WBEZ

16/08/2025

When it comes to building a cheese board that will impress your friends, Chicago cheesemonger Alisha Norris Jones says that restraint is key. Jones, who is featured in the new documentary “Shelf Life,” advises only putting out a maximum of five cheeses at a time.

Local cheesemonger Alisha Norris Jones says the magic number is five. Here are her picks.

16/08/2025

A raunchy new Netflix animated movie called “Fixed” — about a dog living it up one last night before getting neutered — is largely based on the lives of the filmmaker and his best friends who all graduated from Lane Tech.

Director Genndy Tartakovsky tapped Steve Greenberg, a Sun-Times sports reporter, and Rich Lufrano to write dialogue based on their real-life banter.

16/08/2025

Join us for Tortoise with the Chicago Philharmonic, an immersive experience that reflects both the experimental and iconic spirit of Tortoise and the classical prowess of the Chicago Philharmonic, held in the acoustically rich setting of Auditorium Theatre.

Get tickets for this can’t miss show here: https://trib.al/rkPWQzI

16/08/2025

Join WBEZ for an evening with Emmy award-winning director Rob Reiner at the Music Box Theatre to celebrate the release of “A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever,” the story of the making of the cult classic, “This Is Spinal Tap.”

Get Tickets here: https://trib.al/QH6SDd8

15/08/2025

A recently passed city ordinance that eliminates some parking minimums could lead to lower building costs, more housing and lower rents, experts say.

A recently passed city ordinance that eliminates some parking minimums could lead to lower building costs, more housing and lower rents, experts say.

15/08/2025

Join WBEZ at Robert's Westside for the fourth annual Food Aid Festival. It's going to be a weekend of good tunes and good vibes, all in support of fighting food insecurity on Chicago's West Side.

Tix: https://trib.al/DmV47Zh

15/08/2025

Join WBEZ at Thalia Hall Free For All this Saturday, August 23rd for a free building crawl to benefit the Pilsen Food Pantry. Explore the venue at your own pace with live music, a pop-up market and a Curious City scavenger hunt.

Learn more: https://trib.al/JVYtoH6

15/08/2025

Every fall, more than 1,500 freshmen start at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. About one in two of them are the first in their family to attend college. It’s a big milestone for a group that faces challenges not only in applying to school — but in adjusting and making it to graduation.

“I have all these big dreams and these big aspirations,” says Jayla Ward, an incoming freshman at Northern Illinois University and the first in her family to go to college.

15/08/2025

A new book by Chicago writer Robert Loerzel tells the improbability of Uptown Theatre’s survival, its grandiose past and uncertain future.

Chicago’s favorite relic is hosting a group photo on Saturday, and a new book about its grandiose past and uncertain future comes out next week.

15/08/2025

Stunts, trick plays, dancing — Banana Ball has a different set of rules compared to traditional baseball. And millions of fans are scooping up tickets or waiting in a lottery system to buy seats.

Stunts, trick plays, dancing — Banana Ball has a different set of rules compared to traditional baseball. And millions of fans are scooping up tickets or waiting in a lottery system to buy seats.

15/08/2025

On Aug. 13, CPS leaders released a budget plan that they said closed the deficit but they almost immediately faced resistance to their plan from a majority of CPS Board members. Follow here for more on CPS budget and to learn how the district got here.

CPS started the summer with a $734 million deficit for the school year that begins Aug. 18. WBEZ and the Sun-Times are tracking how the Board of Education and CPS officials work to close the budget hole, this month and long-term.

15/08/2025

Every fall, more than 1,500 freshmen start at NIU in DeKalb. About one in two of them are the first in their family to attend college. It’s a big milestone for a group that faces challenges not only in applying, but adjusting and making it to graduation.

“I have all these big dreams and these big aspirations,” says Jayla Ward, an incoming freshman at Northern Illinois University and the first in her family to go to college.