Alex Keefe
Editor, Government and Politics
He first started at WBEZ in 2010 as a producer on Morning Edition, and later worked his way up to the politics beat. As a reporter, he had a particular interest in covering municipal finance, the state and city pension crises, and the debates over LGBT rights and gun rights. His 2014 series on the “Dark Arts of Politics” was recognized with awards from the Press Club of Atlantic City, the Society of Professional Journalists, PRNDI, the RTNDA and the Illinois Associated Press. He’s also twice been named Best Newswriter by the Illinois AP, in 2011 and 2013.
Starting in late 2014, Alex was the local All Things Considered host at Vermont Public Radio, where he also launched a people-powered journalism podcast called Brave Little State.
Stories by Alex Keefe
![]()
A City Hall veteran will lead the Chicago Park District amid fallout from a sex abuse scandal
Rosa Escareno, who served under three mayors, takes over as the agency’s interim leader. It’s still grappling with widespread allegations of sexual misconduct among lifeguards.
![]()
Evanston’s Top City Staffer To Leave Amid Lifeguard Abuse Investigation
City Manager Erika Storlie will leave as officials promise transparency about an investigation into sexual misconduct claims from young women.
![]()
Evanston Residents Blast Plan To Keep Lifeguard Sexual Misconduct Probe Secret
The outrage stemmed from the separation agreement between the city and its top staffer, who is preparing to exit amid an ongoing probe into allegations of widespread misconduct among lifeguards and other beach workers.
![]()
New COVID-19 Rules: Here’s What You Can And Can’t Do In Illinois And Chicago
Plan your big wedding. Renew your gym membership. And gather your friends for that big Chicago bar crawl — as long as everyone’s fully vaccinated.
![]()
Illinois And Chicago Resume Use Of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine
Federal regulators found the one-shot vaccine is safe for people 18 and over. They’d recommended a “pause” on using it after some patients developed rare blood clots.
![]()
Feds: Chicago Ald. Ed Burke Was Recorded Making An Anti-Semitic Remark
Federal prosecutors say the alleged racist comment is relevant to demonstrating how he abused his official power to drum up private legal work.
![]()
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Urges Calm As City Prepares To Release Videos Of CPD Shooting A 13-Year-Old Boy
“This is not something you want children to see,” the mayor said hours before the expected release of the highly-anticipated videos.
![]()
Ayúdenos A Reportar Sobre La Distribución Vacunas COVID-19 En Chicago
Díganos lo que quiere saber sobre las vacunas COVID-19 en Chicago. Usaremos sus respuestas para informar a nuestro periodismo.
![]()
Help Us Report On COVID-19 Vaccines In Chicago
Tell us what you want to know about COVID-19 vaccines and how they’re being distributed in Chicago. We’ll use your responses to help drive our journalism.
![]()
Cook County Medical Examiner Handled Record Number Of Deaths In 2020
More than half of the 16,000 death cases handled by the office last year were due to COVID-19.
