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WBEZ Chicago
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The latest news and featured stories from WBEZ Chicago.

  1. 5D AGO

    Press play on Vocalo’s delightful 70-song holiday playlist

    A good holiday party needs a solid soundtrack. Looking to refresh yours? WBEZ sister station Vocalo has added 20 new songs to its popular annual holiday playlist. It spans pop to jazz to hip-hop. Find the playlist — called “Holiday, the Vocalo Way” — on Vocalo.org or on Spotify. HOST: GÓMEZ-ALDANA

    4 min
  2. Her special needs son loves holiday music. She helped design a concert for him.

    5D AGO

    Her special needs son loves holiday music. She helped design a concert for him.

    This holiday season, the Evanston Symphony Orchestra hosted a new kind of concert. The so-called “barrier-free” performance was designed for people with disabilities and their loved ones. HOST: LANE

    5 min

  3. 6D AGO

    This running club is trying to help West Siders live longer.

    In Chicago, where you live can dictate when you die. The biggest life expectancy gap between neighborhoods is 20 years, from West Garfield Park to the Loop. One of the solutions to closing this gap is playing out in Garfield Park. A son’s mission to turn around his mom’s health has become a community wide effort to help everyone live longer. WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch takes us on a walk with the Peace Runners 7-7-3. HOST: LANE

    6 min

  4. DEC 22

    The best Chicago albums of 2025, from rock to hip-hop to industrial

    Some cities are known for country music. Others for rap or rock. But Chicago has always been an eclectic music town. Artists here borrow from the city’s traditions of blues, jazz and soul. This year’s best local albums also blend genres and some transcend them. Here are some staff picks from WBEZ’s list of Best Chicago Albums of 2025. HOST: LANE

    7 min

  5. DEC 19

    The best books of 2025, curated by our bookish staff

    The holiday season is in full swing, which means there’s no time like the present to relax with a warm beverage and a good book. For a few recommendations, WBEZ’s arts and culture desk asked staff for their favorite books of 20-25. HOST: LANE

    6 min

  6. DEC 19

    Border Patrol body-cam captures detainee’s lament: ‘We don’t have the opportunity that you have’

    A state panel documenting alleged abuses by federal immigration agents held its first meeting yesterday (THURS). The Illinois Accountability Commission plans to interview witnesses and review bystander videos on social media. But those aren’t the only videos that exist. Last month a judge ordered the release of more than 40 hours of body camera footage the agents themselves recorded. HOST: LANE

    6 min

  7. DEC 18

    In Austin, Black mentors are making college possible

    In the U.S., Black men who start college are up against a huge deficit of resources when it comes to finishing, and getting their degree. You can see that play out in the majority-Black Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, where just one in four who make it to campus graduate within six years. That rate is much lower than it is for white college students from across the city. WBEZ’s Lisa Kurian Philip brings us the story of three generations of Black men with ties to Austin who have helped each other overcome this disparity. Their shared struggles have brought them close. HOST: LARA

    9 min

  8. DEC 18

    Jane Austen lovers ring in the author’s 250th birthday with a suburban Regency ball, YouTube-inspired gowns and orange cheesecake

    It is a truth universally acknowledged… that a single fan of the novelist Jane Austen… must be in want of a way to celebrate her 250th birthday. Well, WBEZ producer Lauren Frost is one of those fans. She found events celebrating the British author all over the Chicago region this week… But perhaps the most grand was a Regency ball – complete with a string quartet, historical snacks, and dancers in gowns stitched from YouTube tutorials. HOST: LANE

    5 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The latest news and featured stories from WBEZ Chicago.

Information

  • Creator
    WBEZ Chicago
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    2K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 Chicago Public Media
  • Show Website
    WBEZ News

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