On Background: WBEZ's Politics Podcast

What the heck just happened, Chicago? Lori Lightfoot won the mayor’s race by a gargantuan margin. City Council veterans got the boot. Here’s what Tuesday’s results might mean for the future of the city.Reporting by Becky Vevea, Claudia Morell and Dan Mihalopoulos. Editing by Al Keefe. Production by Justin Bull and Becky Vevea.Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

Lori Lightfoot was catapulted into the spotlight in the fallout from Laquan McDonald’s murder. But before that, she was hardly a household name in Chicago. WBEZ’s Claudia Morell zooms in on three pivotal moments in the life of the unlikely mayoral frontrunner — moments where she defined her circumstances, and moments where she was defined by them.

There are a lot of ways people describe Toni Preckwinkle. Progressive pioneer. Party boss. Prickly county board president. But the image of her in the race to become Chicago’s next mayor doesn’t tell the entire story of her long career. WBEZ’s Becky Vevea digs into Preckwinkle’s life and just a few of the moments that tell voters something more about the kind of mayor Preckwinkle might be. An update has been made to this podcast.

There have been so many soundbites and headlines about the remaining two candidates for Chicago Mayor. But maybe you find yourself still wondering: Who exactly are these people?This week we’re taking a break, because next week we’ll have two episodes to help you get to know Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle before you cast your vote on Tuesday, April 2. Check back next week Wednesday.

The plans to build a mini-city along the North Branch of the Chicago River have been winding their way through the byzantine City Council process for the last year. The $6 billion project, known as Lincoln Yards, is one that Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to lock in before he leaves office in May. But with the clock ticking, public money on the line, and a heated runoff election just weeks away, the development along the muddy riverfront is leading to a lot of political mudslinging at a pivotal moment in Chicago.

A decade ago, Illinois politicians legalized video gambling in hopes of generated much-needed money for the state. But like so many stories in Illinois, this one didn’t turn out to be that simple. WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and ProPublica Illinois’ Jason Grotto have spent months digging into what happened.

It was an election for the history books. With no incumbent on the ballot and 14 candidates for mayor, just a third of all registered voters in Chicago cast ballots this week and the results are in. WBEZ’s Becky Vevea, Dan Mihalopoulos, Claudia Morell break down what it all means for the city and what’s next.

It’s the final countdown! Chicago’s municipal elections are next Tuesday. Voters will get to pick from 14 candidates to be the next mayor and pick someone to represent their neighborhood too. This week, WBEZ’s team of political reporters will answer your last minute questions and introduce you to a person taking his job as citizen very seriously

Newspapers, unions, and even celebrities are throwing their weight — and in some cases, money — behind their choice for Chicago’s next mayor. This week, the WBEZ politics team digs in to a time-honored political tradition: endorsements. Do they still matter in 2019?

How the heck is a Chicago voter supposed to make sense of a mayor’s race with 14 candidates? Well, you’ve got about two weeks to figure that out. So WBEZ has cooked up a nifty way to help you choose which candidate you most align with, and our reporters answer some of your questions. Deep breath.

A second alderman is in the crosshairs of federal authorities. Last week, Ald. Danny Solis (25th) was revealed to be wearing a wire in the case against powerful Alderman Ed Burke (14th). This week, a series of stories from the Chicago Sun-Times explains why Solis’ has been cooperating with the FBI. Turns out, the feds built a case against him in 2014, involving Viagra, a massage parlor, and a party at Oprah’s former farm, as well as lots of personal spending from campaign accounts. The 120-page affidavit obtained by the Sun Times also outlined a meeting Solis arranged between a Chinese hotel developer and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Jon Seidel, reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times, joins host Becky Vevea with the latest.

We all hate them. But parking and traffic camera tickets generate millions for the city of Chicago every year. A WBEZ/ProPublica Illinois investigation reveals that system puts a huge burden on the very people who can least afford it. We look at how one ticket can ruin someone’s life, and what mayoral candidates will do to change the discriminatory system.

