WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Most of the North-Grand High School auditorium was empty Wednesday night as Chicago aldermen held what could be their final hearing in an effort to redraw the city’s ward map.The 150 people who showed up did include 15 aldermen who heard complaints for almost three hours about a map backed by Mayor

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to announce a new program Thursday that gives minority and women-owned businesses seeking city contracts extra support.Emanuel is establishing a “phase-out graduation” program to give businesses additional support as they outgrow the women and minority program.Jamie

Timuel Black — civil rights activist, historian, author, and professor — has given more than 250 archival boxes to the Vivian G.

Chicago will see some big numbers from this spring's G-8/NATO summits: 7,500 officials, 2,000 press affiliates and 80 nations were just a few of the attendance projections.

A debate about a Cook County ordinance that frees some inmates wanted by immigration authorities could get hotter. At its meeting Wednesday, the County Board agreed to consider two proposed amendments that would scale back the ordinance.

Chicago aldermen are still hashing out a compromise on re-drawing ward boundaries.Tuesday the Chicago City Council rules committee is scheduled to meet on changing the city ward map. Aldermanic boundaries are being altered because of changes in population from the most recent census.

Britian’s Foreign Minister William Hauge, France's Minister of Foreign Affairs Alan Juppé, and U.S.