Mike Stephen discusses the crisis of Illinois state prison staff levels and working conditions with John Howard Association executive director Jennifer Vollen-Katz, learns about a new report about the educational attainment of CPS students from Alexandra Usher, the director of data and research at the To&Through Project, and discovers the Secret History of local blues rocker Nick Gravenites. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We learn about a new pilot surveillance program on the CTA. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen learns about a new CTA surveillance pilot program from Justin Agrelo, community engagement reporter at The Trace, discusses the impact of ending cash bail in Illinois with State Senator Robert Peters (13th), and gets the lowdown on local prog rock band McLuhan from vocalist & bassist Neal Rosner. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We learn about the incredible story of a Nazi prison guard who worked at a Chicagoland high school for decades. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen sits down with Lake Forest High School history teacher Michael Soffer to discuss his new book Our Nazi: An American Suburb’s Encounter with Evil, which tells the story of how a WWII Nazi ended up as a high school custodian in suburban Chicago. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.