Dear listeners: In the near future, Curious City will no longer be a podcast. But you’ll still find us on the radio and at the WBEZ website.

We’re collecting your favorite memories of the podcast. See slides for more details 💙

Our lame-duck CEO Matt Moog has said the vote to kill podcasts and decimate Vocalo was unanimous. It seems Dave McKinney went to fact check that and found a troubling pattern of closed, private meetings at our public news organization.

There's been little appetite among Chicago suburbs to support migrants. Only Oak Park has applied for Cook County's $20 million in grants for suburbs to support migrants. But that might change. Evanston is mulling opening a shelter. Details: tinyurl.com/2k2syp2t WBEZ

In the WBEZ Rundown newsletter, readers share their “disgust” and concern over the layoffs:

“It does not make me inclined to give knowing that priorities are to take care of the people on the top at the expense of the rank-and-file.”

Ultimately, our goal still is to save the jobs of our very talented colleagues who have much to contribute to WBEZ.

WBEZ SAG-AFTRA leadership is deeply disappointed that Chicago Public Media has decided to lay off nine of our colleagues who create some of the station’s most lauded, well-known programs. This decision eliminates our podcast department, which includes the shows Nerdette…

We are losing talented colleagues. Such a sad day for local journalism today. “The cuts coincide w/ the debut of a $6.4 million, state-of-the-art studio at WBEZ’s Navy Pier office and follows a double-digit-percentage pay increase for CPM’s top executive” wbez.org/stories/chicag…

I have to sit with this for a minute.
I spent nearly ten years making radio and podcasts at Vocalo Radio 91.1 and WBEZ.
I made my career there and now just…poof.
This is a HUGE loss for Chicago and for me and my people personally.

I am stunned.

The Texas immigration-enforcement bill, SB4, is back in federal appeals court on Wednesday. The law allows state officials to arrest and deport undocumented people

Julian Aguilar talked to I'm a Martínez: npr.org/2024/04/03/124…

The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and the Center for Neighborhood Technology counted trucks for freight electrification by Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco wbez.org/stories/chicag…

Selective admissions started out as a way to integrate Chicago’s schools. It became a highly competitive program the school board wants to deemphasize. by Sarah Karp via Curious City wbez.org/stories/whats-…

More than 730 asylum seekers are expected to be moved from five Chicago Park District locations in the coming weeks: Brands Park, Gage Park, Leone Beach Boathouse, Broadway Armory Park and Piotrowski Park. By Violet Miller wbez.org/stories/migran…

Chicago officials say 21 migrants were evicted between Sunday and Thursday. They are all single adults. Migrants with children are exempt for now.

“How do you create a menu that offers choice and dignity and all the needed components in a way that would be received?” asked Amy Laboy, vice president of programs and community partnerships for the GCFD. trib.al/kbPEzGS

Chicago officials say there are now 17 identified measles cases. Officials say the majority come from a migrant shelter in the Pilsen neighborhood. They also say they’ve created an online measles dashboard expected to be updated every morning. chicago.gov/city/en/depts/…

Chicago officials have outsourced the feeding operation and the food handling to several vendors. They say they want these vendors to offer healthy, nutritious and culturally relevant meals, but mixed reviews from migrants paint a different picture
wbez.org/stories/feedin…

Chi Public Schools officials officially moving away from student-based budgeting to a needs based system. More foundation positions, including APs and core teacher positions. But not clear on how those will b allocated. Also, if principals/LSC will have any autonomy left.

By Adriana Cardona M wbez.org/stories/chicag…

With nearly 6,000 new migrants this year, CPS CEO pledges support as financial needs grow Adriana Cardona M wbez.org/stories/chicag…

With these new exceptions, the city is proceeding with a plan to require migrants leave shelters after 60 days and will require vaccinations. wbez.org/stories/chicag…