There are hundreds of neighborhoods in the city of Chicago and 15 candidates vying to represent all of them. Many communities have been left behind in the city's economic growth and dozens of prominent neighborhood activist groups want that to end. This week, many of those organizations are pushing the candidates to break from the horse race and the mudslinging to talk about the issues most important to their communities. Learn about some of the top issues facing Chicagoans at the street-level. Reporting by Linda Lutton and Becky Vevea. Editing by Alex Keefe and Cate Cahan. Production by Becky Vevea and Justin Bull.  Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

A handful of the races for alderman this February are especially hot races. That's in part because they touch on issues deeply important to Chicago right now. Issues like the Obama Presidential Center (20th Ward), rapid gentrification (25th Ward), big money in politics (47th Ward), and old guard Chicago politics versus new guard Chicago politics (40th Ward).  WBEZ’s Becky Vevea talks with A.D Quig from The Daily Line about why these wards will be so interesting to watch this spring.  Editing by Cate Cahan and Alex Keefe. Production by Justin Bull.

Federal authorities have charged Chicago’s longest-serving alderman with a single count of attempted extortion. The charge comes a month after the FBI raided Ald. Edward Burke’s City Hall and neighborhood offices. The WBEZ politics team takes a closer look at what the feds say Burke did and what it all means for Chicago politics. Reporting for this episode comes from Dan Mihalopoulos, Kristen Schorsch, Claudia Morell, Alex Keefe, and Becky Vevea. Editing by Alex Keefe. Production by Justin Bull. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

Nearly two dozen candidates scrambled to get into the race to become Chicago’s next mayor. Now, some are struggling to stay in it. We'll break down the strange battle to get on the ballot that all campaigns seem to love talking about and update you on who's in, who's out, and what the process tells us about the people who want to run Chicago. Editing by Al Keefe. Production by Justin Bull. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

This week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel put forward a road map for his successor to fix the city’s beleaguered pensions. The directions include: legalizing pot, opening a casino in Chicago, borrowing money, and changing the state constitution. WBEZ’s Al Keefe, Claudia Morell and host Becky Vevea explain what pensions are, how Chicago’s pensions got so messed up, why the solutions are so difficult, and why you should give a s*** about it right now. Editing by Al Keefe. Production by Justin Bull. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

In the time it has taken for a child to grow up in Chicago, city leaders have either closed or re-staffed some 200 public schools — nearly a third of the entire district. A new WBEZ investigation looks at the 70,000 children - 90 percent of them black - affected by the tactic of closing and opening schools as a way to improve education. On this episode of On Background, we get the backstory of how a generation of school closings has changed Chicago politics. Reporting for this episode comes from Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, Sarah Karp, Linda Lutton, Kate McGee, and Becky Vevea. Editing by Kate Grossman and Al Keefe. Production by Justin Bull.

Alderman Ed Burke is one of the 50 members of Chicago’s City Council. He’s also the longest tenured, and arguably the most influential. So why did FBI agents raid both of his offices on Thursday, covering his doors with brown butcher paper and later leaving out the back door with boxes of materials?This week on On Background, the WBEZ politics team takes you behind the scenes, and unpacks Burke’s legacy of power. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

It’s a Chicago tradition: Monday was the first day candidates could submit signatures to get on the ballot for the Feb. 26 citywide elections. It’s a day that officially kicks off campaign election season in Chicago, and it was a bleary-eyed, show-boating political circus. WBEZ’s Claudia Morrell was there. She explains what happened and what’s next.We’ll be back with full episodes next week. Happy Thanksgiving!Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

We’ve spent months talking about which candidates might win in Tuesday’s election. Well, now we know. So let’s talk about how they’re going to govern, and what challenges lie ahead. Buckle up.Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

The counties surrounding Chicago have been reliably Republican for most of the last century. But that could be shifting as demographics change and political boundaries move. WBEZ’s Becky Vevea talks with reporters Carrie Shepherd and Dave McKinney to understand what is happening in some key suburban areas and why it matters for the future of politics in the region.  Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

