Stories by Nicole Cardos

It’s been a busy first term for U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville). The congresswoman joins us to discuss her freshman year goals and recent headlines.

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has faced troubles for years. Acting Director Marc Smith talks about issues facing the state’s child welfare agency.

It’s her first week in office, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot doesn’t have time to waste when it comes to city finances. How can Chicago address its fiscal troubles?

There might be a new kind of meat cooking on the grill this weekend: alternative meat. But what is it? And why the craze?

Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot unveils an ambitious 100-day plan. We talk to experts about what the future holds under a Lightfoot administration.

How safe are Chicago hospitals? A new report says some of them are not making the grade when it comes to patient safety and preventable death. 

State Sen. Martin Sandoval’s legislation would hike the electric vehicle registration fees from $17.50 to $1,000. It would also include tax and fee increases on gas, license plates and driver’s licenses.

At a time of Jim Crow laws, how did a black man compete to become the fastest athlete of his time? A new book by Michael Kranish tells the story a trailblazing cyclist and his connection to Chicago. 

How to raise children to be successful adults? That’s the million-dollar question for every parent. A new book by Joy Thomas Moore has some suggestions.

Outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the latest supporter of a retirement income tax. A look at the potential impact on Illinois, Chicago – and seniors.

Canada is America’s most trusted ally, but that relationship is at risk. In their new book “The Art of Diplomacy,” a former U.S. ambassador to Canada and his wife explain.

A South Side native watches her long-forgotten home movies for the first time in 35 years. What was on them – and how the viewing was made possible.

If you’re expecting to receive Social Security benefits, brace yourself. Costs for Social Security are projected to exceed the program’s income next year, which means beneficiaries may not get all that’s been promised to them. 

In their new book, a pair of MIT economists say that if the government doesn’t start investing more in research and development, America’s future growth will be in jeopardy. Co-author Simon Johnson makes the case.

What began as a proposal by a presidential candidate has since turned into a heated debate over managing the nation's trillion dollar student debt burden. 

What does ageism look like in the workplace, and how much of a problem is it in the U.S.? A new book uncovers that and more.

U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Sean Casten join us to discuss the latest headlines out of Washington D.C., including the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report and the 2020 census. 

The deadly attacks in Sri Lanka are likely the result of an international terrorist group, says Robert Pape, director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats at the University of Chicago.

Long before becoming a decorated war veteran, Chicago native Allen Lynch was a victim of bullying, which he details in a new autobiography. 

What’s in the redacted version of the Mueller report, and what it could all mean for the president.

Cheryl Judice, the author of the new book “Interracial Relationships between Black Women and White Men,” tells us why she believes more black women should date outside their own race.

They’ll be faced with a lot of work when they reconvene from spring break. We discuss taxes, marijuana and meeting Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot with Illinois lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

She is a psychotherapist and author of the “Dear Therapist” advice column. Lori Gottlieb tells us about her new book, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.”

A South Side native watches her long-forgotten home movies for the first time in 35 years. What was on them – and how the viewing was made possible.

Whether Lori Lightfoot or Toni Preckwinkle becomes the next mayor of Chicago, the 2019 runoff is one for the history books. We take a deep dive into the political significance of this election.

Measles, a virus once thought to be eradicated in the U.S. less than 20 years ago, seems to be rearing its head again. Where are we seeing the virus take hold, and why doesn’t it completely die off?