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.

Illinois’ student population decreased since last school year. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the decrease in public school students in Illinois with Chalkbeat Chicago’s Samantha Smylie, learns about Black organizing pre-Civil War in Illinois with Northwestern University history professor Kate Masur, and discovers the Secret History of local saxman J.T. Brown. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We get a state education legislation update. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen gets an update on education legislation in Springfield from Chalkbeat Chicago state education reporter Samantha Smylie and learns about Shorefront, an organization working to tell the story of Black history in the North Shore community, from its founder and executive director Dino Robinson. Also, it’s pothole season in Chicago! o subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.