WBEZ News

Chicago is now home to the largest cafe IN THE WORLD dedicated to Hello Kitty. The iconic white cat with a red bow. Fans lined up around the block just to get a chance to sip and snack alongside each other. WBEZ producer Micah Yason got a chance to connect with fellow Sanrio lovers. HOST: LARA

Over the last two decades, Chicago’s Far Southeast Side has seen steep growth in same-sex households. That's according to an analysis of Census data by WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. HOST: LANE

Literature provides a space for authors and readers alike to explore different worlds and perspectives. For queer people, that space can be an important window into identity and community. Violet Miller is a reporter with the Sun-Times. For pride month she sat down with queer authors to talk about their work. HOST: LANE

The hit Chicago-set TV show “The Bear” returns tonight [THURS] for its final season. HOST: LANE

The epic family drama “Leopoldstadt” was the last script penned by legendary playwright Tom Stoppard before his death in 2025. The Broadway version of the show boasted a cast of 38 actors. Writers Theatre in Glencoe is staging a slightly slimmed down version, directed by Stoppard's frequent collaborator Carey Perloff. HOST: LANE

A tropical plant from Southeast Asia has taken root in Chicago. Pandan is the new go-to ingredient for local chefs. It adds a vibrant green color and a floral taste to things like cookies, cocktails, and coffees. HOST: LANE

Being a journalist requires conversational skills. You have to be able to talk to strangers or people who may be upset. Chicago Sun-Times arts reporter Ambar Colón is familiar with the qualifications. She’s been a journalist for a decade. But growing up, Ambar struggled to speak to anyone outside of her household. She was diagnosed with selective mutism at the age of five. Her journey is now being shared in a new documentary called "Selective Mutism: Getting The Word Out”. HOST: LANE

The Supreme Court is set to decide whether birthright citizenship will continue. That’s been the law for more than 150 years. It’s unclear how the court will rule. But the uncertainty has left many immigrant moms fearful about their baby’s future. HOST: LANE

The head of Chicago Public Schools was thrust onto the national stage this week [wed]. The U.S. House Education Committee forced her to testify. Superintendent Macquline King faced tough questions about the school district’s policies on trans students. WBEZ’s Sarah Karp was there. HOST: LARA

Securing safe and affordable housing has long been a challenge for some of Chicago’s Black residents. Since the 1980s, Lawndale Christian Community Church also known as LCDC has made strides to help local residents become homeowners and rent quality apartments without breaking the bank. In part 3 of WBEZ’s Faith in Action series, Nicole Jeanine Johnson shares how the church has maintained this commitment for nearly 40 years. HOST: LARA

The annual James Beard Awards return to Chicago on Monday. Known as “the Oscars of the food world,” the awards turn Chicago into the culinary capital each year. HOST: LANE

C-P-S C-E-O Macquline [Mack-UH-lynne] King was testifying at a contentious U-S House education committee hearing. At one point King had an exchange with Republican Congressman Tim Walberg [WALL-berg]. He pointed to a lawsuit filed by Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute alleging discrimination after Moody students were initially not allowed to train in the C-P-S system. HOST: MELBA

Four months ago, the organization behind the Obama Presidential Center held a workshop to teach South Side homeowners how to rent out their places on Airbnb. Research has shown that Airbnbs contribute to higher rents and housing shortages. Woodlawn, the neighborhood around the center, has long been considered an affordable area. But now, housing advocates say longtime residents are being priced out. HOST: LANE

When you go to an art museum, the seating isn’t typically top of mind… especially when you’re surrounded by masterpieces. But in the Obama Presidential Center Museum, the exhibit benches themselves are works of art. Renowned Chicago designer Norman Teague was commissioned to create the benches. They draw inspiration from his south side roots. HOST: LANE

Pokemon Go fest *fully* returns to Chicago this weekend for the first time in seven years. Attendees from all around the world are convening in Grant Park for three days… to try to catch ‘em all. HOST: PUENTE

It looks like the Bears may have finally landed on a location for a new stadium, and it’s Hammond, Indiana. The team’s board of directors voted Thursday to officially move forward with plans to build their stadium in the Hoosier State. WBEZ’s Lisa Labuz spoke with our sports contributor Cheryl Raye-Stout to discuss what this moment means for the Bears. HOST: LARA

The Chicago Blues Festival kicks off tonight [THURS]. The fest is celebrating 55 years of Chicago’s own Alligator Records. Some of the label’s biggest stars will join forces in a headlining set on Friday night in Millennium Park. HOST: LANE

