The $1 billion increase in Chicago’s budget last year is only partially due to ballooning pension obligations. Here's a look at how increases across the city added up.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Becky Vevea
Posts published in “Latest News”
Recently StoryCorps Chicago has been collecting stories about the experiences of being Muslim in the United States. Actor Bassam Abdelfattah spoke with his friend, hip-hop musician Kayem, about how Muslim people are presented in the media.
Producer: B...
Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools dropped by 4% this year amid the pandemic and remote learning. That’s the biggest decrease in two decades and in line with drops in other big city districts around the country.
Host: Melba Lara
Reporter: Sarah K...
Public university leaders in Illinois were relieved this year when the state kept funding flat despite the pandemic. But without more federal aid, the governor is now warning of cuts at a time when schools are seeing costs rise and revenues drop.
Host...
Chicagoans travelling to the city from Indiana are being ordered to quarantine. For some people on the city’s Southeast Side living on the state line, it means they could literally cross the street and then need to stay home for 14 days.
Host: Melba L...
Experts say the pandemic, a shortened timeline, quality control failures and politics could lead to a headcount that is not fit for use.
Host: Melba Lara
Reporter: Esther Yoon-Ji Kang
In-person early voting kicked off in Chicago neighborhoods this week, and many are wondering how they can vote safely during the pandemic.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Claudia Morell
The Illinois Gaming Board wants to put Jeffrey Rehberger Jr. out of business. But other state officials back his bid for cannabis shops.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos
Voters in Chicago can request mail-in voting ballots in six languages, including English. But, some residents receive bilingual ballots even if they don’t request one and aren’t bilingual.
Host: Melba Lara
Reporter: Araceli Gomez-Aldana
School funding isn’t a specific ballot item this election season. But election results will play a role in how much money Illinois schools could get in the coming years.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Susie An
Debate over the tax amendment has shaped up as a clash between two of the wealthiest people on the planet. But what would it mean for you?
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Tony Arnold
The number of dual language schools has tripled, raising concerns about whether support for nonnative speakers is being stretched too thin.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Sarah Karp
In Chicago, the COVID-19 pandemic brought racial disparities in the health care to the forefront. The coronavirus has killed mostly Black and Latino residents. One major source of the problem: money for "safety net" hospitals, that mainly treat people ...
Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, is an avowed pro-lifer. But is abortion the only issue that matters?
Host: Marie Lane
Reporter: Mike Puente
There are 67,000 students learning English in Chicago public schools. But according to evaluations of the bilingual programs meant to support them, 72% of those programs don’t measure up, a new WBEZ analysis finds.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Adriana C...
Chicago officials announced a new project to review monuments and public art in the city’s collection. This comes after a summer of protesters vandalizing or toppling statues connected to white supremacy. Erin Harkey of the city’s Department of Cultura...
After an unpredictable first month of college, many freshmen are developing their own routines amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s obvious this semester is still lacking in many ways.
Host: Mary Dixon
Reporter: Kate McGee