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Peach Tree Rascals on their viral hit, ‘Mariposa’
Do you remember the track "Mariposa"? It did significant rounds on TikTok during the pandemic lockdown. The group behind the song, Peach Tree Rascals, is about to wrap up a 19 show, 27-day tour. Ahead of their Chicago show last week, they spoke with Vocalo’s Nudia Hernandez about their deep...
'Serious concerns' remain after CPD revises mass arrest policy ahead of Democratic Convention
With the Democratic National Convention less than two months away, a coalition of community organizations voiced “serious concerns” Thursday about the Chicago Police Department’s newly revised mass arrest policy. The overhaul stems from closed-door meetings authorized by the federal judge presiding over the department’s court-ordered reform push...
For-profit cosmetology graduates rarely earn more than high school grads
When Mileena Moss was laid off from a manufacturing company in 2023, she had two goals: learn how to perform eyelash extensions and eventually run her own spa. “I was getting my lashes done by a girl, and she was telling me how well it was going for her,” Moss said. After learning she needed an esthetician license, she found a Tricoci University of Beauty Culture location close to her southwest suburban Chicago Ridge apartment.
CTU endorses slate of candidates for Chicago’s first elected school board
The Chicago Teachers Union is announcing its endorsements for Chicago’s first elected school board — a major step for the powerful political force that helped to elect the city’s mayor. The CTU is not publicly saying how much they will devote to support these candidates and, so...
Behind Chicago’s Boiler Room dance party with DJ Janesita
Chicago’s dance and electronic music scene will be on full display this weekend at Grant Park. But much of this scene started underground in basements and boiler rooms. This event is part of the London-based Boiler Room platform which puts a spotlight on underground music, culture and DJs all around the world.
Don’t miss out on these summer stage plays in Chicago
“Hot Wing King,” “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and “Little Bear Ridge Road” are on our radar. WBEZ’s 2024 Summer Guide is jam-packed with powerful performances, including must-see plays and stage performances that both a theater maven or newbie won’t want to miss. Wondering what to catch next (even if you’re new to the scene)?
Oxtail, conch soup, callaloo: Celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month
Colonization has shaped the food traditions of the Caribbean islands. We talk with a chef who is recovering old recipes and reconnecting with Indigenous traditions and celebrating the ways the African diaspora has impacted foodways throughout the region. Reset talks Caribbean root veggies, herbs, and lesser known dishes, as well...
Discover the dozen Chicago restaurants with cameos in season three of ‘The Bear’
Food-loving binge watchers of the FX restaurant drama The Bear have again been rewarded by the show, which dropped all 10 episodes of its third season Wednesday night on Hulu. Chicago restaurants were again in the spotlight. But unlike previous seasons that focused on a balance of exciting newcomers (Ukrainian Village’s Kasama) and scene-stalwarts (West Loop’s Avec), this season calls out a list of casual spots with deep roots in Chicago’s food history, from Italian bread staple D’Amato’s to the – yep – Vienna Beef factory. (Curtis Duffy’s fine-dining destination, the Michelin-starred Ever, still has a star turn at the top of this season.)
Melissa Bell named CEO of Chicago Public Media, will oversee Sun-Times, WBEZ
Melissa Bell, former publisher of Vox Media, will become the next CEO of Chicago Public Media, the nonprofit owner of the Chicago Sun-Times and public radio station WBEZ, amid tough times for news organizations. Bell co-founded the explanatory journalism site Vox.com and eventually oversaw other media brands, such as Eater...
Homeowners in Cook County's south suburbs hardest hit by latest round of property tax hikes
South suburban homeowners were hit with a severe case of sticker shock this week as Cook County property tax bills started arriving, slapping a record-high hike on the median bill and squeezing low-income areas especially hard. The median bill for the region jumped 19.9% this year compared to 2023, but...
Students at Illinois’ for-profits colleges often leave worse off than when they started
Nikka Ewing logs onto the Uber Eats app most mornings after she gets her 4- and 6-year-olds off to school. She has a few hours to earn some cash. But sometimes delivery orders are few and far between. “You turn on the app, and they’re giving you $2 orders and...
‘Hot Wing King’ deep-fries real chicken and masculinity narratives on stage
When you go to the theater to see a show, what you experience during the performance is a series of moments. Each scene performed, every line spoken, is the result of meticulous planning, rehearsal and partnerships. Some scenes take more work than others. In The Hot Wing King, winner of...
Mayor Johnson's response to heat wave sparks call for public hearing
Some Chicago alderpersons want Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration to explain how the city responds to extreme weather, such as the recent heat wave that saw temperatures in the 90s and very warm nights. Advocates for seniors, low-income residents, the homeless and other vulnerable people were outraged last week when...
Meet two teenage trans activists who are countering harmful narratives
There’s been a wave of bills making their way through state legislatures across the country – bills that directly impact trans youth by restricting bathroom access, name changes, healthcare, and participation in sports. So it was more important than ever for one Highland Park, Ill., family to find...
How to be a better teacher to transgender students
As states surrounding Illinois pass laws restricting transgender children, a new book illustrates a framework for educators to better include their trans students. Families have been fleeing to Illinois to protect their transgender and non-binary children from anti-trans laws and enroll them in more inclusive schools. The Supreme Court agreed to review one law this week that restricts.
Angie Leventis Lourgos shares ‘Life-Altering’ stories of abortion in the Midwest
Angie Leventis Lourgos began reporting on abortion access in Illinois in 2015. In the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she has watched the Midwest become even further divided over the issue of abortion rights. “It seems like the chasm between Missouri and Illinois or Illinois...
Madigan, ComEd bribery cases could be upended by U.S. Supreme Court ruling, defense attorneys say
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling threatened Wednesday to roil major public corruption cases in Chicago, prompting bold predictions from defense attorneys amid what seems to be an ongoing reversal of fortunes for federal prosecutors. The Supreme Court found that a crucial federal bribery law aimed at state and local officials...
Highland Park victims' families stunned when suspect rejects plea deal: 'Today you saw absolute, unadulterated evil’
His hands and legs shackled, Robert Crimo III sat in a wheelchair that sheriff’s police said he had requested because he was nervous and worried he would be unable to walk in the crowded Lake County courtroom. When Judge Victoria Rossetti asked Crimo Wednesday if he accepted a deal...
CPS dropping school police officers didn't change whether students or teachers feel safe, study reveals
Rashad Talley, the principal at Wendell Phillips Academy High School, believes healthy safety and discipline practices are more about the staff’s relationship with students and not whether the South Side high school has police in the building every day. “It’s hard for me to pinpoint whether a [school resource...
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