Stories by andrea guthmann

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has promised to fix a broken property tax system and end political patronage hiring. But a recent report found that the assessor’s office is not complying with a series of federal court orders. Kaegi joins us to discuss that and more.

Will Mayor Lori Lightfoot keep her campaign promise to reopen the six mental health clinics closed in 2012 by her predecessor? Or is there or is there a better approach to treating mental illnesses?

He was a fast-rising Republican politician whose career came crashing to a halt last year. Now sober, Aaron Lawlor says he has given up politics but regained his life – and he’s eager to tell his story.

Water line repairs can be a costly mess. But what if there was a way to fix old water mains without tearing up streets, and old trees? There actually is, and Chicago is dipping into the waters of this technology with a pilot program. 

A group of young men have chosen to escape street violence by living together in an innovative safe house. We discuss the program with the two Chicagoans who started it: Liz Dozier and Rami Nashashibi.

As political candidates spar over health care, a local journalist gathers startling personal stories about medical costs. We speak with Dan Weissmann, host of a podcast about the high cost of health care. 

We meet three political newcomers who upset longtime aldermen – plus a fourth candidate who won an open seat in Tuesday’s election.

In the wake of a new study showing Americans are more likely to die from an opioid overdose than from a car crash, Illinois is trying a new approach to curb opioid addiction: medical marijuana. 

2018 was a deadly year for journalists, with more than 50 killed worldwide. We hear from the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders about threats to journalists at home and abroad.  

Nearly three-quarters of registered voters lack confidence that Illinois’ recent budget deal will reduce the state’s long-term fiscal problems, a new poll shows.

We speak with the prize-winning journalist who began her career in the Chicago area and now risks her life reporting on Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.