The Block Club Chicago Podcast
The important, emotional, inspiring stories affecting Chicagoans.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 19 minutes
- Episodes
- 321
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Could A Ride-Sharing Network Help Get Chicago Students To School?
Host - Jon Hansen
Guest - Jewél Jackson from the Illinois Answers Project
Editor - Iridian Fierro
Chicago Public Schools has had early conversations with HopSkipDrive, a transportation ne…
Grammy Winner J. Ivy And 'The Beautiful Village' Of Poetry
Host - Iridian Fierro
Contributors - Brandon Pope, Leen Yassine, Ariel Parella, Trey Arline, Maxwell Evans
Guest - J. Ivy
Today's episode features: rollerstaking's West Side revival, 'Dry January' spots…
Hundreds Of Migrants Sleeping In CTA Buses As Brutal Winter Weather Arrives
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Madison Savedra
Editor - Iridian Fierro
More on the story - HERE
Over 500 migrants slept in CTA buses at the city’s designated landing zone for new arrivals this week — a rec…
The History Of Dibs In Chicago
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Shamus Toomey
Editor - Iridian Fierro
Every year, Chicagoans claim their parking spots by placing random junk in the part of the street they just shoveled. But how did we ge…
Chicago’s Best Pizza Might Be Inside The Cook County Jail
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Mack Liederman
Editor - Iridian Fierro
The Story - HERE
Special Thanks - Mike Lowe's WGN-TV Report on Recipe For Change in 2016. Watch HERE
Want to donate to our non-profit …
Is School Choice Going Away In Chicago?
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporters - Reema Amin + Becky Vevea
More on Chalbeat's coverage HERE
https://www.chalkbeat.org/chicago/2023/12/12/chicago-public-schools-moves-away-from-school-choice/
Want to donate …
The Stories We Loved In 2023
Block Club Chicago reporters share the stories they loved to cover this year!
Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HERE
Who we are
Block Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organizat…
Why Ed Burke Was Found Guilty
Host - Jon Hansen
Guest - Michael Leonard, Leonard Trial Lawyers
Former Ald. Ed Burke, the city’s longest-serving alderman and one of its most powerful politicians for decades, was convicted of rackete…
The History Of Ed Burke, Chicago's Longest Serving Alderman
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Mick Dumke
While the jury deliberates his fate, we take a look back at the complicated and important legacy of former 14th Ward Alderman Ed Burke.
Want to donate to our no…
Can Bowling Be Saved? These Chicago Shop Owners Think So
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Mack Liederman
Contributing Reports - Linze Rice, Maia McDonald, Ariel Parrella, Shamus Toomey
Simmons Pro Shop in North Center and Andy’s Bowling Pro Shop in West Lawn have…
How Much Are We Paying To House Migrants? Mayor Johnson Won’t Tell Us.
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Mick Dumke
As the new mayor and his team grew desperate to find housing for the migrants, the migrant emergency offered lucrative opportunities to some city contractors and…
They Hated Chicago’s Grid So Much They Started Their Own Town
Host - Iridian Fierro
Editor - Jon Hansen
One Chicago suburb didn't grow organically over time, it was built with a plan -- to be the exact opposite of Chicago.
For more great stories from Block Club C…
Inside The School That Has Lost 94% Of Its Students
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Trey Arline
The Story - HERE
Editor - Iridian Fierro
Frederick Douglass Academy High School’s low enrollment numbers are a microcosm of the West Side’s history of disinvestme…
It's All Good - 'It Beats Bingo!' Meet The Seniors Rediscovering Their Lost Talent
Host - Jon Hansen
Once a week, a dozen seniors rediscover their love for music while sitting at the organ. Many played as children, but stopped playing when they started their families. They gather at…
Despite Housing Crisis, The CHA Is Letting Empty Homes Decay For Years
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Rachel Hinton
The Chicago Housing Authority is supposed to provide affordable homes for those in need. But the agency has nearly 500 scattered-site units that are vacant — …
Death Of A Nightclub - Chicago's ‘Island Of Misfit Toys' Closes
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Jake Wittich
Berlin Nightclub, which closed Nov. 19 after 40 years in business, was home to generations of LGBTQ+ people and others who wanted an alternative to the existin…
Chicago's Small Business Holiday Gift Guide!
Host - Jon Hansen
Block Club Chicago's Holiday Gift Guide is here, and we've got some great ideas on where to shop this season!
Find the entire gift guide, presented by Marquette Bank, HERE
Want to don…
Why Are So Many People Dying On The CTA?
Host - Jon Hansen
Reporter - Mack Liederman
Guest - Sheila Haennicke
David Haennicke is one of over 120 people who have died of overdoses on the CTA since 2020. Last year overdose deaths on the transit …
It's All Good - The Record Store Bringing Vinyl And Live Music To A New Generation
Host - Jon Hansen
Lots of great news today, including a visit to Val's Halla Records in Oak Park! The record store has been around 50+ years and is as popular as ever, and now teaming up with School O…
Why Fires Are Getting Hotter And Spreading Faster
Host - Jon Hansen
Guest - Drew Hansen
Firefighter Drew Hansen joins the podcast to discuss how departments battle a big blaze, and why fires are getting hotter and spreading faster now than ever before…