The Rundown | Chicago News

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School for migrant kids, license plate data protection, Great Lakes designation May 23, 2023

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Chicago Public Schools is enrolling migrant children in the city. Illinois lawmakers are hoping to protect license plate data of people who are crossing state lines seeking abortion care. The Great Lakes are now the only freshwater system to earn a nod for their role in ocean health.

Is Illinois a safe haven for the transgender community? May 22, 2023

Show notes

“As trans people, we can never be safe,” says Stephanie Skora, the Chief Development Officer at Brave Space Alliance. “That's why we’re named Brave Space Alliance, not safe space alliance.”

On this episode of The Rundown, producer and guest host Sarah Stark talks with Skora and Brave Space Alliance CEO Channyn Lynne Parker about the pressing issues facing transgender folks in the Midwest and nationwide, how the conversation has shifted in the past few years, and how to make some space for joy, too. Brave Space supports transgender Chicagoans who have been left out of traditional spaces, especially Black and brown Chicagoans on the South and West sides.

Catching up on Springfield, pollution near warehouses, Griner's home open May 22, 2023

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A recent bill passed by Illinois state lawmakers would allow transit agencies to suspend unruly riders. Another would allow residents without U.S. citizenship status to work in law enforcement. Nearly 2 million Illinois residents living near freight warehouses are at risk of health complications. Britney Griner played the Chicago Sky during her first home game with the Phoenix Mercury since returning from being detained in Russia.

This collective is mapping Chicago’s Black social culture May 19, 2023

Show notes

The artists of Honey Pot Performance collective didn’t want the passage of time to erase Black Chicagoans’ cultural history. So they created The Chicago Black Social Culture map. It’s a virtual map, dotted with social spaces, past and present, as markers. And they’re brought to life by photos, videos, writing and in-person programming that showcase the lived experiences of Black Chicagoans. Meida McNeal, the project’s director, talks about centering House music in the map and how it gives a chronically under-documented constituency a way to see their history represented.

Illinois lawmakers miss deadline, closed CPS schools, Riot Fest update May 19, 2023

Show notes

Illinois lawmakers will miss their self-imposed adjournment deadline today as budget negotiations continue behind closed doors. A WBEZ and Sun-Times investigation finds that the 50 Chicago public schools that were closed ten years ago are still sitting vacant. Five major US cities – including Chicago – and the state of California will receive federal help to get unsheltered residents into permanent housing.

Assault weapons ban stands, third airport potential, AAPI discrimination study May 18, 2023

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Illinois’ ban on high-powered firearms and large-capacity magazines will remain in place for now after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request to consider a case against the law. A long-dormant idea of building a third Chicago-area airport in the south suburbs is being revived by Illinois lawmakers. A new study highlights the discrimination Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have faced since the start of the pandemic.

Change is coming with Brandon Johnson and his mayoral to-do list May 17, 2023

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It’s been a little more than a month since Brandon Johnson declared victory in the mayoral runoff election, and he’s now taken his place on the fourth floor of City Hall. In his inauguration speech Monday, Chicago’s new mayor set some priorities. Among them were safety, transit, reopening shuttered mental health clinics, and finding resources for the some 8,000 migrants who have made their way to Chicago since August. In this episode, we get the download on Mayor Johnson’s first couple days in office from WBEZ city politics and government reporters Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg.

Johnson migrant focus, environmental advocates celebrate, public transit push May 17, 2023

Show notes

New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson isn’t saying for sure if he will call in the National Guard to assist with the increase in asylum seekers. Environmental advocates celebrate the city’s commitment to overhaul policies that lead to pollution in more Black and brown communities, compared to white neighborhoods. State lawmakers are urging passage of a measure to address public transit needs across Illinois.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, Bears seek state help, Chonkosaurus love fest May 16, 2023

Show notes

Brandon Johnson is now Chicago’s mayor and used his inauguration speech to talk about his priorities in the office. He even signed a few executive orders. State lawmakers will discuss a proposal meant to help the Bears move to Arlington Heights. The giant snapping turtle named Chonkosaurus is winning the hearts of many.

‘Quietly Hostile’: Author Sam Irby gets “knee deep in the muck” this time around May 15, 2023

Show notes

Sam Irby is a comedian, TV writer, essayist and best-selling author. She’s back with a new book of short stories, “Quietly Hostile,” which hits shelves Tuesday. “This time it felt less like, you know, ‘I have to get these urgent thoughts out of my brain,’ and more like, ‘this is what’s going on, let’s laugh at it,’” Irby said. She talks about the book, transitioning into TV writing , and why she always goes there – to deep and uncomfortable places – to offer her readers a sense of belonging.

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