The long-awaited Red Line extension and Chicago casino take major leaps forward. Is the Jane Byrne interchange finally finished? And García and Lightfoot attacked for ties to Sam Bankman-Fried.
Sarah Karp
Community reaction to Jason Van Dyke’s release from prison. Laquan McDonald’s neighborhood of North Lawndale is our In Your Neighborhood stop. Plus, the city’s top cop and Sen. Tammy Duckworth.
Chicago schools shut down in a dispute between teachers and administrators. Arne Duncan teases a potential mayoral run. Remembering Jan. 6. And Lightfoot vows a reset on crime in 2022.
A surge in COVID-19 infections prompts indoor mask mandates. Democrats and Republicans campaign at the Illinois State Fair. Officer Ella French is laid to rest. And a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan has President Joe Biden on the defensive.
Illinois is on track to open fully in June. Cultural institutions prepare for their return. High-profile political corruption cases heat up in court. And bombshell resignations both at CPS and COPA.
Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union are still negotiating a return to in-person learning. The coronavirus keeps indoor dining to a minimum in Chicago, and pushback over backroom political deals.
COVID-19 rollbacks hit Chicago and the collar counties. Tax hikes, borrowing and layoffs are in Mayor Lightfoot’s budget. A state supreme court race gets political. A recap of the final presidential debate.
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden visit Kenosha after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. CPS students head back to school. And the CDC tells states to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine.
Chicago’s Christopher Columbus statues come down. Mayor Lightfoot and the president go toe-to-toe over federal law enforcement in Chicago. Some COVID-19 restrictions return, and baseball is back.
Coronavirus fears tank the stock market. The gloves come off in the race for Cook County state’s attorney. More turmoil at Chicago Public Schools. And the city preps for round two of electric scooters.
Illinois’ congressional Democrats support impeachment. Southwest Side politicians get caught in federal crosshairs. The Chicago Teachers Union overwhelmingly supports a strike. And the Cubs collapse.
Each year, hundreds of Chicago Public Schools are having to make do without teachers and substitutes because of a teacher shortage. But according to new reporting from WBEZ, that shortfall does not impact all schools and students equally.
With CPS enrollment down by 32,000—and the school-closing moratorium coming to an end—is another wave of Chicago school closings possible? WBEZ reporter Sarah Karp joins us in discussion.
President Barack Obama hits town to raise cash. Contract talks heat up as a teachers strike looms. COPA sails through City Council. And the Cubs launch their playoff push against the Giants.
Joel Weisman and guests discuss the controversial and expensive new plan for the Lucas Museum and more top stories on this week's show.
Former CPS CEO to Plead Guilty to Fraud Scheme
Former Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett will reportedly plead guilty to a federal bribery indictment along with the co-owners of SUPES Academy, her former employer. We'll talk with the reporter who broke the story and the former CPS Inspector General who blew the whistle, as well as a former federal prosecutor.
