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‘An impossible job’: Illinois DCFS comes under new leadership yet again amidst years of challenges
In the last eight years, the state’s Department of Children & Family Services has gone through 11 different leaders. Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services has faced challenges and reports of dysfunction for years – from failing to report cases of abuse in schools to reports of improper use of funds.
‘Feels like home’ or sassy entertainment: What restaurant style wins you over?
Dining out can be a treat. But as a guest, interactions with hosts, servers and bartenders can sometimes make or break a meal. And behind the scenes, there are a lot of decisions and approaches for staff to consider. Reset hears from two hospitality leaders about how they approach service...
‘It’s like a homecoming for me every June’: Celebrating the Chicago blues
There’s a type of blues music that is native to Chicago. It can be characterized by its use of guitar, harmonica and rhythm sections. And starting Thursday, June 6, the largest free blues festival in the world is returning to Chicago. There will be opening performances by artists like Shemekia Copeland and Ronnie Baker Brooks at the Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport. And legendary bluesman Buddy Guy will headline in one of his final performances.
Pritzker signs $53.1 billion spending plan, dismisses Democratic discord
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday downplayed Democratic divisions as he signed a sweeping $53.1 billion budget that relies on $1.1 billion in revenue and includes a child tax credit. The signing of the spending plan in the West Loop’s State of Illinois building featured no fanfare — unlike Pritzker’s last...
Ditch microwave popcorn? With toxic ‘forever chemicals’ on the rise, here’s how to limit exposure
Toxic “forever” chemicals are rising in Lake Michigan, according to a new study published by the American Chemical Society. This group of man-made chemicals – also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are called “forever” chemicals because they are nearly impossible to destroy.
Here's how Biden’s new executive order will affect asylum seekers at the southern border
There was an average of 4,000 daily unauthorized border crossings last week, according to the Biden administration. A new executive order from President Biden temporarily suspends the entry of most asylum seekers attempting to cross the border without authorization. The restrictions will continue until two weeks after unauthorized border crossings...
South Side concert spotlights the long-ignored queer history of gospel music
On one block of Chicago’s South Side, a musical event is celebrating Pride Month by shining a light on queer history – in gospel music. Shout OUT combines live musical performance and historical narration to bring gospel music closer to the stories and icons that produced it. Reset...
Locals indulge in cicada snacks — available every 17 years
As it turns out, a blanched cicada tastes kind of like asparagus. The periodical cicadas are back after 17 years in the ground, and for some bug enthusiasts, that means a new snack. Kacie Athey, a University of Illinois researcher of cicadas, and Geoff Marshall, an Albany Park nature lover who works in marketing, both described the insects as tasting like the long green vegetable once they’ve been blanched.
What are fibroids, and why will a majority of women get them?
Fibroids are the most common non-cancerous tumor that grows inside the uterus and 80% of Black women will have them by age 50. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, around 1 in 4 people of reproductive age have fibroids. While not everyone who has them experiences symptoms, it can cause pain that can impact a person’s daily life.
Chicago to reopen South Side mental health clinic
Roseland’s mental health clinic was closed in 2016 under then-mayor Rahm Emanuel. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is aiming to make good on a campaign promise to expand mental health services. Six city-run mental health clinics were closed in 2016 under Chicago’s then-mayor Rahm Emanuel. A majority of the closed...
Music Box Theatre to close auditorium temporarily to update the aging beauty, but keep the charm
The main auditorium at the Music Box Theatre will close for almost a month this summer for a makeover that aims to modernize while maintaining the charm that’s endeared the space to audiences for nearly a century. Theater owners said the 740-seat space will close Aug. 12 and reopen...
More fun than Wordle: A new Chicago show draws from magic, puzzles and escape rooms
Editor’s note: Hidden in this article is a code redeemable for 15% off tickets to Tuesday through Thursday performances of The Enigmatist between June 11 and 27. Search boldly for it and tell us at arts@wbez.org if you solve it. The Enigmatist, a one-person show at Chicago Shakespeare Theater,...
Inside WBEZ’s summer guide
Need ideas for fun things to do in and around Chicago this summer? Let WBEZ’s arts and culture team be your guide. From 25 perfect performances to check out to places to dance to street fests, WBEZ’s arts and culture team is highlighting things to do in the Chicago area this summer.
Chicago alderpeople scrutinize mayor’s plans to quickly spend COVID relief money
The Chicago City Council scrutinized Monday Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to quickly budget hundreds of millions of federal COVID-19 relief dollars before a looming end-of-year deadline. During a day-long hearing before the City Council’s Committee on Budget and Government Operations, Johnson’s top deputies and department commissioners gave a detailed...
Negro Leagues stats officially incorporated into MLB record books
Baseball legends like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth have been dethroned from their record titles. In 2020, Major League Baseball announced it would recognize seven different Negro Leagues as official major leagues. And after a years-long project of researching the statistics of more than 2,300 Negro League players, MLB has incorporated those statistics in its record books.
Rainbow flag raised over Daley Plaza to celebrate Pride Month and ‘unity and solidarity’
An enormous rainbow flag was raised in Daley Plaza on Monday to kick off Pride Month, the annual celebration for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities. Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle gathered with several LGBTQ+ officials to celebrate the flag-raising. They spoke of Chicago’s prominent role in the history of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights while acknowledging recent threats to that progress.
Lion cub euthanized at Lincoln Park Zoo because of spinal condition: 'There are no words'
A 17-month-old lion cub at Lincoln Park Zoo was euthanized despite hopes from zoo staff that an unprecedented spinal surgery would bring relief. The cub, named Lomelok, was born at the zoo in January 2023 with two brothers, Pesho and Sidai. Almost immediately, veterinarians noticed abnormal movement and activity caused by a deformity in his lower spine. He was born with the condition.
Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as first female president
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s newly elected president held out an olive branch Monday to the more than one-third of Mexicans who didn’t vote for her, but the first woman to win the job faces a tough path toward reconciling a country left deeply divided by outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
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