We hear from a teacher of the year about his thoughts on education in 2023. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen sits down with Dr. Tyrone Williams, the Gilder Lehrman Illinois History Teacher of the Year and history teacher at Oak Park and River Forest High School, learns about supplying musicians with cool merch from Deb Sonzo and Jamie Riani, co-owners of Music Graphics Chicago, and gets an update on TIF districts in Chicago from Tom Tresser of the TIF Illumination Project. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

This week we discuss the new paid time off proposal in Chicago. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the impact of the proposed paid time off ordinance in Chicago with Christina Warden, director of policy and programs at Women Employed, and Shep Searl, organizer with Starbucks Workers United, explores a new report that ranks Chicago low in bikeability with Rebecca Davies, city ratings program director at PeopleForBikes, and discovers the Secret History of local disco musician Peter Brown. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

This week we discuss workers rights in Chicago. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen learns about the struggle of workers at the Midtown Athletic Club from one if its employees, Lisseth Cervantes, and Jose Uribe of Arise Chicago, gets the lowdown on local power pop band Go Time’s new album from guitarist & vocalist Scott Niekelski, and discovers the Secret History of 1970s Chicago soul singers The Independents. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

What are the impacts of TIF districts in Illinois? (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the impact of TIF districts across Illinois with Tom Tresser of the CivicLab and the TIF Illumination Project, learns about an upcoming book exploring Black history called Our Black History in Fifty States from its author Zaylore Stout, and discovers the Secret History of blues and soul singer Bobby Jonz. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.