We dive into a new report on Chicagoans and local news. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen dives into a new report about how Chicagoans consume and perceive their local news with Tim Franklin, director of the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University, learns about the option for plant-based school lunches in Illinois with Balanced founder Audrey Lawson-Sanchez, and discovers the Secret History of The Pearl Handle Band. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Mike Stephen talks to Kalyn Belsha, senior national education reporter at Chalkbeat, about a new influx of money for local school desegregation, goes deep into a controversy around Chicagoland burritos with Chicago Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger, and gets an update on the City of Chicago leasing land to the Chicago Fire soccer team from Block Club Chicago investigative editor Mick Dumke. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Why are teachers leaving the profession? (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen talks to director Haley Breese about her new documentary called Failure to Fail that focuses on teachers leaving their profession, discusses a critique of Chicago’s One Fair Wage law with food writer Michael Nagrant, and discovers the Secret History of the 1960s girl group The Same. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

A delicious Italian beef from Johnnie’s in Elmwood Park. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the story of the Italian beef sandwich (and how it’s hard to get a good one outside of Chicagoland) with Los Angeles Times food columnist and Oak Park native Lucas Kwan Peterson, chats about the semi-independence of the Chicago City Council with Geoffrey Cubbage of the Better Government Association, and talks to Jonny Untch about being a local musician and educator. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.