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Posts published in “Latest News”

Chicago Police 911 Response To Mental Health Calls

New teams will consist of a cop, paramedic and mental-health clinician. Some advocates are concerned because the police will retain a role. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell

Read an Excerpt from “Sheer Misery: Soldiers in Battle in WWII” by Mary Louise Roberts

The month of August marks the anniversaries of some of World War II’s most significant events, such as the Allied liberation of Paris and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mary Louise Roberts’ recent book, Sheer Misery: Soldiers in Battle in WWII, differs from many traditional military histories—with their focus

The post Read an Excerpt from “Sheer Misery: Soldiers in Battle in WWII” by Mary Louise Roberts appeared first on The Chicago Blog.

Ways to Avoid Greenwashed Products, Buy Eco-Friendly

“Greenwashing” is a term that describes when companies market their products as environmentally friendly. Xi Marquez helps us understand who’s greenwashing and who’s actually green. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Lifeguard Abuse Investigator Blasts Chicago Parks Boss

The Park District's deputy inspector general says he was taken off the job in an attempt to “impede and obstruct” the investigation into alleged sexual misconduct at the city's public beaches and pools. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

Is My Chicago Alderman Vaccinated Against COVID-19?

WBEZ conducted the survey after health experts have for months reiterated the important role local leaders can play in persuading people to get vaccinated. Host: Melba Lara; Reporter: Mariah Woelfel

Chicago Gun Violence Victims, Perpetrators Graduation

Members of the anti-violence program Chicago CRED are graduating high school Thursday, a major moment in their path away from gun violence. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Patrick Smith

Female Cops Mourn Loss of CPD Officer Ella French

As mourners prepare for the funeral of slain Chicago Police Officer Ella French, her death is hitting other female cops hard. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Chip Mitchell; Speakers: Aquarius Leonard, Briana Nieves, Tawanda Johnson, Tena Al Farah

Read an Excerpt from Jonathan Stevenson’s New Spy Biography “A Drop of Treason: Philip Agee and His Exposure of the CIA”

Philip Agee’s story is the stuff of a John le Carré novel—perilous and thrilling adventures around the globe. In 1975, he became the first person to publicly betray the CIA—a pariah whose like was not seen again until Edward Snowden. For almost forty years in exile, he was a thorn

The post Read an Excerpt from Jonathan Stevenson’s New Spy Biography “A Drop of Treason: Philip Agee and His Exposure of the CIA” appeared first on The Chicago Blog.

Chicago’s First Black Police Supt., Fred Rice Jr.

TikTok historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas discusses Fred Rice Junior, Chicago’s first African American Police Superintendent, who was appointed in August 1983. Host: Mary Dixon, Lisa Labuz; Producer: Cianna Greaves

Chicago’s Nursing Shortages Intensified During Pandemic

How one city of Chicago nursing contract reveals a larger trend in the healthcare industry of relying on temporary nurses to fill critical staffing shortages. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Claudia Morell

Four Questions with Anna Lvovsky, Author of “Vice Patrol”

In the mid-twentieth century, gay life flourished in American cities even as the state repression of queer communities reached its peak. In Vice Patrol, Anna Lvovsky chronicles the painful story of that repression, tracing the tactics used to criminalize, profile, and suppress gay life from the 1930s through the 1960s, and

The post Four Questions with Anna Lvovsky, Author of “Vice Patrol” appeared first on The Chicago Blog.

How Do You Respond To A Climate Change Denier?

What can we do when someone says they don’t believe in climate change at all? Melissa Widhalm, operations manager for the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, shares some tips. Host: Melba Lara; Producer: Lauren Frost

Chicago-Area Teachers Prep For In-Person School

From rebuilding relationships to anticipating learning gaps, four teachers share what’s on their minds as they return to classrooms. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad

StoryCorps Chicago: ‘I Learn From Criticism’

Chicago flutist Jennie Oh Brown speaks with writer Howard Reich about the complex relationship between musicians and critics. Producer: Billy Healy