Accessory dwelling units are (mostly) legal. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen learns about Chicago’s new ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units in certain areas from Illinois Answers Project reporter Alex Nitkin, discusses the federal funding cuts to Chicago Public Schools with Chalkbeat Chicago bureau chief Becky Vevea, and gets the lowdown on how TaskForce works to promote inclusion on the city’s West Side from communications director Hannah Pewee. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen gets an update on the latest Chicago TIF numbers from Tom Tresser of the TIF Illumination Project, chats with local musician Carlo Basile about his local music with a worldwide influence, and previews the Back Fine Art Faire with Patricia Andrews-Keenan, founder of Pigment International. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen discusses the results of a new report on how Chicago gets its news with Medill professors Tim Franklin and Stephanie Edgerly, gets a preview of some upcoming local events about the brain from Illinois Science Council founder Monica Metzler, and discovers the Secret History of Lani Hall. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen discusses the work being done to avoid a transit fiscal cliff in Illinois with state representative Kam Buckner (26th) and John Greenfield, editor of Streetsblog Chicago. Then, John Howard Association executive director Jennifer Vollen-Katz discusses new “emergency” rules put in place to regulate communication with those who are incarcerated in state prisons. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.