What are the potential impacts of cutting the funding for Illinois Humanities? (Photo credit: Mike Stephen?WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the potential impact of federal funding cuts for Illinois Humanities with executive director Gabrielle Lyon and Macomb-based singer-songwriter Chris Vallillo and then chats about the future of journalism with Prospect High School multimedia teacher Jason Block and seniors Claire Wynkoop and Kenny Munao while attending this year’s Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association conference. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen explores the impending “TIF Cliff” and its ramifications for Chicago with civic educator Tom Tresser, discusses the state of local civic life, and gets the lowdown on the expansion of HelloBaby on the South Side of the city with founder Debbie Frisch and Leva Family Foundation president Craig Leva. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen learns about the Smartphones On Hold initiative with co-founders Kelly Kribs and Gideon Bob, discusses the latest issues in local journalism with McKinley Park News publisher Justin Kerr, and discovers the Secret History of experimental jazz trombone player George E. Lewis. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We explore the history of the No Games Chicago movement. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to community organizer Tom Tresser about his new book on the history of No Games Chicago and then talks to Maria Jose Luna, doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, about a new study that examines the inequities in mental health services for justice-involved youth. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.