Choose your location
WBEZ
Willing to work, in Colombia to stay
Colombia’s Temporary Protection Permit is a program that has benefited an estimated two-thirds of the 2.9 million Venezuelan migrants in the country. The legalized status lays the path to employment in the formal job market, and access to health care, schools, pensions and the financial system. Integrating Venezuelan migrants into the formal labor market could expand Colombia’s GDP almost 4% by 2030, according to a 2022 study by the International Monetary Fund.
Chicago Public Media unions seek CEO’s immediate ouster amid a no-confidence vote
Unionized journalists at WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times voted overwhelmingly to seek outgoing Chicago Public Media CEO Matt Moog’s immediate removal, expressing a lack of confidence in his leadership in a letter released Tuesday. The no-confidence votes from WBEZ’s SAG-AFTRA union local and the Chicago Newspaper Guild at the...
How do you know when it’s time to retire?
Finances aren’t the only factor at play—health, boredom, purpose, and more all contribute to decisions about when to clock out of the work life. Do I have enough money saved? How will I spend my time once I’m no longer working? What if I have a medical emergency or accident?
How Chicago’s two-flat could build wealth for South and West Side residents
For some, being a homeowner is part of the American dream. For Mercedes Pickett, it was her dream to own a home in Garfield Park where she grew up. Mercedes’ journey to homeownership is the focus of an upcoming episode of the Change Agents Podcast, which focuses on community activists and organizations working toward social justice and grassroots efforts to solve problems around the city.
Temperatures at O’Hare hottest in 70 years
90-plus degree days expected through the end of the week. We’re not even officially in summer and it’s hot, hot, hot. So much so that Monday’s record-breaking temperature was the hottest it’s been in this area on that date (June 17) since 1887. Reset hears what’s...
Already on the margins and ostracized
Although Colombia and Venezuela share a language, a border and a religion, each country harbors negative cultural biases against the other that, in stressful times, can curdle into xenophobia and prevent migrants from integrating. While reporting in Colombia in April, WBEZ reporter Chip Mitchell frequently heard bigoted views against Venezuelan...
Violence programs to expand in four West Side neighborhoods as business group nears $100 million goal
Four West Side neighborhoods will see a boost in violence prevention programs targeted at people most at risk from gun violence, as a group of business leaders nears its ambitious goal of raising $100 million in private funding. The expansion was announced Monday by leaders of nonprofit groups who largely...
Efforts to root out Chicago police extremism have ‘fallen short’ of mayor’s promises, watchdog says
Chicago’s watchdog agency has warned Mayor Brandon Johnson that efforts to root out extremism within the Chicago Police Department have “fallen short” of his campaign promise to fire officers with ties to the far-right. The harsh criticism was included in an 18-page letter that Inspector General Deborah...
The perils of crossing into Colombia from Venezuela
The border between Colombia and Venezuela stretches nearly 1,400 miles. Roughly a decade ago, after the start of an economic collapse, Venezuelans began pouring into neighboring Colombia. In response, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro largely closed the official crossings, including bridges near Cúcuta, a border city in Colombia. In...
Chicago's historic heat wave may bring warmest stretch of nights in 91 years — what you need to know
With scorching weather Sunday and Monday, temperatures in Chicago have reached the 90s two days in a row, and the National Weather Service said this heat will stick around for the rest of the week. It’s not unusual to have this type of heat in mid-June, but forecasters say it’s...
Season’s first heatwave arrives in Chicago this week
Temperatures reached a high of 92 degrees Sunday in Chicago, kicking off a weeklong heat wave with temperatures expected to remain in the 90s for most of the week. Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago, la sección bilingüe del Sun-Times. The temperature peaked...
Chicago school board hopefuls to submit petitions for first time ever
After more than a decade of lobbying, years of negotiation and months of sorting out the logistics, it’s finally time for candidates to file petitions to get on the ballot for Chicago’s first-ever school board elections. The week-long process begins Monday, when hopefuls can start turning in to...
What Colombia can teach Chicago about managing a migrant wave
Over the past two years, the city of Chicago has struggled to care for destitute migrants arriving from the southern border. The majority, around 30,000, are from Venezuela, a South American country whose economy has collapsed. But the number of Venezuelans in Chicago hardly compares to how many have migrated...
How to help Venezuelan migrants in Colombia
These nonprofit groups in Colombia support Venezuelan migrants in a number of important ways: providing legal counseling; fighting xenophobia; providing shelter, food and education; training community leaders; and investigating abuse. All organizations listed here have websites where you can get more information about volunteering or contributing to their missions. El...
Illinois lawmakers call for more details on plan to replace prisons
The head of an advisory commission tasked with reviewing Ill. Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to tear down and replace two long-neglected prisons on Friday blasted the proposal as half-baked, capping off a week of contentious public hearings about the $900-million project. “A plan has details,” said state Senator Dave...
WBEZ’s Weekly News Recap, June 14, 2024: Riot Fest heading to the suburbs, prosecutors recommend prison for Burke and more
City Council approves one of the largest ever police misconduct settlements, but defers on earlier teen curfew and ethics ordinance. City Council approves a quiet zone around a West Loop women’s health clinic, while Senate Republicans block Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s bill to protect in vitro fertilization. And Riot Fest departs the city for the suburbs.
Nudia Hernandez, Erin Kilmurray and a hot ticket: ‘The Function’ dance show
Every Friday from here we’ll be checking in with Nudia Hernandez of WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo, who’s gonna bring us a conversation with an artist or musician doing big things in Chicago. Today, we hear from Erin Kilmurray, creator of “The Function,” an immersive dance production that’s...
Illinois Republicans grapple with mail voting amid mixed signals from Trump — 'We have to adapt'
While rallying his political troops last summer in Springfield heading into the primary campaign season, Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy highlighted some of his top priorities to help the party regain a foothold in the Democratic-dominated state. “We’ve got to embrace early voting and voting by mail,” Tracy said...
Misinformation is a 'real danger to our democracy.' What can election boards do about it?
When a spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners accidentally misreported mail-in ballot numbers during the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney this spring, the online backlash was swift and harsh. Max Bever, who has worked for the Chicago elections board since 2021, says he was “harassed...
How much jail time should Ed Burke get? Depends on which City Council member you ask.
In their court filing asking a judge to sentence ex-Ald. Edward Burke to a decade in prison for corruption, federal prosecutors argued that even though he’s no longer in office, Burke has a network of allies wishing him well from Chicago City Hall. A sampling of alderpersons reacting to...
WBEZ
7K+
Posts
10M+
Views
As a public media institution we are deeply invested in the civic life and health of the community we serve.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.