Erin Allen is an artist and communicator, driven by her curiosity about the stories of people. In addition to her work at WBEZ, she also co-curates Radio Campfire, a live, listening event series featuring stories and soundscapes on various themes. Erin has a dynamic background in audio, from producing, reporting, and hosting at Michigan Radio and WDET to organizing the Detroit Podcast Festival. Also, her personal passions for social justice and art with her professional skills in marketing and communications have led her to spaces like Stone Soup Housing Cooperative and Allied Media Projects. Erin holds a BA in psychology from Grand Valley State University. With spare time, she teaches yoga and binges science fiction media of the Octavia Butler persuasion.
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The Rundown: South Side tenants without heat and water for weeks
Early voting continues in Chicago. South Side apartment complex tenants still have no heat and water. Medicaid pandemic protections ending.
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The Rundown: ‘Motive’ season 5 shows the nuance of gang life in Chicago
When you hear the word “gang,” different thoughts may come to mind. But overall, why people join gangs and everything that happens after is complicated. And then there are those former gang members who’ve made it their job to stop the violence that comes with gang life. The host of WBEZ’s Motive podcast, Pat Smith, spent a year with these anti-violence workers, and he talks about making season 5 of the podcast with them at the center.
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The Rundown: Chicago to receive federal funds to help unhoused people
The U.S. Housing Secretary gives Chicago $60 million dollars to address homelessness. The fungus in “The Last of Us” is among us – housed for research purposes at the Chicago Field Museum, and it’s not really that deadly. The new North Austin Community Center opened yesterday to much fanfare.
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The Rundown: Black History celebrations innovate again in Chicago
It’s Black History Month and cultural institutions all over Chicago are celebrating with innovation, including a Shark Tank contest for Black entrepreneurs in the city. The Chicago City Council approved the Norfolk Southern Railway expansion to the 47th Street rail yard. Declining enrollment at Illinois colleges may be a sign of an upcoming demographic cliff.
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The Rundown: The battle for freedom of speech and local libraries
Libraries are often considered peaceful spaces, but in reality, they’ve long been battlegrounds for freedom of speech. To ban books or not to ban books? It’s an issue fueled by identity politics and critical questions about who has the authority to limit access to information. WBEZ’s Adora Namigadde talks about what censorship looks like for librarians and library visitors in a push and pull about what should stock the shelves.
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The Rundown: $1.3 billion later, O’Hare’s Terminal 5 makes its debut
Billions of dollars later, construction on the International Terminal at O’Hare is finally complete. Amid staffing shortages in Illinois public schools, the state has a new superintendent of education starting this month. Gov. JB Pritzker announced the end of Illinois’s COVID disaster emergencies, effective this spring.
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The Rundown: Black, Latinx residents more financially vulnerable than white ones
Tyre Nichols protests continue in Chicago. A new report shows that Black and Latinx residents are more financially vulnerable than white ones, even accounting for income similarities. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office is expected to drop charges against R. Kelly in a court hearing today.
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The Rundown: Understanding menstrual equity and detaching stigma from periods
The average person with a period pays $200 to $300 a year on products. To curb that cost, some states like Illinois have made period products tax exempt. But the question remains: Should they be readily available to all people with periods? Illinois Latino News Reporter Annabel Rocha talks about her work to destigmatize periods and make the experience more equitable. Find out more about the event at wbez.org.
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The Rundown: Vigils remain calm in Chicago after release of Memphis police video
Demonstrations and vigils remain calm in Chicago after the release of a Memphis police shooting video. City officials share plans for a temporary migrant shelter in Woodlawn, despite significant community pushback. Chicago and Cook County are now in the “low” category for COVID-19 community transmission.
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The Rundown: Meet Sentrock – the artist behind the Bird City Saint
Pilsen-based Joseph Perez, AKA Sentrock, uses his signature character, a boy with a red bird mask, to tell stories.