Sometimes a star is born on a high school stage. For others, the stage is a safe place where creativity and courage can blossom. But at a Chicago high school best known for its sports and trades programs, it's been a long time since students got the chance to be in a big play. HOST: LANE

A lot of teens in Chicago take public transit to school. Now, some are opting for e-scooters. Teens say they’re cool, convenient. But they’re also dangerous. HOST: LANE

If you happen to be on a Red Line train platform this summer and hear some Jazz music floating through the air, you’re not crazy. This summer, Jazz bands are billed to play monthly at different Red Line train stations along your evening commute. HOST: LANE

Cesar Chavez is now a figure many are distancing themselves from. He was a civil rights icon who died in 1993. The shift follows a New York Times investigation back in March that alleges sexual misconduct. Now many Chicago communities are trying to remove his name from public view. And in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side, young advocates are asking what all of this means for the immigrant rights movement and its historic reliance on a single male leader. HOST: LANE

Illinois lawmakers wrapped up their spring legislative session early today [MON] after passing a $56 billion dollar state budget. But there was huge news in what didn’t pass. Tops on that list was a package designed to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois instead of moving to northwest Indiana. HOST: ALEX

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has left Rome after meeting with Pope Leo the 14th at the Vatican. There’s been a lot of talk about sports and food themed gifts the mayor and his delegation gave the Chicago-born pontiff. They also discussed their Christian beliefs. Sun-Times religion contributor Cathleen Falsani spoke with Johnson about his faith and spirituality ahead of his meeting with the Pope. HOST: DEGMAN

It has been a whirlwind 24 hours for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in the Italian capital of Rome and in neighboring Vatican City. After flying in yesterday morning, the Mayor raced to a meeting with one of the world’s most prominent religious leaders, the Chicago-born Pope Leo. And Johnson did not come empty-handed – or alone. HOST: LABUZ

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson met with the Chicago-born Pope Leo the 14th today in Rome. WBEZ City Hall reporter Mariah Woelfel is in Rome covering the mayor’s historic Vatican visit. HOST: LARA

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is traveling to Rome this week to meet with Pope Leo the 14th. Before he left, he repeated his now common catchphrase: JOHNSON: Everything dope, including the pope, comes from the greatest freaking city in the world. Well, that includes deep dish pizza, which the Chicago-born pope has a soft spot for. There’s plenty of pizza in Rome, but can he get his fix of the Chicago classic? WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel and the Sun-Times Zubaer Khan are in Rome and visited several pizzerias to find out. HOST: LARA

Theater students from Northwestern University are bringing a playful, interactive show to an unlikely setting … Chicago’s pediatric hospitals. HOST: LABUZ

Now, we head to Rome, Italy, where Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to meet with Pope Leo the 14th this week. WBEZ City Hall reporter Mariah Woelfel is at the Vatican to cover this historic, but largely symbolic meeting. HOST: LABUZ

The Second City has been a Chicago comedy staple for more than six decades. The company has an illustrious history, fueled by its reputation as the training grounds for Saturday Night Live. The list of famous alums includes Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Stephen Colbert — just to name a few… HOST: LABUZ

“The pen and the pulpit.” Those are the tools that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he and Pope Leo the 14th possess to push back against the quote- “God forsaken” policies of the Trump Administration. And that’s the message Johnson is rehearsing as he takes flight to Rome this week and ascends to the highest stage of his political life: A 1-on-1 meeting with the world’s most famous Chicagoan, “Da Pope.” HOST: LABUZ

Illinois passed a law last year that requires public colleges and universities to establish protocols for what to do if immigration agents come on campus. It came in the aftermath of Operation Midway Blitz, as Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents descended on some local campuses in the fall. But a WBEZ and Sun-Times report finds that many Illinois schools still don’t have protocols in place. Here to tell us more is Sun-Times reporter Mary Norkol. HOST: LARA

Memorial Day is Monday. And the long weekend kicks off the summer fest season in Chicago. Sueños Music Festival is back for its fifth year in Grant Park. It celebrates Latin music and culture. HOST: LANE

The Declaration of Independence turns 250 this summer. Commemorations are beginning to sweep the performing arts world, including one by a Chicago group called the Newberry Consort. HOST: DEGMAN

Singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra has carved out a space as a leading voice in modern folk music. And the singer-songwriter recently found a home right here in Chicago, playing with a group of local musicians. HOST: LANE

Hot dogs are not just a Chicago thing. They’re very much a Gary, Indiana thing too. And now the smash-hit TV show “The Bear” is putting a spotlight on one of Gary’s best-kept secrets… a hot dog joint nearly as old as the city itself. HOST: LABUZ

For decades, Aadam Jacobs obsessively documented Chicago’s indie rock scene. He was a fixture at local venues, recording shows religiously in the 80s, 90s and beyond. For a while, the future of Jacobs’ personal archive was uncertain… much of it lived in his home, on shelves or in boxes… and tape *quality* degrades over time. But over the past few years … a team of volunteer audio archivists began converting the recordings to digital formats and releasing them to the public.

