The Rundown | Chicago News

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‘A lot of chaos’: A look at abortion access in the U.S. one year after Dobbs Jun 21, 2023

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It’s been a year since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. What’s happened since? “A lot of chaos,” according to Lee Hasselbacher, the director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health. Lee explains the implications of the Dobbs decision one year in – for healthcare providers, pregnant people, tourists and everyone else.

The fight over Urban Prep, helping domestic violence survivors, banking equity Jun 21, 2023

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Urban Prep Academy is still fighting to stay open, even as CPS plans to open a replacement school this fall. The city of Chicago is officially launching another cash assistance program– this time for survivors of domestic violence. Three years after a WBEZ investigation into disparate home lending by banks, Chicago leaders say work still needs to be done.

A violent weekend, CTA survey results, funding for Burge victims memorial Jun 20, 2023

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After three shootings in the Chicago area, including one where at least 23 people were injured, one fatally, an Illinois congressman reiterates that guns are the problem. A recent survey shows that more people would use the CTA if there was expanded service during the weekday. A private foundation is funding a memorial to victims of former Chicago Police Commander John Burge and his “Midnight Crew.”

Tony Smith changes the world one student (and one photo) at a time Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

Tony Smith came of age during Chicago’s house music scene in the late 1970s. Chosen Few and Frankie Knuckles were his neighbors, and they helped him find his footing in Chicago’s arts scene, a space he’s occupied ever since. Smith’s a multimedia artist – a photographer, a musician, a documentarian and an archivist – and today he teaches his students at the Hyde Park Art Center how to have their own voice through art – and how it can make a difference.

This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series.

Juneteenth celebrations, temporary casino approved, Board of Education updates Jun 16, 2023

Show notes

Bally’s hopes to open a temporary casino in Chicago by the end of the summer after an initial greenlight from a state regulatory board yesterday. Some community groups are asking Mayor Brandon Johnson to solicit their input as he chooses new Board of Education members. Cook County’s annual Juneteenth festivities start today.

Coerced confession settlement, Douglass Park tensions, police reform questions Jun 15, 2023

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The City of Chicago may enter a multimillion dollar settlement over a coerced confession. The Chicago Park District gave the green light to three major music festivals in Douglass Park, despite complaints from residents. A former city official is sounding the alarm about Chicago’s slow pace of police reform.

Chicago closed 50 schools a decade ago. Was it worth it? Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

Imagine how you’d feel if your elementary school permanently closed its doors in the summer between your 2nd and 3rd grades, severing your relationship with friends, teachers and an entire community. For tens of thousands of Chicago students, that kind of situation was a reality in 2013, when then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Board of Education closed 50 schools in one fell swoop. Ten years later, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times analyzed why that decision was made and how it affected students, families and communities. Sun-Times investigative reporter Lauren FitzPatrick and WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp explain their findings.

Chicago’s finances, protecting striking workers, less EV rebate money Jun 14, 2023

Show notes

A new report from The Civic Federation is pointing to concerns around Chicago’s finances. Gov. JB Pritzker signed a pair of labor laws designed to protect striking workers. The state of Illinois’ new budget will have less money for electric vehicle rebates.

Illinois’ book ban ban, federal dollars for migrants, demand for abortion care Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to effectively ban book bans. Chicago is set to receive $10.5 million in federal funding to help with the city’s migrant population. Planned Parenthood of Illinois saw a big increase in abortion care patients since Roe fell last summer.

New book ‘Carmageddon’ imagines a society with less car dependence Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Daniel Knowles rides his bike almost everywhere. When he’s not cycling, he takes the CTA from his home in Wicker Park. Knowles is from the United Kingdom and has traveled the world as a reporter, so he has seen how people across the globe get around town. His main takeaway: We need to lower our reliance on cars. From automobiles’ well-publicized drawbacks—car deaths and climate impact—to lesser-known contributions to housing insecurity and racial inequities, driving may be taking more from us than it gives. In this episode, we sit down with Knowles to discuss his new book “Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse, and What to Do About It.”

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