Good morning!

Welcome to this edition of the Morning Drive Podcast!

Today’s news:

►Members of the City Council’s progressive caucus and some local unions say Mayor Rahm Emanuel has excluded residents from this year’s budget process by not holding public hearings.

►A company that is decommissioning Chicago’s last two coal-fired power plants insists there are no hazards on either site, but a neighborhood group is pressing for soil tests and for disclosure of the results.

Featured in the podcast:

►When Chicagoan William Pickens joined the Marines during WWII, he was among the first black men ever to do so. Pickens told his daughter Lisa Marie that he was part of the famed Montford Point Marines, a group that was some 20,000 strong. The Montford Point Marines fought through segregation in the barracks and substandard conditions to become highly decorated.

And your WEATHER for today: Mostly sunny, highs in the upper 50s. Some winds but pretty nice overall. Tonight, partly cloudy, lows in the mid 40s.

Tuesday, some sunshine but mostly cloudy and breezy. Highs in the upper 60s to around 70. Tuesday night, partly cloudy, lows in the mid 50s.

Music in the podcast brought to you by The DoDos. They’re scheduled to play with Calexico at Lincoln Hall tonight.