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.

What are the impacts of TIF districts on Chicago neighborhoods? (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen gets an update on the impact of TIF districts on Chicago neighborhoods over the past year with Tom Tresser, co-founder of The CivicLab, and then re-airs a conversation with Illinois native Kevin Jakubowski, the screenwriter of the Holiday film 8-Bit Christmas. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

This week we discuss the importance of organizing for a better Chicago. (Photo credit: Mike Stephen/WGN Radio)

Mike Stephen gets an update on organizing for a more fair Chicago, especially with regard to TIF districts, with civic educator and co-founder of The CivicLab Tom Tresser and discusses the important educational work of The Legacy Project with its founder and executive director Victor Salvo. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.

Media and democracy are important!

Mike Stephen discusses the future of media and democracy with Nikki Usher, associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois and author of News for the Rich, White, and Blue: How Place and Power Distort American Journalism, and talks to civic educator and public defender Tom Tresser about the latest in the Chicago TIF saga. And in the OTL Wrap Party, Mike and Producer Collin give some love to media and democracy. Yay, democracy! To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our Apple Podcasts Page, Spotify, or our RSS feed.