The latest news and featured stories from WBEZ Chicago.
The author of the new ‘Burger Bible’ tells us her top Chicago burgers
5 mins; April 02, 2026
Northwestern study claims to support trans youth, but some parents disagree
4 mins; April 01, 2026
New permanent CEO King talks CPS roots, school closings and student safety
4 mins; April 01, 2026
Route 66 turns 100, with a symbolic new beginning at Navy Pier
4 mins; April 01, 2026
HIV and AIDS infections up in Chicago after years of decline
6 mins; March 31, 2026
Charles Joseph Smith, Chicago composer and pianist, finally gets his dues with Sooper album
4 mins; March 31, 2026
Convicted cocaine cash launderer is a key figure in legal Illinois cannabis
4 mins; March 31, 2026
Olivet Baptist Church is one of Chicago’s oldest Black churches
6 mins; March 26, 2026
Rock band The Academy Is… is back with new music for the first time in 18 years
6 mins; March 26, 2026
This Chicago Symphony Orchestra flutist took her baby on tour and kept a diary about it
6 mins; March 24, 2026
Aspira students, and schools taking them in, adapt after charter operator closes
4 mins; March 24, 2026
Inside the debate behind Chicago’s food delivery robots
4 mins; March 20, 2026
New play ‘White Rooster’ tells a ghost story using puppetry
3 mins; March 19, 2026
Last minute bracket tips for March Madness
4 mins; March 19, 2026
The results from Tuesday’s primary elections in Illinois are now in, and it’s mostly clear who the day’s big winners were.
3 mins; March 18, 2026
In ‘The Other Witch,’ a Chicago dancer weaves a spell for women everywhere
3 mins; March 17, 2026
A look into a crowded judicial race on Chicago’s south side What makes these judicial races on Chicago’s south side unique
4 mins; March 16, 2026
Older Chicagoans at high risk of losing SNAP benefits as new work rules kick in
4 mins; March 13, 2026
Veteran incumbent Toni Preckwinkle looks to fend off rival in Democratic primary
4 mins; March 13, 2026
Inside the network racing to save the Midwest’s native seeds
3 mins; March 12, 2026
Does 'Hamilton' hold up in 2026?
3 mins; March 12, 2026
What Illinois voters should know about security at in-person polling places ahead of the primary elections.
1 min; March 12, 2026
Four Democrats square off in primary to replace Mendoza as state comptroller
2 mins; March 11, 2026
Growing healthy food to help close Chicago’s 20-year death gap
4 mins; March 11, 2026
Labeled a gang member and deported, Chicagoan restarts in his Mexican hometown
8 mins; March 11, 2026
Ten Democratic hopefuls square off in primary to replace U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly
3 mins; March 11, 2026
Labeled a gang member and deported, Chicagoan restarts in his Mexican hometown
7 mins; March 10, 2026
Growing healthy food to help close Chicago’s 20-year death gap
3 mins; March 10, 2026
Thirteen Democrats square off in bid to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis
4 mins; March 09, 2026
Kaegi bid for third term as assessor pits him against familiar political name
3 mins; March 09, 2026
Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of the United States’ most prominent civil rights leaders, will go to his final resting place today (Sat).
6 mins; March 08, 2026
Cook Review
4 mins; March 06, 2026
Muslim Latinos
4 mins; March 06, 2026
ICE protesters are beating the Trump Administration in court
4 mins; March 06, 2026
How Greenville, South Carolina shaped Jesse Jackson’s life and legacy in Chicago
4 mins; March 06, 2026
Fifteen Democrats vie to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Schakowsky in heated primary
5 mins; March 05, 2026
A day at the Art Institute reveals more about Klaus Mäkelä, Chicago's new maestro
4 mins; March 05, 2026
Illinois prisons were ordered to improve health care. They've spent seven years failing.
7 mins; March 04, 2026
Black History is not over.
7 mins; March 03, 2026
More of Chicago’s top arts organizations agree to share diversity data
3 mins; March 03, 2026
A woman who killed her alleged abusive boyfriend fears a jury won’t believe her
4 mins; March 02, 2026
Voter guides help you stay civically engaged before and after elections
1 min; March 02, 2026
Blitz Masa
4 mins; February 26, 2026
2026 Republican Primary Forum for the U.S. Senate in Illinois
58 mins; February 26, 2026
2026 Democratic Primary Forum for the U.S. Senate in Illinois
56 mins; February 26, 2026
Behind-the-scenes at one Monday Night Foodball
3 mins; February 26, 2026
CPS will transfer students out of charters on the brink of financial collapse
4 mins; February 26, 2026
Young Black men in college benefit from mentors. Here's how to be a good one.
4 mins; February 25, 2026
Impacts on Chicago’s Latino business districts continue after deportation campaign
4 mins; February 25, 2026
James Rondeau talks about his tenure as the President of the Art Institute
4 mins; February 24, 2026
Mexican-American Illinois National Guard member worried about patrolling hometown streets
4 mins; February 24, 2026
Operation Midway Blitz doesn’t stop this Chicago run club
3 mins; February 23, 2026
How to avoid problems with your tax payments this year
5 mins; February 23, 2026
How are Hoosiers feeling about the Bears’ potential move to Indiana?