In his first term, leading one of the nation’s most racially diverse states, Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s appointees to government boards and cabinet positions were overwhelmingly white and male. That’s according to an investigation led by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos, who joins us to explain the findings — and to take a look at how J.B. Pritzker has handled his own stumbles in discussions about race. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

The WBEZ politics team hosted a live version of On Background at the Chicago Cultural Center on Tuesday, and today we’re bringing you the best parts of that program. The show featured a sharp panel of reporters, a packed house, and lively discussions about what life might look like in 2019 for the (new?) governor of Illinois. We also asked what type of role Illinois voters will play in determining who takes the U.S. House of Representatives this November (“A big role,” says one of our panelists).Join host Becky Vevea, WBEZ state politics reporters Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold, WGN political reporter Tahman Bradley, Univision reporter Mariano Gielis, and political reporter Mary Ann Ahern from NBC 5 Chicago.Music:Daniel Caesar - Best Part (feat. H.E.R.)Jamila Woods - LSDEach week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

There’s been a lot of talk of who will control Congress and which governor will run the state of Illinois for the next four years, but there are dozens of other races on your November ballot. Every statewide office (besides Illinois' two U.S. senators) is up for a vote. Many county seats are too. And the people in those jobs will be spending your money and making laws about your life. So in this episode, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about some of the other important races on the ballot — all in the time it takes for our producer, Justin Bull, to drink a cup of coffee. Reporting in this week's episode came from Claudia Morell, Michael Puente, Kristen Schorsch, Carrie Shepherd, and Mariah Woelfel. Justin Bull provided production assistance.Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

The candidates for Illinois governor are both accusing the other of criminal conduct. WBEZ reporter Dave McKinney explains what led the state Attorney General to open a criminal investigation into Governor Bruce Rauner’s handling of a Legionnaires outbreak at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. But Democrat J.B. Pritzker isn’t squeaky clean either. This week, a report from the Cook County Inspector General surfaced accusing Pritzker of tax fraud.  Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

The candidates for Illinois governor have been so busy attacking each other that WBEZ wanted to make sure you — the voter — know what they actually stand for. We asked all four candidates — Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, the Conservative Party’s Sam McCann, and Libertarian Kash Jackson — to complete a policy questionnaire. In this week’s On Background, we look at the candidates’ answers, or lack thereof. Check out each candidate’s complete questionnaire response here (with the exception of Gov. Bruce Rauner, who did not fill one out.)

The fight between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrat J.B. Pritzker to be Illinois’ next governor is getting personal. When they met in the first debate of the campaign on Thursday, Rauner said Pritzker lacked the character to hold public office. Pritzker retaliated by saying everything Rauner lists as accomplishments happened in spite of him, not because of him. State Sen. Sam McCann and Kash Jackson are also on the November ballot.Host Becky Vevea talks with WBEZ's Tony Arnold about what happened at the first debate.Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

Chicago has elected a number of Latinos into political office, including aldermen, county commissioners, state representatives, and members of Congress. But the city has never had a Latino mayor. Could 2019 be the year? Host Becky Vevea interviews Victor Reyes, a top member of Mayor Richard M. Daley’s administration and leader of the now defunct Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO). And WBEZ’s Claudia Morell explains why a Chicago electorate split into nearly even thirds has yet to produce a Latino mayor. Plus, a look at the possible candidates ahead of the February mayoral election. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

The week started with a bombshell announcement from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. On Tuesday, joined by his wife Amy Rule, the two-term mayor announced he will not seek a third term in February. In this episode you’ll hear a one-on-one interview with Emanuel and WBEZ City Politics reporter Becky Vevea. They talk about his biggest regrets, where he’s headed, and what it was like holding the seat once held for nearly half a century by the Daleys.  What brought us to this game-changing moment in political history? WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos explains the context: how Emanuel went from the chosen successor of the Daley dynasty in 2011 to the first mayoral candidate to be pushed into a runoff in 2015. From Laquan McDonald and police reform, to broke pension funds and record tax hikes, he explains how Emanuel would have had the hardest election of his life.  City political reporter Claudia Morell digs into the history of what it takes to win a mayoral race in Chicago.  Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

