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.

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.

Why should we use public money to build local sports stadiums? (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen discusses the civic issues around local sports teams using public money to build stadiums with civic educator Tom Tresser, chats with Mark Vickery, the frontman of Cosmic Bull, about that project’s new music, and discovers the Secret History of Chicago Blues harmonica player Dusty Brown. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

We hear from a teacher of the year about his thoughts on education in 2023. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen sits down with Dr. Tyrone Williams, the Gilder Lehrman Illinois History Teacher of the Year and history teacher at Oak Park and River Forest High School, learns about supplying musicians with cool merch from Deb Sonzo and Jamie Riani, co-owners of Music Graphics Chicago, and gets an update on TIF districts in Chicago from Tom Tresser of the TIF Illumination Project. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit ourĀ Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or ourĀ RSS feed.