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Illinois' use of cameras that read license plates amounts to 'dragnet surveillance,' lawsuit alleges
A lawsuit accuses Illinois State Police and state officials of operating an unconstitutional “system of dragnet surveillance” through license plate-reading cameras that track motorist’s whereabouts. The suit, filed last week by Cook County residents Stephanie Scholl and Frank Bednarz, names the state police, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and...
Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Lois Shields Robinson, dies at 86
WASHINGTON — Marian Lois Shields Robinson, 86, who raised her daughter, Michelle Obama, in a small apartment on Chicago’s South Side and later went to live in the White House when Barack Obama became president, died Friday, her family announced. “My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always...
UChicago faculty and alderpeople criticize school for withholding encampment protesters' degrees
Faculty and students at the University of Chicago claimed at a press conference Friday the university is circumventing its own disciplinary process to withhold degrees from pro-Palestinian student protesters. Fourth-year student Youssef Hasweh said he and three other seniors — Rayna Acha, Kelly Hui and a fourth student who declined...
WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap, May 31, 2024: Trump guilty, new state budget, CTA chief grilled and more
Illinois politicians react to Trump’s guilty verdict. Lawmakers approve a $53 billion state budget in Springfield. Illinois politicians have partisan reactions to Trump’s guilty verdict, as Milwaukee braces for the Republican National Convention in July. Democrats decide to nominate Joe Biden virtually ahead of August’s Chicago convention to meet an Ohio ballot deadline.
For Third Coast Percussion, anything can be an instrument
Members of Third Coast Percussion didn’t have a blueprint for building their careers. But 20 years later, they’re working with renowned composers and securing Grammy nominations. When the four members of Third Coast Percussion were studying classical music at Northwestern University, they didn’t have much of a blueprint...
Russian propaganda push expected in Chicago for Democratic National Convention, experts say
When the Democratic National Convention hits Chicago in August, demonstrators are expected to take to the streets to draw attention to a wide range of causes — immigration, police misconduct, abortion, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. What they might never know is how much Russia and other nations...
Chicago police misconduct files will soon be made public. ‘This is a huge step forward for transparency’
The Chicago Police Department announced Thursday that records of all misconduct investigations will soon be made public, bringing light to a disciplinary process that has long faced criticism for being secretive and overly lenient. The department and the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability vowed in a statement to...
Think you know Georgia O’Keeffe? A Chicago blockbuster reveals a different side
For most, the name Georgia O’Keeffe inspires images of blooming flowers bursting with color. In cultural lore, the icon of feminist painting is a celebrated pioneer of color, a griot of the Southwest desert sky and a recluse in a wide-brimmed hat. An expansive new show at the Art...
Mindy Segal on following her vision and building a thriving bakery
From bagels to THC-infused candy to a new custom dark milk chocolate, Segal’s creations inspire delight. In 2005, Mindy Segal opened Hot Chocolate. She closed the beloved Bucktown dessert spot during the pandemic, then opened Mindy’s Bakery, where she focuses on making what she finds interesting. Reset hears...
How to stay safe swimming in Lake Michigan and beyond this summer
Drowning can often be fast and silent. Reset gets tips on how to help someone you see struggling in the water. Summer is on its way, and temperatures are rising. But if you’re planning to dive into the water, you need to make sure you’re careful, too. Reset...
CTA president angry, defiant at City Council efforts to push him out
A defiant CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. on Thursday lashed out at City Council members demanding his ouster, calling it part of Chicago’s sordid “history of attacking and trying to bring down” African American leaders. Carter said he has “done what I need to do” to improve...
Evanston’s reparations program violates equal protection in U.S. Constitution, lawsuit claims
A conservative group has filed a class-action lawsuit against the city of Evanston arguing that the north suburb’s reparations program meant to repay historical wrongs against Black residents violates the U.S. Constitution. The nonprofit organization Judicial Watch filed the federal lawsuit last week on behalf of six residents who...
What prehistoric creatures roamed Chicago?
If you want to see dinosaur bones in Chicago, the obvious choice is to hit up the Field Museum. There, you’ll find large displays like Máximo the titanosaur from Argentina or Sue, the tyrannosaurus from South Dakota. But what about dinosaur bones found in Illinois?. A group of...
Chicago's contributions to American dance have not been fully understood, until now
Choreographer Bob Fosse’s early years in Chicago before hitting it big on Broadway. Interviews with Columbia College Dance Center founder Shirley Mordine, “Hiplet” creator Homer Hans Bryant and the dancers who studied the work of local jazz pioneer Joel Hall. Under the banner of the Chicago Dance...
Before retirement, this CPS teacher documented his final school year in a newly published diary
For Chicago teachers, a note from the principal with their assignment for the upcoming school year is a mere formality. Most return to the same grade level or subject as the year before. But for others, including veteran teacher Gregory Michie, the switch was a “sucker punch.” Michie was reassigned to teach media literacy to all grade levels in his school, from kindergarten through eighth grade, a challenge he hadn’t encountered before. He walks readers through the preparation and the obstacles in a series of diary entries that became a published book.
Katy Osborn turns other people’s trash into upcycled treasures
With climate change accelerating and overconsumption booming, it can feel like we have no agency over our impact on the planet. But artists who work with upcycled and reclaimed materials want to challenge that narrative. “We’re the band playing as the Titanic goes down,” said Nowhere Collective founder Katy Osborn....
120 Chicago public schools could lose after-school programs this summer
Advocates say more than 120 Chicago Public Schools stand to lose vital after-school programs this summer due to a funding error by state officials and are calling on leaders in Springfield and Chicago to keep the initiatives running. For decades, these programs have been funded through a federal grant. But...
CPS school-based budget formula targets schools with high needs
A new Chicago Public Schools budgeting formula designed to redistribute resources based on students’ needs is shaking up a school system that has long budgeted based largely on student enrollment, budget documents released Tuesday show. Some schools that serve mostly middle-class families are seeing cuts in staff, even though...
Sueños Music Festival attendees respond to partial ticket refunds for Sunday's rain-infused event
Fans who got less than they were promised at Sunday’s Day 2 of the Sueños Music Festival in Grant Park due to heavy downpours will be getting a partial refund, according to fest organizers. After thunderstorms delayed the festival’s start by several hours on Sunday and eventually caused...
Illinois a step closer to passing the budget
State senators approved a $53.1 budget plan Sunday, sending it to the House for review. Lawmakers in Springfield reconvened Tuesday to continue the work of combing through the state’s budget plan. The budget is similar to what Governor Pritzker outlined in his address earlier this year. Reset gets an...
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