Cook County is known as the wrongful-conviction capital of America. The National Registry of Exonerations lists 215 murder cases cleared here since 1989. Brown University sociologist Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve is out next week [5/19] with a book about them. She writes that wrongful convictions stem from something more pernicious than shoddy law enforcement. HOST: LANE

A calm has returned to Chicago this spring. Groups of U.S. Border Patrol agents are no longer making surprise visits to Michigan Avenue or marching through neighborhoods like Little Village or Back of the Yards. But volunteer responders who warn residents about immigration enforcement activity say they remain on high alert. And they’re using this time to adapt their strategies and prepare for whatever comes next. HOST: MELBA

The Chicago Bears’ search for a new stadium is now approaching five years. It seems like a resolution may be coming soon. But many question marks remain around what the team – AND the Illinois and Indiana state legislatures – want to see happen. Sun-Times reporter Mitchell Armentrout is here to help us break through the noise and bring us up to speed on how we got here. HOST: DEGMAN

The popular annual Kilbourn Park plant sale on Chicago’s north west side is celebrating its 30th anniversary this weekend with over 15,000 plants for sale. But this year, along with the regular stock of tomatoes, herbs, and annuals… there are also many native plant species on offer — reflecting a growing trend across the country in favor of more climate change resilient gardens. WBEZ’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has the story. HOST: LARA

Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney is known for his poignant observations on race. He won an Oscar for co-writing the movie Moonlight, based on one of his plays. This spring, his new work Windfall premieres at Chicago’s Steppenwolf. HOST: LANE

The principal of an all-boys Catholic school high school on Chicago’s South Side won the prestigious Golden Apple Award yesterday (Mon). But as WBEZ’s Sarah Karp found out, it was more than an individual award. It was a moment to celebrate his school’s resurgence. HOST: MELBA

Earlier this year, the world’s most famous classical music concert featured Florence Price, a late Chicago composer. But was it really her music? HOST: LANE

During the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in Chicago last fall, immigration agents took away a mother on the Southwest Side. Her three children were all U.S. citizens. They were left to fend for themselves. And they did for nearly four weeks … … until a 27-year-old woman — a stranger — stepped in to help. WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell sat down with her. HOST: LARA

During the Trump administration’s deportation campaign in Chicago last fall, immigration agents took away a mother on the Southwest Side. Her three children were all U.S. citizens. They were left to fend for themselves. And they did for nearly four weeks … … until a 27-year-old woman — a stranger — stepped in to help.

For 40 years, the Green Mill has hosted The Uptown Poetry Slam. Its founder Marc Smith remains the emcee He is known for creating a monthly night of performance in the same bar that was a favorite haunt of Al Capone. Recently, a special guest arrived. South Side native Mayda Del Valle, the city’s new poet laureate, stepped up to the mic. HOST: LABUZ

A Chicago police officer was shot and killed over the weekend at Swedish Hospital. Alphanso Talley is accused of killing John Bartholomew and critically wounding another officer. A lot of questions remain about the circumstances of the shooting, so here to catch us up on what we do know is WBEZ’s public safety senior editor Tom Schuba. HOST : MELBA

The classic August Wilson play “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom” tells the story of a real life blues legend …Ma Rainey. The play is currently onstage at the Goodman Theater. And it's bringing more attention to the real Rainey, who recorded all her music in Chicago at Paramount Records a century ago. HOST: LANE

The Trump administration deported hundreds of people from the Chicago area last fall. We’ve heard a lot about their arrests, but rarely how they try to rebuild their lives after the trauma of being sent back. One of them is a beloved Southwest Side neighbor who lived in Chicago for decades and was removed after being labeled a gang member. Like most people arrested, he did not have a criminal record, despite claims by the government. HOST: MELBA

More Black owned restaurants are opening in Chicago, and with that comes more dining options. Chicago Black Restaurant Week highlights that growth, featuring specials at nearly 40 Black-owned eateries. The culinary celebration is running now until February 22nd, making it a good way to celebrate Black-owned business and Valentines Day. Sun-Times Arts and Culture reporter Erica Thompson joins us now to tell us more. HOST: LANE