The Rundown | Chicago News

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Mandatory paid leave, community college transfers, SAFE-T Act court hearing Mar 14, 2023

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Gov. JB Pritzker signs mandatory paid leave for all employees into law. New research shows one in two community college students who transfer to selective universities come from America’s wealthiest families. An Illinois law eliminating cash bail will be the focus of oral arguments in the Illinois Supreme Court today.

Three years in, social equity cannabis applicants waiting on Illinois Mar 13, 2023

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When Illinois passed a law legalizing recreational cannabis in 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker promised a robust social equity program alongside it. More than three years later, the criminal records of hundreds of thousands of low-level drug offenders have been expunged, but the opportunities for them to profit from the new multi-billion dollar industry remain limited. Only a handful of dispensaries are owned and operated by equity applicants. The licensing process is slow, beset by delays that are costing potential dispensary owners lots of money. WBEZ Statehouse Reporter Alex Degman explains why.

Start of St. Paddy’s festivities, police overtime lawsuit, digital state IDs Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Chicago kicked off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with a green river and South Side parade — also marking three years since health officials declared the COVID-19 pandemic. Police won a lawsuit against the city of Chicago – and they say they’re now owed a lot of overtime pay. Illinois’ new secretary of state says digital IDs could be on the horizon.

Black taxpayers are more likely to be audited. But why? Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

A few years back, Dan Ho and his team at Stanford University’s Regulation, Evaluation, and Governance Lab started thinking of ways to improve the IRS’s auditing process. They eventually discovered that Black taxpayers were being audited at surprisingly higher rates than their counterparts of other ethnic backgrounds. With this information, Ho is now helping to modernize the audit selection process. To see the full study, visit Stanford University’s webpage.

Funding for the Red Line extension, mayoral heat continues, St. Pat's in Chicago Mar 10, 2023

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President Biden’s budget includes a $350 million dollar grant for the Red Line extension south. Chicago mayoral candidates squared off in another heated debate last night. Daylight saving time and St. Patrick’s Day are coming up this weekend.

Breaking down the mayoral debate, abortion rights protest, endangered buildings Mar 09, 2023

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The two mayoral runoff candidates vowed they’d remain independent from their biggest supporters if elected. Abortion rights activists and the state of California are taking shots at Walgreens. Today is the funeral for slain Chicago police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso.

Chicago through the lens of “The Negro Motorist Green Book” Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

“The Negro Motorist Green Book” helped Black Americans travel safely to and between thousands of businesses during America’s Jim Crow era. The Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie has a new exhibit focused on its history, including an interactive simulation where you pack your car and hit the road, making stops based on the Green Book’s recommendations. Arielle Weininger is the Chief Curator of Collections and Exhibitions. She talks about how Chicagoans used the book and why its purpose still resonates for Black people, Jewish people, women and others today.

Mayoral candidates face off, soot pollution, tug-of-war over Taste of Chicago Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will face off today in the first debate before runoff elections. A new report highlights the impacts of soot pollution in Cook County. A proposal to relocate the Annual Taste of Chicago to Navy Pier this summer is causing tension among City Council members.

Chicago's theaters struggle, mayoral endorsements, discrimination at NEIU Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

Chicago's theaters continue to struggle post-pandemic. Endorsements are rolling in for Chicago’s runoff elections for mayor. The president of Northeastern Illinois University has alleged gender and race discrimination by board members.

Beatrice Scescke creates a nature healing haven in Chicago Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Beatrice Scescke was born and raised in Chicago but always dreamed of those greener pastures – something she had been drawn to since her visits to Kentucky as a child. Years later, she founded the Chicago Rewilding Society, a non-profit urban nature sanctuary that allows city residents to connect with nature, animals and therapeutic healing. The Society is located in Garfield Park and houses rescued horses, goats, chickens and more. To learn about her story, visit Vocalo’s Chi Sounds Like.

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