Erin Allen

• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Feb 3, 2023 read more

  Listen  18:06
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Feb 3, 2023 read more

  Listen  5:58
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Feb 2, 2023 read more

  Listen  5:32
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Feb 1, 2023 read more

  Listen  12:35
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Feb 1, 2023 read more

  Listen  5:41
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Jan 31, 2023 read more

  Listen  5:14
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Jan 30, 2023 read more

  Listen  13:44
• • The Rundown: Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Jan 30, 2023 read more

  Listen  5:42
• • The Rundown | Chicago News Podcast

  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.

  Jan 20, 2023 read more

  Listen  18:25
• • The Rundown | Chicago News Podcast

  The Rundown: Catching you up on the first televised mayoral debate

  At the first televised Chicago mayoral debate, candidates discussed how they would secure funds for asylum seekers and how they could make the CTA more secure. The newest National Historical Park is on the south side of Chicago, in the historic Pullman neighborhood. A comet that hasn’t been visible from Earth in thousands of years can be seen this month in Illinois.

  Jan 20, 2023 read more

  Listen  5:35