This fall, as students head back to school, millions in taxpayer dollars are being diverted to private schools for the first time ever in Illinois. Last summer, Illinois lawmakers ended a years-long budget impasse after being faced with the daunting prospect that public schools across the state might not open. They passed a sweeping overhaul of public school funding after years of debating the issue. But at the eleventh hour, they also added a massive school choice program with virtually no debate or public vetting. WBEZ’s Linda Lutton explains how this happened and what we know so far.

WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch tells the story of Esperanza Villalobos and many more like her who rely on public hospitals in Cook County for critical health care. New data show that public hospitals are providing more and more free health care, while other private hospitals are providing less. Schorsch talks with host Becky Vevea about why that is and what the consequences are when the safety net starts fraying. Each week at On Background, WBEZ’s team of political reporters brings you the backstory on the week's big story. Host Becky Vevea and guests take you inside the back rooms of Chicago and Illinois government to better understand the people, places and forces shaping today’s politics.

The Illinois State Fair is a heavy dose of Americana that draws hundreds of thousands of people each summer. It’s also become a required stop for Illinois politicians from Abraham Lincoln to current Gov. Bruce Rauner. WBEZ state politics reporters Tony Arnold and Dave McKinney join host Becky Vevea to explain how politics ended up alongside hog calling, and how this year’s state fair is setting the stage for the upcoming election season.

Video gambling machines are not allowed in Chicago. What Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants is one big downtown casino. But meanwhile, unregulated, ‘slot style’ machines have started popping up all across Chicago — in convenience stores, gas stations, and even a laundromat. WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos explains what he found when he started looking into these “mini-casinos” and why it matters.

The votes have been cast, and the results are in. The March 20, 2018 primaries weren’t even cold in the grave when candidates started scheming for November’s general elections. Here’s what the WBEZ politics team breaks down this week:Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner eked out a win against his primary opponent, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, but he did poorly in Chicago’s suburbs and he leads a fractured Republican party.Democrat J.B. Pritzker won his party’s nomination for governor handily. Strong turnout from Democratic voters offers Pritzker signs of encouragement.A few members of the so-called ‘Democratic machine’ could be on their way out of politics. Losses by two incumbents, Cook County assessor Joseph Berrios and state Rep. Dan Burke, could have broader implications.Get excited for February! Former Chicago police superintendent Garry McCarthy announced he is challenging Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The 2019 Chicago mayoral race has begun.

The Illinois primary election is upon us! Election day is this Tuesday, March 20. Here’s the latest news from the week preceding primary day:The three Democrats at the top of the polls in the race for governor debated one last time on Wednesday. They sat mere inches from each other. We look at one of the testier moments.Just hours before that debate, the Chicago Tribune released a report detailing ties between candidate J.B. Pritzker and offshore banking trusts in the Bahamas. We break down whether that’ll really hurt Pritzker.This week, Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a gun bill, released a plan for the beleaguered veterans’ home in Quincy, and dropped a new attack ad. The moves indicate that he’s not taking his primary opponent, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, lightly.WBEZ’s politics team broke all of that down during our weekly Illinois Elections 2018 podcast.

Just when you think Illinois politics can’t get any weirder … it does.This week, WBEZ’s politics team digs into the heated primary race between U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski and challenger Marie Newman that could be a bellwether for where the Democratic Party is headed. The team also breaks down the flurry of campaign donations made by Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker — and why they’re causing a dustup.And last but not least, WBEZ’s Dave McKinney walks listeners through what happened after a state hearing on the deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak, when he tried to get answers from officials in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration.Here are some highlights for this week’s Illinois Elections 2018 podcast, which also includes host Becky Vevea and WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel and Tony Arnold. You can get the podcast delivered to you every week by subscribing here.

