The records, out physically Oct. 10 and via streaming Oct. 31, capture musical vignettes over the course of McCraven’s last decade. HOST: LANE
The jarring, military-style immigration raid on a South Shore building in Chicago two weeks ago captured the nation’s attention. Federal officials blamed an influx of Venezuelan migrants for the building’s dangerous conditions when they raided and arrested 37 people in the middle of the night. But longtime tenants say the building was in terrible condition long before the raid and the migrants moved in. HOST: LANE
Can individual members of the Illinois National Guard refuse orders to deploy in Illinois? It’s not often service members have to contemplate whether their orders are legal or illegal but sometimes they do. The burden is left to the service member to understand the distinction and what their options are if they believe their orders are illegal. Richard Hayes is a retired Army general and the former head of the Illinois National Guard. HOST: LANE
We’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances. Then each week, we get your questions answered by the people who know best. This week’s question is from Zayla who asks, “What steps should I take to be able to save up to buy a house one day?” HOST: LANE
The nun who’s credited with praying the Loyola Ramblers men’s basketball team to the NCAA Final Four in 2018 has died. Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt died at 106-years-old. HOST: LANE
The tournament at the University of Illinois Chicago drew over 200 puzzlers who came for crosswords and camaraderie. “I want my ego checked,” said one participant. “That’s mission accomplished.” HOST: LANE
A deadly smash-and-grab in downtown Chicago is raising questions about the best way to reduce crime in the city. One of the alleged offenders was a peacekeeper who had recently posed for a photo with Governor J-B Pritzker. Allies of the Trump administration point to such incidents as proof that Chicago needs National Guard troops. But experts say it’s not that simple. They contend that violent crime is down, thanks in part to those who mediate conflict in the city’s toughest neighborhoods. HOST: LANE
A supersized music festival with a funny name is unfolding all month long in Chicago. The Ear Taxi Festival is running now through November second. It features forty concerts, twenty venues and four-hundred musicians. HOST: LANE
We’ve been getting a lot of questions from you about what type of training the National Guard soldiers get – and what they’re allowed to do while deployed in an American city. We know guardsmen from Texas have been at a training site in Elwood, Illinois. In other cities they’ve been stationed around federal buildings. Here in Illinois that could mean the immigration processing facility in west suburban Broadview where protests have been happening for weeks. But legal experts say guard soldiers do NOT have the authority to do ordinary law enforcement. HOST: LANE
The immigration enforcement sweep now underway in the Chicago area has come with a lot of bravado from President Trump and his administration. HOST: MELBA
Though the weather may feel otherwise, fall is in the air, with apple picking, corn mazes and more. And that means big bucks for local businesses. To walk us through the demand for fall activities, Sun-Times reporter Mariah Rush talked with WBEZ’s Melba Lara. HOST: LANE
Many immigrants arrested in the Chicago area are taken to a processing facility in Broadview IL before being released, transferred to a detention center outside the state or deported. The facility wasn’t designed to hold people overnight. There are no beds, no functioning showers, no medical staff. But a WBEZ/Sun Times investigation found that Broadview has become a de facto detention center, minus the rules and oversight. HOST: DEGMAN
The Rink in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood is celebrating 50 years in business. WBEZ’S Somer Van Benton takes us there to find out what keeps it rolling. HOST: LANE
Alongside the Chicago Sun-Times, we’re gathering your questions about all things money and finances. Then each week, we get your questions answered by the people who know best. This week, we’ve got this question from Nancy in Orland Park. NANCY: I am in my 80s and have cash in my trust, traditional and Roth IRAs. Which would be more prudent to use for everyday living? To find out, we called up an expert. Andy Timmerwilke
When Katrina Thompson was elected mayor of the small village of Broadview in 2017, her mom told her this: "You are going to go places that you never imagined. And I've been places I've never imagined, and this is one of them." That place — is the national spotlight. Thompson’s town is home to an ICE processing facility that’s been ground zero for violent clashes between protesters and federal agents, and surprise visits from top Trump administration officials. HOST: LANE
Much has been made about a first-of-its-kind “global” settlement Chicago has reached to close 176 lawsuits tied to corrupt former police sergeant Ronald Watts. Watts operated out of a public housing complex, shaking people down for money and intel, and arresting them when they didn’t pay up. Council members say the $90 million dollar deal saves money and ends a dark chapter in Chicago’s history. But what’s been lost amid news of the massive settlement are the people at the center of the lawsuits. WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel spoke with two men about what this moment – and money – means to them. HOST: LANE
Kurt Elling has long been a creative force in Chicago’s jazz scene. The Chicago-born singer has won two Grammy Awards, and performed on stages all over the world — including at the White House. Now, the 57-year-old is starting a new adventure that is taking him to Broadway. WBEZ arts reporter Mike Davis spoke with Elling about his career adventure and filed this audio postcard. HOST: LANE
Federal workers have already experienced massive upheaval due to cuts earlier this year. Now they could face potential firings with the government shut down. Here to break down what this means for federal workers in Illinois is Sun-Times national politics reporter Tina Sfondeles. HOST: MELBA
It was the surprise of a lifetime. Back in 2022, a group of Chicago high schools on the South and West Side announced that every student – and their parents – could go to college for free. The initiative was called Hope Chicago. And three years later, it is helping to answer the question of what happens when money is no longer a barrier to education beyond high school. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp introduces us to one family. HOST: LARA
Chicago's Loop is making a comeback. But that doesn't mean it's back to pre-pandemic levels just yet. Abby Miller covers real estate development for the Sun-Times. She joined WBEZ’s Clare Lane to talk about where things stand with Chicago's downtown. HOST: LANE