WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Fernando Diaz and Megan Cottrell, winners of the 2013 Studs Terkel awards, unpack the day's big stories. Ald. Roderick Sawyer discusses black political role models. Boxers Bill Hillman and Adrian Granados look ahead to the big upcoming fight at the UIC Pavilion.

To celebrate International Women's Day, we've got an all-female panel. TV anchor Judie Garcia and communications consultant Marilyn Katz join us to unpack today's top stories. We'll also find out about one of the city's unique theaters and a dance program that helps empower under served youth.

Thursday’s panelist give us their spin on the news in their worlds and ours. DJ and owner of the Silver Room in Wicker Park, Eric Williams, joins media relations guru Liz Kores and host Rick Kogan for the hour. We’ll also hear Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis’s take on The Commission on School Utilization’s final report, which found that Chicago Public Schools could safely close or overhaul as many as 80 schools this year.

Former SEIU organizer Jason Perez and blogger Theo Hahn help us tackle today's major stories, including the recent budget address and media coverage of violence. We'll also check in with Curious City, go deeper in to Gov. Quinn's address and find out about the new Chicago Music Office.

Neli Vazquez Rowland, co-founder and president of A Safe Haven, and UIC professor David Stovall join us to discuss the day's stories, including homelessness and school closings. We'll also celebrate the life of Dawn Clark Netsch, see where Peter Sagal was at 25 and discover the Metro History Fair.

Andy Shaw and Alden Loury from the Better Government Association join us to discuss their recent work and take your calls. We'll hear about the 4th year of Steppenwolf''s Garage Rep series, talk about the death of the Chicago Daily News, and the birthday of our favorite city, Chicago.

IMAN executive director Rami Nashashibi and Eddie Bocanegra, a violence interrupter with CeaseFire, help us sort through the day's big stories. We'll also discuss the looming sequester, talk with author Rus Bradburd and hear from Lynne Jordan and The Shivers.