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Why good soul food can ‘catapult you to the past’ Jul 10, 2023

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Cornbread dressing. Baked mac and cheese. Jamaican fried dumplings.

Soul food is absolutely delicious, and National Soul Food Month – the soul food celebration that takes place every June – was founded by Chicagoan Charla Draper, the former food editor at Ebony Magazine. WBEZ producer Cianna Greaves recently broke bread with Draper. So, we had to talk with Greaves about the importance of soul food, the history of National Soul Food Month, our favorite soul foods and recipes, and why it’s so important to preserve them.

“There’s something about a good plate of soul food that kind of takes you out of yourself,” Greaves said, “and if it’s made just right it does catapult you to the past.”

Migrants moved from 10th District station, transportation projects, NU hazing Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Migrants have been moved from the 10th District police station following allegations of sexual misconduct against officers. The state of Illinois is using $40 billion to tackle improvements around many modes of transportation. Northwestern University is considering even more penalties after suspending its football coach due to evidence of hazing by players.

The ways immigrants participate in and enhance American democracy Jul 07, 2023

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It’s a challenging moment to be an immigrant in the United States. Some elected officials run on anti-immigration platforms, and new policies are targeting undocumented workers. With their very existence up for debate, immigrants have a lot at stake. In this episode, we discuss how immigrants participate in democracy. Naturalized citizens are able to take part in formal ways, like voting. But permanent residents and the undocumented population have many informal pathways open to them. Northwestern University political science professor Jaime Dominguez breaks it all down.

Johnson transition report, Illinois prison healthcare, CPD investigation Jul 07, 2023

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has a 223-page report filled with policy proposals to wade through after his transition committee released it Thursday. Illinois has a chance to improve its troubled prison healthcare. Chicago police are investigating allegations that multiple officers had sexual relations with migrants sleeping at police stations - including a claim an officer impregnated a teen girl.

School board picks, NASCAR mixed reaction, rent payment changes Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s picks for the Chicago Board of Education are steeped in grassroot organizing and advocacy. Business owners downtown are saying they saw mixed results during the recent NASCAR race weekend. A new Illinois law requires landlords to accept any type of rent payment – including cash.

SCOTUS struck down loan forgiveness and affirmative action. Now what? Jul 05, 2023

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Last week, the Supreme Court issued two rulings with big implications in the world of higher education. First, they ruled that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina were unconstitutional, effectively ending affirmative action at colleges nationwide. The next day, they ruled that an executive action by President Joe Biden – one that would have canceled up to $20,000 in student loan debt for some borrowers – was beyond his authority, effectively killing the program. To explain what these rulings mean for future students and the millions of people who already have educational loans, we’re joined by Lisa Philip, WBEZ’s higher education reporter. She’s been gauging the reactions from borrowers, students, administrators and others.

Highland Park one year later, assessing flood damage, money to navigate courts Jul 05, 2023

Show notes

Fourth of July looked different in suburban Highland Park, which spent the day marking one year since a deadly mass shooting. Chicago officials are taking inventory of recent damage caused by torrential rainfall and flooding. Millions in state funding will be made available to help people navigate the court system in Cook County.

Reflecting on the Highland Park mass shooting one year later Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

Highland Park’s 2022 4th of July parade kicked off on a beautiful morning. But it wasn’t long before a shooter opened fire on the festivities. The mass shooting resulted in seven deaths and left 48 other parade goers injured. A year later, the community is coming together to process. Mayor Nancy Rotering has become an outspoken advocate for gun control, including the assault weapons ban that has since passed in Illinois. Rotering said young people in Highland Park expected a mass shooting in their community. “The adults were like, ‘How could this ever happen in Highland Park?’ but the kids said ‘We expected this to happen, and we expected it to happen in school,’” she said. Now, she wants to return to a time when gun violence was not so normalized. In this episode, we reflect on the Highland Park shooting a year later with WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman.

Record rainfall, NASCAR disruptions, student debt frustration Jul 03, 2023

Show notes

The Chicago area saw record rainfall over the weekend, followed by flash flooding. The rain caused problems for NASCAR. More than a million student loan borrowers in Illinois asked for loan forgiveness through a Biden administration plan and the Supreme Court struck it down.

Finding queer spaces outside Northalsted Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

Where are the queer spaces outside of Northalsted for those who either cannot or don’t want to trek to Lake View? Adam Rhodes is a training director at Investigative Reporters and Editors and a former social justice reporter at The Chicago Reader, where they covered the Northalsted community during its period of recent tumult. On today’s episode, they talk about the history of Chicago’s main gay enclave and name some of the city’s welcoming spaces outside of it.

To see a list of Rhodes' suggestions, check out our story here on WBEZ.org.

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