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March 14, 2023 - Full Show

The ComEd bribery trial gets underway. The state’s high court hears challenges to the no-cash-bail bill that’s been put on hold. And debating NASCAR and other events closing Grant Park for most of the summer.

Lawmakers, Organizers Want to Force Lakefront Power Plant Owner to Clean Up Coal Ash Byproduct

Coal ash, the byproduct created when plants burn coal for power, contains potentially dangerous materials like arsenic, mercury and cadmium that can endanger nearby water supplies. Since coal-fired power plants use a lot of water to keep their equipment cool, they’re often near bodies of water like Lake Michigan.

Grant Park Summer Closures Raise Questions About Access, Priorities

Grant Park could potentially be closed to the public for 40 days for July's NASCAR Chicago Street Race, including event setup and teardown. That's just one of many events blocking free access to the park this summer.

Vallas Vows to Limit Aldermanic Prerogative to Boost Development on Chicago’s South, West Sides

Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas’ plan to reverse decades of disinvestment on the South and West sides of Chicago focuses on the creation of an independent community development authority that would limit tChicago City Council members’ control of zoning in their wards. 

Illinois Supreme Court Hears Arguments Over Eliminating Cash Bail

The lawsuit over cash bail pits the state’s Democratic governor, attorney general and legislative leaders against roughly half of Illinois’ state’s attorneys, as well as county sheriffs. Both sides can agree on this much: The justices’ decision will have major ramifications on the future of the criminal justice system in Illinois.

14 City Council Races Head to Runoffs, as La Spata Triumphs, But Gardiner and Taliaferro Fall Short

Six members of the Chicago City Council will have to defend their seats during the April 4 runoff, including 29th Ward Ald. Chris Taliaferro, who fell 25 votes short of winning a majority of votes in his West Side ward.

Jury Selection Underway in ‘ComEd Four’ Trial

Dozens of potential jurors were brought in for questioning in the case against ex-ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist Mike McClain, retired ComEd executive John Hooker and ex-City Club of Chicago president and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty.

State Scraps Plans to Move Migrants to Shuttered Kmart on Chicago’s Southwest Side

A shuttered Kmart will no longer serve as temporary housing for 658 asylum seekers currently living in Illinois. A source close to the situation said some of the migrants have found places to live independently while others will continue to stay at hotels, mostly in the south and southwest suburbs.

Capturing the Darkness of a Totalitarian State in ‘Describe the Night’

Part history, part imagination, and awash in clever verbal interplay, “Describe the Night” captures the spirit of Russian author and war correspondent Isaac Babel. The play follows certain aspects of his life and times — from his romantic attachments to his tense interaction with Soviet intelligence.

Measure Designed to Allow Nonprofit Employees to Unionize Advances Over Lightfoot’s Objection

The proposal would require human service organizations that contract with the city and have more than 20 employees to agree not to fight efforts by their employees to unionize as long as workers agree not disrupt the company’s operations while they organize.

EPA to Limit Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water

The plan would limit toxic PFAS chemicals to the lowest level that tests can detect. PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances, are a group of compounds that are widespread, dangerous and expensive to remove from water.

Measure Designed to Allow Nonprofit Employees to Unionize Set for Key Vote

The proposal would require human service organizations that contract with the city to agree not to disrupt efforts by their employees to unionize as long as workers agree not disrupt the company’s operations while they organize.

All-Affordable Condo Development Offers Middle-Income Families Homes in Heart of the City

The Seng is a 34-unit condo building that aims to attract middle-income families previously priced out of the area. A three-bedroom unit might go for $333,000, the developer said, compared to the market average of $700,000 in the neighborhood.

Pritzker Signs Law Requiring Some Paid Leave for Illinois Workers

Come next year, a new law will mandate nearly all Illinois employers give their workers a minimum of five paid days off, for any reason.

‘ComEd Four’ Heading to Trial Over Alleged Scheme to Bribe Michael Madigan

The trial of the “ComEd Four” — ex-CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist Mike McClain, retired ComEd executive John Hooker and ex-City Club of Chicago president and former ComEd consultant Jay Doherty — will begin this week.

March 13, 2023 - Full Show

An update to a proposed plan to house migrants at an abandoned Chicago Kmart. What to know about the “ComEd four” federal trial beginning this week. And the fallout from the SVP Bank collapse.

Southeast Side Residents Suing to Keep Army Corps ‘Mountain of Dredge’ From Rising Up on Lake Michigan

Opponents of a toxic sludge landfill on Lake Michigan have filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to expand the dump by 25 vertical feet.

City Inks Controversial Deal for Chicago Fire Practice Facility on Chicago Housing Authority Land

The facility is set to take over some 26 acres of Near West Side property that was part of the Addams-Brooks-Loomis-Abbott homes, known as ABLA. The Fire plans to build a “performance center” building and five and a half soccer fields.

Biden Administration Lets Ukrainians Who Fled War Stay in US

The Homeland Security Department said the extension is for certain Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members who were let into the U.S. before the Uniting for Ukraine program started.

2 Large Banks Catering to Tech Industry Have Collapsed. Here’s What Comes Next.

Over the last three days, the U.S. seized the two financial institutions after a bank run on Silicon Valley Bank, based in Santa Clara, California. It was the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual went under in 2008. How did we get here? And will the steps the government unveiled over the weekend be enough?

Taste of Chicago Bumped Until After Labor Day Amid Grant Park Closures

The Taste — started in 1980 — is set to take place in its traditional Grant Park home Sept. 8-10, one week after the Labor Day holiday weekend that traditionally marks the end of summer.

Chicago Man Charged After Allegedly Stabbing Ex-Girlfriend to Death on CTA Platform

Alejandro Arellano, 31, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 26-year-old woman, whom he allegedly stabbed at least four times with a folding pocket knife. He was ordered held without bail during a hearing Monday.

City Council Won’t Pay $1M to Settle Lawsuit Filed by Mother of Man Killed by Chicago Police Officer Who Turned Off Camera

Sharell Brown, 26, was shot and killed during a confrontation with police officers who stopped him in Lawndale. Brown was shot four times in the head and twice in his right arm, according to the investigation of the incident by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA.

Oscars (Still) So White? 2023 Academy Awards Continue to Lack Representation

The 2023 Academy Awards will see historic Asian representation, but the Oscars are still coming under fire over issues of representation, even eight years after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite led to a reckoning within the Academy.

Cook County, Bad Neighbor: Addressing Smog Pollution in Latino Communities

Cook County is the worst neighbor in the country when it comes to smog, according to new data from the EPA. Health-damaging smog can travel hundreds of miles to neighboring counties and states.

Get to Know ‘Good Father Gus’ at Evenings with Tolton Events

The first recognized African American Roman Catholic priest is on the road to sainthood. Augustus Tolton’s journey from enslaved child to priest is the subject of a series of events happening at the Tolton Heritage Center in Bronzeville.
 

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