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Afternoon News: Friday March 8, 2024 Mar 08, 2024

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Chicago public health officials say a child has tested positive for measles at one of the largest migrant shelters in the Pilsen neighborhood. Abortion rights advocates are protesting the recent opening of an Indiana-based crisis pregnancy center in Chicago. The city of Chicago now has its first Native and Pollinator Garden Registry Advisory Board.

Is this ‘a golden era of corruption’ for Chicago and Illinois? Mar 08, 2024

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Al Capone. Operation Greylord. Four former Illinois governors in federal prison.

We have a long history of corruption around these parts, but WBEZ government and politics reporter Dave McKinney thinks that the present day – with figures like former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Chicago Ald. Ed Burke – may take the cake.

“It’s a little funny to think about what’s going on now as a golden era because that was certainly a golden era too,” McKinney said, “but with Madigan, with Burke, these people were so powerful.”

But shouldn’t decades of high-profile criminal trials and convictions actually act as a deterrent to public officials presented with opportunities of graft, bribery or fraud?

As a part of WBEZ’s Democracy Solutions Project, McKinney has been looking into why corruption thrives in Chicago and Illinois, what reforms we have made and could make, and the financial and emotional toll corruption takes on us as citizens. In this episode of the Rundown, McKinney explains why corruption remains and what we can do about it.

Morning News: March 8, 2024 Mar 08, 2024

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U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth brought an infertility specialist to President Biden’s address last night. A state lawmaker has ideas for a new Bears stadium near Soldier Field. Chicago has been developing twice as much away from transit stop as opposed to near them.

Afternoon News: Thursday March 7, 2024 Mar 07, 2024

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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is standing by his call to permanently eliminate the state's 1% grocery tax. A Democrat-backed effort in Springfield would legalize psilocybin—psychedelic mushrooms. Many migrants living in Chicago are having difficulty getting a driver’s license.

How Illinois lawmakers are working to safeguard IVF Mar 07, 2024

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Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Illinois has become a popular destination for people seeking abortion care. Now, lawmakers are turning their attention to in vitro fertilization, or IVF. In February, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled embryos fertilized through IVF should be considered people. The state’s governor has since signed legislation to protect IVF providers from legal liability, a move that would reopen the procedure in the state. But the back-and-forth raised concerns from Illinois legislators, who are attempting to safeguard and expand access to the procedure. “I invite legislation to make sure that we’re codifying at every turn,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to WBEZ statehouse reporter Mawa Iqbal about what she’s hearing from Illinois lawmakers and health care providers.

Morning News: March 7, 2024 Mar 07, 2024

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Chicago officials are preparing for the DNC Convention that comes to town in August. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is celebrating a decision that will put the Bring Chicago Home referendum back in the hands of voters. A new proposal for funding Illinois’ public universities could increase the number of Black and low-income students getting college degrees.

Afternoon News: Wednesday March 6, 2024 Mar 06, 2024

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Cook County’s top prosecutor is praising the guilty verdicts against the man who killed Chicago police officer Ella French and attempted to kill her partners. A new grant program will address food insecurity across Illinois. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced this year's Chicago Blues Festival lineup, including a special performance by Buddy Guy as part of his farewell tour.

Chicago’s pothole artist has a new art gallery in Uptown Mar 06, 2024

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Jim Bachor is known for filling Chicago potholes with old world, mosaic tile artwork. But his work doesn’t depict Roman emperors or ancient religious figures. More often it’s a pack of Marlboro cigarettes or a delicious frozen ice cream treat.

“I’ve found that my goal in life is to drag the artform of the mosaic kicking and screaming into the 21st century,” Bachor said.

Bachor recently opened a new gallery of his work at 1111 W. Lawrence Ave. in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, right across the street from the Aragon Ballroom. He’s offering original mosaics for sale – typically at a cost of hundreds or thousands of dollars – but also cheaper prints, T-shirts, stickers, and – soon – classes.

In this episode, Rundown podcast host Erin Allen talks with Bachor about how he got started in this highly tedious artform and why he started putting his work in some of Chicago’s many, many potholes.

This episode originally aired on Oct. 25, 2023.

Morning News: Wednesday March 6, 2024 Mar 06, 2024

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Critics of a mayor-backed plan for a partially elected school board say grassroots candidates will have a hard time running. Proposed legislation in Springfield would ban small, single-use containers for personal care products like soap and shampoo in hotels. A former Democratic Illinois governor is teaming up with a Republican on ethics reform for politicians.

Afternoon News: Tuesday March 5, 2024 Mar 05, 2024

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The Illinois Senate has passed a bill to create a partially elected Chicago school board. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago has access once again to patients’ electronic medical records, more than a month into a cybersecurity outage. Early voting is underway for people incarcerated at Cook County Jail.

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