The Block Club Chicago Podcast

Over 300,000 Chicago public school students started classes again this week. In Illinois, there are over 1.8 million students.  Each one of those kids is going back to school in what most experts say is an era that is tougher than any time period in recent history.  On today's podcast, sponsored by Meridian Psychiatric Partners, some help for parents. Host - Jon HansenGuests - Dr. Nick Hatzis and Dr. Johnny Dominguez, Meridian Psychiatric Partners Medical and Clinical directors of their Child and Adolescent ProgramCall Meridian at 312-640-7740O...

EcoShip, which began in 2021 and operates out of an Avondale storage space, collects packaging materials and provides them to local business owners for free reuse. The nonprofit’s leaders encourage folks to save their packaging and pay them forward instead of throwing them into the landfill. Host - Jon Hansen Guest - EcoShip founder and CEO Aleksandra Plewa Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, re...

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill on Friday that allows more Chicago homeowners to access financial relief for flood damage locally while many communities in the state cleaned up from damaging storms. With the November election less than three months away, the state’s response to natural disasters has become part of Republican Darren Bailey’s campaign for governor. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBl...

Patrick Dolan joins the Block Club Chicago Podcast for our biweekly 'Sidebar' episode. Patrick lays out the protections -- or lack thereof -- for thousands Chicago workers who are often mis-classifed and mistreated on the job.  Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Patrick Dolan Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful w...

DONATE TO BACK TO SCHOOL WITH BLOCK CLUB There’s no doubt that Chicago has a literacy problem. About 43% of CPS students grades 3-8 met the state’s reading proficiency benchmarks in 2025. But like so many things in Chicago, a lot depends on the zip code. Open Books Director of Education Paula Santos discusses how all of us can become a part of the solution.  Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Paula Santos Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlo...

Dave Matthews’ tour bus emptied its 800-pound septic tank on people taking a cruise 22 years ago this week. One boat passenger thinks the band has paid an unfair price for its driver’s error, but gets why Chicagoans won’t forget. And some people think that the incident actually helped the Chicago River. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Clint Worthington Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to del...

Lincoln Square neighbors will be able enjoy a day of cat videos followed by a street tour showcasing the neighborhood’s feline friends this August.  “Caturday” in Lincoln Square will kick off 12:30 p.m. Aug. 8 with a screening of CatVideoFest 2026 at the Davis Theater, 4614 N Lincoln Ave., followed by the first-ever Lincoln Square Cat Tour through the neighborhood from 3-5 p.m. Host - Iridian Fierro Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) n...

Australian true crime podcaster Jack Laurence joins Sidebar to discuss the American justice system from the outside looking in.  Host - Jon Hansen Guests - Jack Laurence, Mike Leonard, Patrick Dolan Listen To One Minute Remaining Patrick Dolan, Employment Lawyer Mike Leonard, Federal Defense Attorney Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods d...

The fight over the future of renters’ rights in Chicago is heating up, as supporters of a proposal put forth by Mayor Brandon Johnson are blasting a competing measure as the “Chicago landlord’s big, beautiful bill.” Meanwhile, four Logan Square residents have filed the first lawsuit linked to the city’s tenants right pilot program, accusing their a landlord, his realtor and a brokerage company of running afoul of a Northwest Side anti-gentrification law. Host - Jon Hansen Reporters - Melody Mercado, Ariel Parrella Read More Here: https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/15/logan-squa...

The heaviest wildfire smoke in Chicago history has cleared away -- for now. But many Chicagoans are wondering just how damaging it is to our lungs, and if health experts are concerned about the smoke's growing presence during the summer months.  Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Dr. Samuel Fox, Rush Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods d...

As Chicago saw record-breaking poor air quality last week, local leaders advised people to stay inside and mask up to avoid the potential health effects. On today's podcast, a chat with WGN-TV meteorologist Bill Snyder on if this is just a part of Chicago summers from now on.  Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Bill Snyder, WGN-TV Meteorologist Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, r...

Roughly 100,000 Americans are waiting for a kidney transplant, and the times to be matched with a donor can approach a decade. On today's Block Club Chicago podcast, sponsored by Rush, Dr. Aneesha Shetty explains everything you need to know to become a donor -- and shares the personal reason she works in this field.  Host - Jon Hansen Guest - Aneesha Shetty, MD, MPH READ MORE ABOUT BECOMING A DONOR HERE Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago i...

Blocks of carved stone from the Walker Warehouse — early examples of famed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan’s lauded ornamentation — have served alongside other rubble for decades as a lakefront revetment near Rainbow Beach. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Maxwell Evans Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a mean...

The mayor’s race is months away, but a crowded field of potential candidates is already forming to challenge incumbent Mayor Brandon Johnson. The 2027 mayoral election is Feb. 23. A runoff election will take place April 6 if no candidate garners at least 50 percent of the vote in the first round — a highly likely possibility with so many people expected to run. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Quinn Myers Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club...

Mandated by the Federal Clean Water Act, the O’Hare Modernization Wetlands Mitigation Project resulted in the restoration of more than 500 acres of wetlands, now a thriving home for birds and other wildlife. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Molly DeVore Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a...

Congress has passed roughly 50,000 laws since its founding. Some of them were objectively terrible, and have been repealed or allowed to expired. Some have been deemed "good" laws for some, but not all.   Federal defense attorney Mike Leonard and employment lawyer Patrick Dolan do their best to pick "the best three laws in American history," on today's episode.  Guests: Patrick Dolan, Employment Lawyer Mike Leonard, Federal Defense Attorney Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a...

July 1 marks a second New Year’s Day in Illinois as a new budget takes effect along with more than a dozen new state laws. In addition to the state’s nearly $56 billion fiscal year 2027 budget being implemented and the 1-cent motor fuel tax increase being suspended for the remainder of the year, 14 news laws went into effect on Wednesday. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we are<p...

Alderpeople learned last Thursday that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration secretly offered about $3.3 billion last fall to reclaim control of the city’s parking meters — a whopping $800 million more than the next-highest bidder. In a statement afterward, a spokesperson for the mayor said when Johnson decided to drop the city’s bid in January, he highlighted the high cost of regaining control of the meters. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Mick Dumke Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlo...

A lot of men are wired to solve problems privately—and health is one area where that instinct can backfire. Today's episode, sponsored by Rush, a conversation with Dr. Edward Qian about men's health. Host - Jon HansenGuest - Dr. Edward QianMore on Rush HERE Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be...

In a new petition, neighbors say officials and police have done little to address safety concerns stemming from encounters with Leon Jackson and Willie Wright, who have cycled through arrests and court hearings. Host - Jon Hansen Reporter - Patrick Filbin Read More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in...