen to tighten the rules on data centers. The Chicago Sky fell to the Seattle Storm on Monday night. Plus, you might notice signs that are often wooden and hand painted while driving around neighborhoods on Chicago’s south and west sides. More or less, they read “Hey, welcome to the neighborhood. Welcome to the block.” These are signs for block clubs. We break down the history behind them.
Nine people filed reports with the Chicago Police Department on Monday alleging crimes committed by immigration agents during Operation Midway Blitz. More scattered thunderstorms are expected Monday night and throughout the week. Former Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is retiring. Plus, Lollapalooza recently brought thousands of people to Grant Park along Chicago’s lakefront. Amid the headliners and packed crowds, another group made its way through the festival: parents.
The superintendent of Chicago Public Schools is now confident that school will start on time. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey are trading blows over misconduct investigations into several members of the House. Plus, the Women's Professional Baseball League kicked off in Springfield, Illinois this week, marking the first women's professional baseball on American soil in over 70 years.
Cities across Illinois range widely in their regulations on data centers. The Chicago Cubs swept the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, beating them 7-6 in the last of their three-game series. A Batavia woman thought dogs in her community deserved their own free little library – just like people have. Plus, the Trump administration is shifting tactics in its deportation campaign. Last year, the focus was aggressive arrests, highlighted by Operation Midway Blitz. This year, Chicago advocates say the strategy is much more subtle. They accuse the administration of weaponizing immigration courts –
Alaina Hampton is calling for Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s resignation. The Chicago Cubs’ newest starter, Kevin Gausman won’t be pitching against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, on Thursday. The National Beep Baseball World Series is underway this week in west suburban Aurora Plus, while growing up on the city’s blue collar northwest side, musician and comedian Al Scorch would imitate a classic Chicago accent as comedic relief with his friends. Scorch has tapped into that character for many creative projects since, from a poem about hot dogs to a popular series review
Illinoisans with home and auto insurance will see more protections against unjustified rate hikes. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says his budget director is resigning to care for her ailing mother who lives out of state. The Major League Baseball trade deadline was Monday, and Chicago’s teams walked away with a handful of roster changes. Plus, to the uninitiated, a Rainbow Cone might seem like a recent Instagram-inspired creation. Five colorful layers stacked on top of each other. But Chicagoans, especially those on the South Side, know the Original Rainbow Cone shop is a long-loved, local ins
Illinois residents can save some money on clothing and school supplies for ten days this month. The nation's first women's professional baseball league in nearly 30 years is officially underway. Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs is setting up for an iCash auction at the Illinois State Fair later this month. Plus, the number of Illinois residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has declined by 16% over the past year, according to the Illinois Department of Human Services.
A former sheriff’s deputy convicted of murdering an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield, Illinois area home will not get out of prison early. Cook County Health expects the county will provide nearly $500 million in charity care next year – the largest amount in more than a decade. The historic 400 Theater in Rogers Park reopened today [FRI] under new ownership. Plus, WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell brings us the story of a man serving a 30-year sentence for murder who says he’s innocent – so much so that he turned down a deal that would have released him from prison, in order to continue fighting for
After matching a decade-long high in heat-related deaths just last week, Cook County has recorded another three. Voters in Evanston will not be asked whether Northwestern University should make payments to the city for commercial events it hosts. People in Chicago’s music community are remembering Irish musician Glen Hansard. Plus, funk legend George Clinton is best known as a writer for Motown and as the leader of the popular Parliament-Funkadelic movement. But starting with the COVID pandemic, Clinton got serious about painting. A major exhibition of his work just opened at Chicago’s Mariane
People around Chicago and the suburbs are cleaning up and rebuilding after severe weather on Monday. A Chicago man is suing the federal government over a raid of his home at the height of Operation Midway Blitz. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants his administration to establish stricter standards for purchasing guns. Plus, Chicagoans with big dreams of becoming this city’s mayor fanned out across town Tuesday to collect the signatures needed to get on the ballot. That’s 12,500 valid signatures, to be exact. Tuesday marked the unofficial start to what’s sure to be a jam packed and contentious
Illinois now has a statewide cell phone ban in public schools. Gambling addiction is now officially considered a public health issue in Illinois. A new class has been enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Plus, the Joliet Treatment Center – about an hour outside of Chicago – is a specialized Illinois prison meant to provide intensive mental healthcare. But some incarcerated people and civil rights lawyers say the treatment there is abysmal, and men are frequently left isolated in their cells for long stretches, their mental health deteriorating. Desperate for help, some have chosen to do s
Severe weather continues to move through the Chicago area, and a severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for the Chicago area until at least 7 p.m. Monday. ComEd says the western and northwestern suburbs were hit with the first wave of outages during Monday’s severe storms. A new investigation finds some men locked inside one Illinois prison have become so desperate, they set themselves on fire. Plus, several times a year, our show Prisoncast sends hundreds of surveys inside prisons and jails in Illinois. One thing we ask the people incarcerated there: What’s a sound from the outside world that
