Lake Street El

Supt. Tony Sanders sees an “ever-widening gap between the left and the right … I think public education is squarely in the middle of that fight.” Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Susie An

In pleading for leniency Alex Banta said he took a job as a prison guard at 23 and had no idea how it would change him. Host: Melba Lara; Reporters: Shannon Heffernan and Lauren Frost

For 25 years, Jeff Schoep recruited young people for one of the most active hate groups in the U.S. Now, he’s discussing forgiveness and tolerance at Clemente High School. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Nereida Moreno

One educator compared the learning disruption caused by the pandemic to water freezing in cracked pavement, deepening the divide. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Susie An

Jollof rice is an iconic West African rice dish, filled with meat, vegetables, and intense spice. It’s gone from relative obscurity to global superstardom in the past 10 years. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Cianna Greaves

Outreach workers say fewer shelter beds and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s recent crackdown on people sleeping at O’Hare has forced more unhoused people onto trains and buses. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Anna Savchenko

By dosing teenage lab rats with THC, Kuei Tseng can see the impact of weed on brain development. The bottom line: There’s more the public needs to know. Host: Lisa Labuz: Reporters: Cianna Greaves, Zachary Nauth

From property taxes to paying the pensions, the two candidates for Chicago mayor are approaching finances in two completely different ways. Host: Susie An; Reporter: Tessa Weinberg, Mariah Woelfel

A big political corruption trial begins Tuesday. The case involves former Commonwealth Edison officials accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporter: Dave McKinney

Ice is usually a common winter sight on the Great Lakes. But this season, ice cover on the lakes has been distinctly low. Host: Clare Lane; Guest: Andrea Vander Woude

Several thousand people lined Western Avenue in Beverly for the South Side Irish Parade on Sunday. The parade featured floats, traditional Irish dancers, and bagpipes. The parade began in 1979 and is considered the largest community-based St. Patrick’s...

Illinois’ first Black independently owned cannabis dispensary wants to change the way you think about weed. Host: Clare Lane; Reporter: Alex Degman

A Northwestern professor is writing a book about the history of the policy in higher education and spoke with WBEZ about his findings. Host: Mary Dixon; Reporter: Lisa Philip

A WBEZ investigation finds that the state’s solution is buckling under the demand among low-income children for urgent mental health services. Reporters: Sarah Karp and Kristen Schorsch

SASS is state program that is supposed to connect low-income children experiencing a mental health crisis with treatment. One mother explains why mental health services are so hard to get. Host: Lisa Labuz; Reporters: Kristen Schorsch and Sarah Karp