Funkytown Brewery gets funky in Chicago. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen learns about a new local Black-owned brewery called Funkytown from co-owners Richard Bloomfield, Zachary Day, and Gregory Williams, discusses the loss of affordable housing in Chicago with executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University Geoff Smith, and discovers the Secret History of the local country rock band Ouray. And Mike recounts his standoff with a Chicago rat, since the city has once again been named the “rattiest” in America. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 2 weeks ago Tagged

Exploring the impact of mass incarceration on our communities. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the impact of mass incarceration in Illinois with Meredith Nnoka of IL Humanities, learns about community participation in redrawing ward maps from Chaundra Van Dyk of CHANGE Illinois, and gets the lowdown on some new rock and roll from the local band The Footlight District with vocalist and songwriter Sarah Scarbrough. And Mike waxes poetic about local dive bars, even if they might not be the cleanest places…or the most structurally sound. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 3 weeks ago Tagged

The Black Fives Era influenced basketball as we know it today. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen learns about the Black Fives Era of basketball from journalist Ade Adeniji, discusses the passage of new climate legislation in Illinois with Colleen Smith of the Illinois Environmental Council, and discovers the Secret History of gospel musician Rev. Marvin Yancy. And in the OTL Wrap Party, Producer Collin says farewell and turns in his OTL ID before riding off into the sunset. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 4 weeks ago Tagged

Media and democracy are important!

Mike Stephen discusses the future of media and democracy with Nikki Usher, associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois and author of News for the Rich, White, and Blue: How Place and Power Distort American Journalism, and talks to civic educator and public defender Tom Tresser about the latest in the Chicago TIF saga. And in the OTL Wrap Party, Mike and Producer Collin give some love to media and democracy. Yay, democracy! To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 1 month ago Tagged