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Morning News: Tuesday May 14, 2024 May 14, 2024

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A new poll shows that most Chicagoans think students in the city’s public schools are not learning enough. Governor J-B Pritzker’s office is celebrating – millions of Illinoisans are still enrolled in Medicaid. A proposed bill would transfer a state park to Illinois’s only federally recognized tribal nation.

Afternoon News: Monday May 13, 2024 May 13, 2024

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Nearly 20 Chicago city council members have signed onto an ordinance calling for CTA President Dorval Carter to resign. Governor J.B. Pritzker continues to distance himself from budget strategies of the past that he says made Illinois a “credit-unworthy state.” Three beloved great horned owls living in Lincoln Park have died in the span of a month.

‘Paint is not protection’: Why Chicago cyclists want protected infrastructure May 13, 2024

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May 12 through May 18 is National Transportation Week, so we’re revisiting our favorite transit and infrastructure conversations—and sparking some new ones.

When WBEZ’s Roy Howard fellow Jessica Alvarado Gamez moved to Chicago last year, she drove around to get her bearings. She couldn’t help noticing how close she came to cyclists.

“I can easily go into the painted bike lanes,” she said. Some Chicago cyclists have observed the same problem, resulting in the refrain, “paint is not protection.”

Thankfully for us, Alvarado Gamez dug into city data to understand why cycling in Chicago is so dangerous and what cyclists want done.

In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Alvarado Gamez about the path toward safer biking infrastructure.

This episode was originally published on Nov. 17, 2023.

Morning News: Monday May 13, 2024 May 13, 2024

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A complaint tracking system could help the Chicago Police Department prevent officer misconduct, researchers say. Illinois lawmakers are running out of time to consider a measure to let people end their own lives with medication. A group of activists host a Mother’s Day celebration for incarcerated caregivers outside of Cook County Jail.

Afternoon News: Friday May 10, 2024 May 10, 2024

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A Lake County judge is ordering the owner of Republican-favoring websites to remove sensitive information about Illinois voters from its platforms. A WBEZ analysis found that CTA service levels have actually declined since 2021 whereas other transit agencies in large cities increased their service during that period. It’s possible the Northern Lights will be visible in the Chicago area Friday night.

Cabrini Art House founders want to give back to Cabrini-Green community May 10, 2024

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Marques “Merk” Elliston and Cher’Don Reynolds have been friends for decades. They met as kids living in the Cabrini-Green Homes, a former public housing project Near North Side. But as adults, they can’t return to their childhood landmarks: Cabrini-Green was demolished over the course of the early-2000s, displacing several thousand residents. This reality hit Reynolds recently when she and Elliston went for a drive. “I was passing the building that I was raised in, the building that he was raised in,” she said. “Everything was gone.” Now, Elliston and Reynolds want to restore a church in the area and establish a creative hub. In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Elliston and Reynolds about Cabrini-Green’s legacy and their dreams for Cabrini Art House.

Morning News: Friday May 10, 2024 May 10, 2024

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Ridership recovery at the CTA lags behind other major cities. Student organizers are speaking out about their frustration with the University of Chicago’s decision to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment. The University of Chicago Divinity School and Baptist Theological Union are hosting a panel on the Black Church in Chicago tonight.

Afternoon News: Thursday May 9, 2024 May 09, 2024

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Illinois families are once again in Springfield pushing the state legislature to pass a permanent child tax credit this spring. Hospital system Ascension has detected a cybersecurity incident, and Crain's is reporting the issue is disrupting Ascension’s clinical operations. A 21-year-old from south suburban Mokena is one of fewer than 50 competitors at the Professional Bull Riders world finals in Texas this weekend.

‘Do the damn thing’: Chicago artist Robert Earl Paige on 60 years of art May 09, 2024

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Chicago artist Robert Earl Paige has 60 years worth of his art on display right now at the Hyde Park Art Center. He sat down with Rundown podcast host Erin Allen to talk about his childhood on the South Side in the 1930s and 40s, his early design work in both Chicago and Milan, Italy, why he’s dabbled in creating art on top of everything from T-shirts to rocks, and his key piece of advice for the next generation of artists.

“The marketplace is very fickle,” Paige said on the Rundown podcast. “The stuff that you love, they hate. The stuff they hate, you love. It's a mad thing. So my idea and what I tell most artists: Just do the damn thing. Get it out there.”

“The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige” is on display at the Hyde Park Art Center through October 27, 2024.

Morning News: Thursday May 9, 2024 May 09, 2024

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Chicago residents and City Council members grilled Chicago Housing Authority leadership over a long list of issues. Mayor Brandon Johnson stands behind his pick for the Regional Transportation Authority’s board after a contentious committee hearing. Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul is suing an online publisher for posting sensitive personal information about Illinois voters.

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