The Rundown | Chicago News

Latest Episodes:

Black drivers are involved in Illinois traffic stops at record rates. Why? Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

Black drivers accounted for over 30% of all traffic stops in Illinois last year, even though the state’s adult population is only 13.6% Black. There’s also been a fivefold increase in the number of Black drivers stopped for non-moving violations and then let go with a warning.

That’s all according to a recent data analysis by WBEZ and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity, which found that Black driver involvement in Illinois traffic stops has reached its highest level on record.

In this episode, Erin Allen speaks with Angela Caputo and Michael Liptrot, two of the many journalists behind the report, about the increase in so-called “pretextual stops,” how public officials responded to questions about the data, and the effect these traffic stops have on Black drivers.

“If you come to work and you're doing everything you're supposed to do and then every so often you just get pulled into HR for nothing and questioned about what you're doing, it will lead you to have a level of angst and anxiety about just going about your day,” Liptrot said.

We want to hear about your traffic stop experience in Illinois. It will inform WBEZ's coverage going forward. Visit wbez.org/trafficsurvey.

Sub-minimum wage vote, remembering Dick Butkus, wrongful termination lawsuit Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

Chicago City Council members will vote on a proposal to eliminate the commonly known “sub-minimum wage.” Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus, considered the gold standard for middle linebackers, has died at the age of 80. Northwestern University’s former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald is suing the university for more than $130 million in damages for “wrongful termination.”

Head of state child & family services resigns, mayor says he’ll visit southern border, Cook County budget proposal Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

The head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services resigns. Mayor Brandon Johnson says he will soon visit the southern border to assess the migrant situation himself as the number being brought to Chicago continues to grow. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle proposes a budget with no new taxes for next year.

Chappell Roan is creating the queer spaces she wants to see Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Growing up in Missouri, singer Chappell Roan didn’t think of queerness as an option. Now that she’s an openly queer pop star, she wants to use her platform to empower LGBTQ+ communities. So she’s booking local drag queens to open for her in every city on tour. “Drag is just inspirational throughout my whole project,” Roan said. “It would be only right to have drag open for me.” Enter Boyj, a Chicago-based drag artist. He also didn’t see himself reflected in the mainstream growing up. He said queer communities in Northalsted—formerly Boystown—helped him find himself. “I like to think of Chicago as the headquarters of drag,” Boyj said. You can see where this is going: Boyj is one of Chappell Roan’s openers for her Chicago shows at the House of Blues. In this episode, we talk to them both about drag, queer origin stories and Roan’s debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”

Spike in hate crimes, funding homeless prevention, nurses seek patient limits Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

Illinois saw a spike in hate crimes and speech over the last three years. Chicagoans can weigh in on a proposal to increase a tax on high-end property sales to fund homelessness prevention. Nurses want Illinois state lawmakers to regulate how many patients they treat at a time.

Murders decline in Chicago, expanding internet access, migrant crisis update Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

This past month, Chicago had fewer murders than any September since 2014. Cook County announces a Digital Equity Action Plan to expand internet access. Groups demand work permits for all undocumented immigrants – not just Venezuelans

‘Everyone has a story’: Nestor Gomez explains why you should get on stage Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

The Guatemalan civil war brought Nestor Gomez and his family to the United States when he was a teenager in the 1980s.

“In many ways I didn’t have a voice at all,” he told Erin Allen. “I didn’t have a voice because I couldn’t vote as an undocumented person, I didn’t have a voice because I stuttered and I didn’t have a voice because I didn’t know the language.”

Decades later and Nestor is somewhat of a legend in Chicago’s storytelling scene. He’s won The Moth's Story SLAM over 70 times and the Chicago Grand SLAM three times (and he’s competing for a fourth win on Saturday, Oct. 7). In this episode, he explains how he found his voice, how he stays conversational on stage and why everyone has a story worth telling.

Mexican consulate opens legal clinic, UAW strike update, Chi baseball is over Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Mexicans in Chicago who face wrongful convictions may now seek free legal aid from their local consulate. More than 5,000 employees at the Chicago Ford plant joined the auto workers strike on Friday. Chicago may have two baseball teams – but neither made it to the postseason.

You know LaRoyce Hawkins from ‘Chicago P.D.’ Now, meet LaRoyce the poet. Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

If you watch any shows set in Chicago, you’ve probably seen LaRoyce Hawkins. He plays Kevin Atwater in “Chicago P.D.” and its many crossover shows and is in “South Side” as Michael “Shaw” Owens. Even if Hawkins hasn’t appeared on your TV, you might’ve seen him around town. He’s the tall guy with the toothpick, coordinating fundraisers for community organizations in and around Chicago. But he’s also a lifelong poet and comedian, and currently touring his show “Poetry OVER Prose.” In this episode, we talk to Hawkins about poetry, improv and unicycles.

Pritzker on migrant housing, CPS infrastructure, celebrating right to vote Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Gov. J.B. Pritzker expresses concerns about a controversial security firm tapped to build tent shelters for migrants in Chicago. Chicago Public Schools lays out just how much it would cost to modernize its aging buildings. South Side artist Dorian Sylvain’s to unveil a new mural in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment is unveiled downtown.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Rundown | Chicago News

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected