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Excepts from Vocalo's afternoon show hosted by Luis Antonio Perez & Shantell Jamison
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In bite-sized episodes every weekday, we'll keep you informed, tickled, geeked, and pondering on Chicago's news, culture and people. Start and end your day with quick news roundups from the WBEZ newsroom. Plus, in the afternoons, dive deeper into conversations with the artists, journalists, and changemakers that shape the Windy City. The Rundown podcast is a one-stop-shop for all things Chicago.
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chicago born and raised, roy kinsey is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to tradition in his respective industries. where being a black, queer-identified, rapper, and librarian may be an intimidating choice for some, roy kinsey’s non-conformist ideology has informed his 4th album, and self proclaimed, “best work yet,” blackie: a story by roy kinsey. featured in and on major local, national, and international publications like Billboard, NPR, WBEZ’s Vocalo, the Chicago Tribune, WGCI and the R ...
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TONIGHT: Come on out to the Vocalo Summer Finale, a concert in Millennium Park
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Vocalo and WBEZ are hosting a party tonight in Millennium Park and, obviously, we hope you check it out. “This concert is kinda more than a concert,” said Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez, who’s co-hosting the event. “I feel like it is a Chicago homecoming for a lot of artists.” The lineup features DJ Lady D, KAINA, Marquis Hill, Pivot Gang and some surpri…
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Sources tell WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has told schools chief Pedro Martinez that he wants him to resign. Chicago is ending use of the gunshot detection technology ShotSpotter on Sunday. The Chicago-area is in the midst of a drought.
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City and state officials now have a set of clear recommendations on how to create a combined shelter system for both unhoused Chicagoans and recently arrived migrants. A federal judge declared a mistrial in the case of a former AT&T Illinois executive accused of bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Jurors couldn’t agree on a verdi…
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A federal jury is stalemated over whether a former phone company executive tried to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Illinois could see major cuts to the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by the end of the month. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is defending his decision to not say whether he’s taking a pay raise.…
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Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’ll issue the first veto by a Chicago mayor since 2006. A fight between politicians about the impacts of ending cash bail in Illinois. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says the state needs to do more to meet its climate goals.
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Afternoon News: Wednesday September 18, 2024
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The Chicago Board of Education has approved a new five year strategic plan that envisions more students learning a second language. The Chicago City Council has approved an $11.6 million settlement for Anthony Jakes, who spent two decades in prison after detectives under the disgraced late commander Jon Burge beat a false confession out of him in a…
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Here’s why Chicago is training local artists to work in city mental health centers
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Illinois has the capacity to meet just 24% of the mental health needs of the state, according to a 2021 analysis by The American Association of Medical Colleges. To help close the gap in the city, a pilot program called “Healing Arts Chicago” is getting creative by training local artists to serve as community health workers. “The premise was like, …
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A gun design expert took the stand yesterday in a federal trial over Illinois’ ban on assault-style weapons. A politically fraught debate over the gunshot detection technology, ShotSpotter. WBEZ examines year one of Illinois’ Pretrial Fairness Act.
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Chicago has seen an uptick in voter registrations with about seven weeks left until Election Day. A commission created in response to the killing of Sonya Massey held its first listening session last night. Chicago elected officials are slated to receive a 4 percent raise next year – but Mayor Brandon Johnson hasn’t said whether he’ll take it.…
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A federal trial in Southern Illinois over a state gun ban gets underway with more witness testimonies. The Massey Commission holds a listening session before selecting commissioners… and before technically forming. There’s been a decline in biking deaths across Chicago– but some cycling advocacy groups say more protections are needed.…
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A Chicago City Council panel today signed off on nearly $15 million to settle four police misconduct lawsuits. The Chicago Board of Education caused a stir in December by saying it intended to shift away from school choice, but now the board says it is not planning on making any big changes to charter or selective enrollment schools. Tito Jackson, …
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Two tech startup founders say Chicago’s scene is one to watch
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Here are some reasons you might want to found your tech startup in Chicago: 1) it’s a great place to live, 2) it’s not as expensive as New York or Silicon Valley and 3) the city is not already over-saturated with tech companies vying for investors. That’s all according to Griffin Cox and Haydée Marino, two of the founders behind ezbot.ai, a Chicago…
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A federal judge in East Saint Louis is hearing arguments today in a trial over an Illinois gun control law. A Chicago City Council panel is scheduled to vote on a deal that could lead to dozens of settlements in wrongful convictions tied to a corrupt former sergeant. People from all over the country flock to celebrate Mexican Independence Day at Gr…
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is appointing Walter Burnett, the City Council’s longest-serving alderman, to be the next chair of the powerful Zoning Committee. Mexican Independence Day celebrations kick-off across Chicago this weekend and the Fire Department is warning drivers that caravans could make it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass thr…
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Musician Loona Dae talks patience ahead of her first performance of songs from her debut album
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It’s nearly Libra season, an astrological sign known for patience. Loona Dae is a Chicago-based musician (and a Libra) who has waited until this weekend to perform songs from her 2023 debut album, ATARI. “I’m a very patient person,” she told Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez, referring to both releasing and performing songs from that album, but also to her …
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Illinois public defenders are feeling the squeeze, one year after the state eliminates the cash bail system. Some changes are coming to Illinois’ Bright Start college savings program. A group of environmental activists is working with state lawmakers to pass a bill aimed at protecting a large, underground water source.…
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A veterinarian once employed by suburban horse-racing track Hawthorne is accusing that facility – and a state agency – of misconduct. The north suburban man accused of killing seven people at the 2022 Highland Park 4th of July Parade didn’t show up to a scheduled court hearing today. People in Canada and some northern U.S. cities may see faint auro…
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Some business owners on the city’s West Side are dreading the return of Riot Fest to Douglass Park later this month. A year since Illinois eliminated cash bail, a study looks at crime rates and the size of jail populations. A new festival kicking off this weekend looks to be a “hoot” for Chicago bird enthusiasts.…
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Afternoon News: Wednesday September 11, 2024
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Riot Fest is heading back to Chicago’s west side. Rates of syphilis are rising across the country, including in Chicago. University of Illinois system leaders say their three campuses have enrolled a record number of students.