March 20 primary is less than three weeks away, and the daily news cycle is bursting with election-related news. But don’t worry: WBEZ’s Government & Politics desk has your back:The six Democrats running for Illinois governor shared the same stage Thursday night at a forum sponsored by WBEZ, Politico, and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. WBEZ’s Tony Arnold and Dave McKinney were two of the event’s panelists and they share their takeaways.During the forum, the candidates played The Price is Right, sorta. Each candidate got quizzed on the price of everyday goods and services. Some answers were spot-on. Others? Not so much. WBEZ’s Dave McKinney shares the answers for listeners who were playing at home.Somehow, some way, the Democratic primary race for Cook County assessor has taken another surprising turn: If you vote early next week and cast a ballot for Andrea Raila, “very simply, that vote will not count,” says WBEZ’s Becky Vevea. She explains why.WBEZ obtained 1,400 internal emails involving Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration regarding the 2015 outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a state-run veterans home. Some of the emails discuss how to spin the deadly outbreak to the public. We take a look at campaigns’ reaction to the report.WBEZ’s politics team broke all of that down during our weekly Illinois Elections 2018 podcast.

It’s less than a month away from primary day. This week, two stories in particular have continued to roil state and local politics:The Rauner administration reported a fourth new case of Legionnaires’ disease this year at a state-run veterans’ home in Quincy. The waterborne illness has already claimed the lives of 13 veterans and sickened dozens more since July 2015. Gov. Bruce Rauner has been against moving residents out of the facility, but he might be changing his tune. We catch you up on what’s become an especially politicized issue and the continuing fallout.Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has fired another longtime political operative over allegations of misconduct. Last week, Madigan removed a different top aide after accusations of sexual harassment. Questions remain about why Madigan waited so long to remove both individuals, but many Democrats are remaining silent. We take a look at how candidates and officials are reacting to the news.WBEZ’s politics team broke all of that down during our weekly Illinois Elections 2018 podcast. (We also talk about U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' endorsement of Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and a curious chocolate milk analogy.) 

Once again, there’s been no shortage of drama in Illinois politics this week:A political operative accused powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan of waiting too long to act on her sexual harassment claim against one of his top aides. We catch you up on the details and the political fallout.Cook County residents who own modestly valued homes pay more property taxes than they should, according to a report released this week. We explain how the findings could blow up an already nasty race for Cook County Assessor.Three more residents of a state-run veterans’ home have contracted Legionnaires’ disease, one of whom was reportedly a recent guest of Gov. Bruce Rauner at his State of the State address. We explain how Rauner and his Republican primary opponent, state Rep. Jeanne Ives, propose to respond to the outbreak.WBEZ’s politics team broke all of that down during our weekly Illinois Elections 2018 podcast.

We’re less than six weeks to primary day, and candidates for governor made some moves that could have big consequences leading up to March 20.Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker was forced to apologize for how he talked about African-American politicians on taped phone calls from 2008 between him and then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. We explain what he said then and what the candidates are saying now.State Rep. Jeanne Ives is defending her controversial political attack ad targeting her Republican primary opponent, incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner.WBEZ’s politics team broke all of that down during our weekly Illinois Elections 2018 podcast.

It was another testy week for politicians across Illinois and Chicago: Gov. Bruce Rauner’s GOP primary challenger, State Rep. Jeanne Ives, suddenly grabbed the spotlight this week. A fiery debate performance and a wallop of campaign cash have some saying she’s a contender in the March primary.The number of candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez is down to four. We explain why this local race has national implications.And if you want to get on a ballot in Illinois, you need to gather petition signatures.. And if an opponent wants you off the ballot? They’re going to scrutinize those signatures. All of them. WBEZ’s politics team broke all of that down during our weekly Illinois Elections 2018 podcast, hosted this week by Marc Garber.