Mike Stephen talks to Tracy Baim, the co-publisher of the Chicago Reader, about that publication’s 50th anniversary and what it means to the city. Then, we learn about a proposal to fight homelessness in Chicago from Edrika Fulford, a member of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless‘ Grassroots Leadership Team. And Mike tells the story of a high school prank that will help improve that school’s cybersecurity. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 5 years ago Tagged

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 5 years ago Tagged

Do you remember the proposed Crosstown Expressway? (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen remembers the proposed Crosstown Expressway from the 1970s with local writer Mary Wisniewski, learns about housing assistance in the wake of the pandemic with Anthony Simpkins, president & CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, and discovers the Secret History of Chicago tenor sax man Ari Brown. And in the OTL Wrap Party, Mike and Producer Collin discuss discuss highway transportation and their favorite El lines. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 5 years ago Tagged

This week we take a look at housing instability in the wake of the pandemic. (Photo Credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the pandemic’s affect on housing instability with Michelle Layser of the University of Illinois, talks to the John Howard Association of Illinois‘ Jennifer Vollen-Katz about how prisons are beginning to open up to more oversight, and finds out how Burning Bush Brewery has survived the pandemic so far from owner Brent Raska. And in the OTL Wrap Party, Mike and Producer Collin recap the show, offer some takeaways, and offer words of encouragement for one another’s March Madness brackets. The local music this week comes from Cranes & Mirrors. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Posted 5 years ago Tagged