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Theaster Gates honors ‘Ebony,’ ‘Jet’ and Chicago’s historic Johnson Publishing Co. with new exhibit
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The Johnson Publishing Company was the powerhouse publisher of Ebony and Jet, influential and trendsetting magazines that offered narratives, products and depictions of Black folks that spoke to Black folks throughout the 20th century and beyond. Chicago artist Theaster Gates has been a caretaker, of sorts, for the archive of artifacts that once li…
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The Park District board is set to vote on a permit for Riot Fest today… and one catering company with ties to a board member will set up shop at the big music festival. Chicago officials plan to close three migrant shelters, but some advocates worry about doing so before the city has a plan to end homelessness. An Illinois lawmaker is hoping for a …
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City of Chicago officials plan to close three migrant shelters by the end of October since fewer people are arriving in the city. The state of Illinois is spending $6 million to bolster career training for people experiencing homelessness. The Chicago White Sox are just nine losses away from ending up on the wrong side of baseball history.…
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More charging stations across Illinois could make it easier to own an electric vehicle – new federal money is making that possible. In light of the Georgia school shooting, Illinois state lawmakers look to pass more safe gun storage laws. A new data study aims to help libraries demonstrate their value as community anchors in presentations to stakeh…
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The city of Chicago is enacting a hiring freeze to help close looming budget gaps. A Cook County Commissioner is hosting a public hearing about the lack of public transit in the northwest suburbs. The Chicago Sky will finish the WNBA season without star Angel Reese after a sidelining wrist injury.
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‘Music was in the community’: Ernest Dawkins celebrates the history of the Englewood Jazz Festival
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Growing up in Englewood, Chatham and Washington Park in the 1960s and ‘70s, Ernest Dawkins said he knew he’d be a musician. “I always had a dream that I was playing the saxophone and I didn’t even know what a saxophone was when I was a child,” Dawkins said on the Rundown podcast. Dawkins is one of the world’s premiere saxophonists and composers. He…
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Some Chicago alderpersons say unspent federal relief dollars should be used to plug the city’s budget holes. CTA bus and rail operators raced against each other in a friendly competition over the weekend. Evanston hosted its first folk festival over the weekend.
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A letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times shows 16 current or former employees of COPA, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, are calling on an oversight board to consider taking the first step toward removing the agency’s chief, Andrea Kersten. The leader of Chicago’s immigrant and refugee rights committee wants to hold hearings on how to…
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Music, language and love with Chicago Latin pop artist Adam Martinez
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Chicago Latin pop artist Adam Martinez said he can struggle with conversational Spanish, not unlike the late Mexican-American superstar, Selena, who learned Spanish as a young adult. “Selena is one of my biggest inspirations,” Martinez said. “She learned through music. And there’s a lot of people in my family who only speak Spanish. And so I love t…
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A new Save A Lot comes to West Garfield Park. Chicago's school board election is heating up as two groups raise big money to support candidates. Chicago Bears President Kevin Warren says there’s no deadline for closing a deal on a stadium downtown.
