Chicago owns a lot of vacant land during the current housing crisis. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the vast city ownership of vacant land during Chicago’s housing crisis with Block Club Chicago reporter and investigative editor Mick Dumke and discovers the Secret History of prewar jazz clarinet player Mezz Mezzrow. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We learn about how local high schoolers are working to fight climate change. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to Oak Park & River Forest High School seniors Kate Wallace and Katie Stabb about their recent experience at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, chats with musician Dan Abu-Absi about new music from Chicago’s Radio Free Honduras, and discovers the Secret History of the 1970s soul group The Lost Generation. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We explore Google’s impact on local journalism. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to Justin Kerr, publisher of the McKinley Park News, and learns why that local news outlet severed ties with Google and then chats with local music historian Steve Krakow about his recent musical journey to Belfast. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.