The Cook County Forest Preserve system is a local treasure. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to Cook Co. Commissioner Larry Suffredin about the future of the county forest preserve, gets an update on local street vendors, and talks to Hillel Frankel of the trailblazing Chicago Ska band Heavy Manners. And in the OTL Wrap Party, Mike and Producer Collin discuss tax increases and ska music. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen learns about the proposal to municipalize Chicago’s electricity infrastructure from the executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, explores the gaming industry’s influence on local politics with Jason Grotto of ProPublica Illinois, and discusses racial equity in the area’s transportation with Oboi Reed, founder of Equiticity.  This week’s local music is brought to us by Rachel A. Schrock. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Mike Stephen learns about Illinois' gamble on video gaming.

Mike Stephen talks to new 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata about the issues, learns how Illinois video gambling is a bad bet, and discovers the Secret History of local 70s funkers The Universal Togetherness Band.  This week’s local music is brought to you by The Dead Licks. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Mike Stephen wonders about video games these days and then chats with Democratic nominee for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi on how he plans to remove politics from influencing the Assessor’s Office, talks to Olatunji Oboi Reed, founder of Equiticity, about Car2Go’s car sharing pilot that excludes of the south and west sides of Chicago, and calls over to Rome to check in with the editor of Crux, John Allen Jr, about the mercy of Pope Francis. The local music this week is powered by The Claudettes. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.