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Some CTA riders are rattled by the murders on the Blue Line this week and are changing their routines as a result. Illinois State Senator Doris Turner says she’s holding off – for now – on filing police reform legislation in honor of Sonya Massey. The Illinois Flag Commission is now accepting designs for a new state flag.…
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The alleged shooter in a quadruple murder on the CTA Blue Line this week is ordered to remain locked up pending trial. A report says in 2023 – more dogs and cats were killed at Chicago’s Care and Animal Control shelter than in any other year since 2016. Meteorological summer is over… what weather can we expect during fall?…
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A judge ordered pre-trial detention for the alleged shooter in this week’s quadruple homicide on a CTA Blue Line train. The book “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin is this year’s pick for the Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago program. Tears were shed in last night’s finale of HBO’s Hard Knocks docu-series featuri…
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Meanwhile Chicago: A storytelling show where the audience doodles
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Usually at a live performance, the audience is encouraged to give the performers their undivided attention. But at Meanwhile Chicago – a variety show featuring storytellers, essayists, comics and dancers – the audience is encouraged to draw and doodle the whole time. “When you put a piece of paper and a pen in front of someone, almost everyone is g…
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Illinois elected officials say they are prioritizing safety on public transit, in the wake of a fatal shooting on the Blue Line. About 30 people gathered outside Chicago’s Israeli consulate last night to protest Israel's government and mourn the recent deaths of Hamas-held hostages. Northwestern’s LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic is asking the US Supreme cour…
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Chicago’s top federal judge says the publication this year of home addresses for members of the federal bench is dangerous. Foxtrot is reopening its Gold Coast location on Thursday, five months after it closed. The Archdiocese of Chicago will be the first Catholic diocese in the state to offer natural burials.…
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An update on Chicago’s response to the influx of asylum seekers bused her from Texas. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle explains why she’s been quiet on abortion rights two years after Roe v Wade fell. Plus, the busy Ashland Avenue bus route will now run north an extra mile.
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Chicago could soon be one of the largest cities worldwide without an intercity bus terminal. The Illinois Tollway is reminding drivers it has its own service to request roadside assistance. Federal COVID relief funding for school districts expires in September.
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Love makes the music – Chicago artists Marquis Hill and Manasseh
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Chicago musicians Marquis Hill – a jazz trumpeter and bandleader – and Manasseh – a singer and soul artist – both stopped by Vocalo to talk with Nudia Hernandez about their lives, their love for one another, and their recent and upcoming collaborations. “He’s booked and busy,” Hernandez said of Hill. And Manasseh? “I feel like is the next big up-an…
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There’s been a possible breakthrough in Chicago’s teacher contract negotiations: Chicago Public Schools administrators are planning to offer significant raises. The new Hard Rock Casino in Rockford is now open. The CTA is now using a new program powered by artificial intelligence to detect guns brandished by passengers at its train stations.…
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is anticipating a roughly $982 million budget gap for next year. The Food and Drug Administration has approved new COVID-19 vaccines to tackle new strains of the virus for the fall and winter months. The Chicago Jazz Festival kicks off tonight.
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Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general is leaving the district for a new job. The State of Illinois is probably getting a new flag. The bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease have been found in the drinking water at the EPA’s regional headquarters in Chicago.
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For the first time in five years the Chicago Abortion Fund is scaling back who it can help. Chicago’s civilian police oversight commission is talking about ways to reform traffic stops. New details surrounding the death of Emmett Till are coming out today on the 69th anniversary of Till’s murder.
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More Earlybirds Club dance parties coming to Chicago, New York and L.A.
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Imagine dancing your heart out with your bestie like you used to, but still getting home by 10 p.m. That’s the idea behind Earlybirds Club, according to creators (and high school friends) Susie Lee and Laura Baginski. “It’s a dance party for women that starts early and ends early because we all value our sleep,” Baginski said. Lee and Baginski have…
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Who will be running for Chicago’s first ever school board? The list is basically set. The city’s civilian police oversight held a hearing on traffic stop reform last night. New research shows Chicago’s housing developers are disproportionately white and male.
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Chicago has reached record-breaking heat. Democratic Illinois lawmakers are vowing to enact Karina’s Bill, a measure that would require judges to order the confiscation of guns from people who have restraining orders against them. Brookfield Zoo announced that Judy, a 24-year-old bison, has died.
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Chicago Public School students started their new school year yesterday in record heat – and are back for more of it today. A national bus tour kicking off in Chicago highlights child and home care workers’ struggles. Hopes that Illinois legislative employees will be allowed to unionize are dwindling.…
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There was excessive heat, a lack of bus drivers and also normal first day jitters as Chicago Public Schools welcomed thousands of students back to class today. The attorney for former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson is trying to get his client out of jail pre-trial for the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The White Sox have lost 100 ga…
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Tera Murray builds bridges through Silver Fork
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Tera Murray is a “chef instructor” at Silver Fork, a free culinary work-readiness program at the Center on Halsted. The seven-week program helps people in need prepare for future work opportunities in the industry. “One of the students just recently incarcerated, he gave a speech at graduation,” Murray recalled. “And he said, ‘That was the first ti…
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Today is the first day of the fall semester for Chicago Public School students. We hear from one student who got ready for the big day this weekend. Illinois Democrats plan on hitting the road this fall – making sure people in swing states get out to vote. Northwestern University received a grant to create a new center focused on developing robot h…
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