4 mins; February 20, 2026
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. was many things to many people. Here’s how Chicagoans remember the civil rights leader
3 mins; February 20, 2026
Blitz Effect: Olga Bautista - "I'm still getting notices that families have been abducted just this week."
59 secs; February 19, 2026
Blitz Effect - Corina Pedraza: “They helped build the neighborhood brick by brick, shift by shift.”
53 secs; February 19, 2026
Blitz Effect - Illinois National Guard: Her mother and siblings are undocumented.
4 mins; February 19, 2026
Blitz Effect - Cecy's Molino de Masa: "The people were afraid to stand in line."
3 mins; February 19, 2026
Blitz Effect - Moreno's Liquors: "Todo juntos. We’re in this together."
4 mins; February 19, 2026
Blitz Effect - Viento: "No one can run by themselves."
3 mins; February 19, 2026
In the Chicago suburbs, young adults with special needs say 'yes, and…' to improv
3 mins; February 19, 2026
Eight Democrats compete to represent Illinois' 8th congressional district
4 mins; February 19, 2026
Tips for first-time voters ahead of the primary election
1 min; February 19, 2026
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker today [wed] is proposing a $56 billion dollar state budget for the fiscal year that begins in July.
4 mins; February 18, 2026
Remembering Jesse Jackson's impact in pop culture
4 mins; February 18, 2026
Civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson Senior died today (TUES). He was 84.
6 mins; February 17, 2026
Reverend Jesse Jackson looks back at some of his famous speeches
4 mins; February 17, 2026
How Chicago artist Nick Cave brought his new exhibit, “Mammoth,” to life
6 mins; February 17, 2026
Memphis Rainbow PUSH Coalition president remembers Rev. Jesse Jackson
5 mins; February 17, 2026
Four candidates vie for the GOP nomination for Illinois governor
4 mins; February 16, 2026
A look at who's running to replace Sen. Dick Durbin
6 mins; February 14, 2026
A Chicago grad student is nearly done running every block of the city
4 mins; February 13, 2026
Jason Friedman far ahead in fundraising for Danny Davis seat
3 mins; February 13, 2026
It’s Chicago Black Restaurant Week
3 mins; February 12, 2026
It’s Chicago Black Restaurant Week
3 mins; February 12, 2026
Lockdowns and less learning: How immigration agents disrupted CPS this fall (75)
6 mins; February 12, 2026
CPS mom outraged by lesson her child says included reenactment of slavery
3 mins; February 11, 2026
Why many full-time workers in Illinois need SNAP benefits to help buy food
4 mins; February 11, 2026
Ratboys turned a Driftless cabin into a songwriting haven
5 mins; February 10, 2026
Chicago area Asians were also targeted by Midway Blitz. But for a while, they kept quiet For a while, Chicago-area Asians didn’t want to talk about ICE
6 mins; February 09, 2026
Chicago Composer Florence Price roars back to life with new opera
3 mins; February 05, 2026
Illinois’ Early voting begins Thursday for Primary Election
1 min; February 05, 2026
Here are the Winter Olympians with Illinois ties to watch
4 mins; February 04, 2026
Dozens of Chicago-area suburbs have become more diverse over the past two decades.
3 mins; February 04, 2026
West Chicago teens on ICE watch in Minneapolis: ‘This is so much worse.’
6 mins; February 04, 2026
Chicago elementary school students delight in new chicken coop and get a Black history lesson
3 mins; February 04, 2026
Surviving a Border Patrol shooting, taking a stand
7 mins; February 03, 2026
The quiet, wintry thrill of a freezing Illinois canyon hike
3 mins; February 03, 2026
Why Northwestern didn’t step in after alleged hate symbol painted on trans flag
4 mins; February 03, 2026
Chicago’s Manual Cinema on why puppets are such a draw in digital age
3 mins; January 29, 2026
A new book makes the case for the Midwest’s literary might
3 mins; January 27, 2026
Lt. Gov. Stratton goes on attack in debate against U.S. Reps. Kelly, Krishnamoorthi
4 mins; January 27, 2026
Alejandra and Roberto spanish
8 mins; January 26, 2026
In a west suburban school district, an administrator heard that two of her former students were in crisis. So, she tried to help.
7 mins; January 26, 2026
Revisiting the ’85 Bears, 40 years after their Super Bowl win
4 mins; January 26, 2026
Steel Mills must adopt cleaner technologies to stay competitive, Gary environmentalist says
5 mins; January 26, 2026
Federal jury rejects Bovino murder plot after attorney calls on it to 'stop the overreaching government'
4 mins; January 23, 2026
The Obama Presidential Center will showcase a South Side food legacy, says chef-in-charge Cliff Rome
4 mins; January 22, 2026
What to know if you’re one of 170,000 people in Illinois behind on student loans
