A map showing how much money is spent on incarcerating people.

Mike Stephen learns about the money spent to incarcerate residents in certain neighborhoods with Dan Cooper, co-author of the book The War on Neighborhoods: Policing, Prison, and Punishment in a Divided City, discusses how the pandemic impacts recycling with Michelle Thoma, president of the Chicago Recycling Coalition, and examines the impact of TIF districts on minority communities in Chicago with Tom Tresser, co-founder of CivicLab. And in the OTL Wrap Party segment, Mike and Producer Collin chat about the notion of defunding the police. The local quarantine music this week comes from Midnight Dice. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 5 years ago Tagged

Mike Stephen discussing TIF districts in Chicago on this week's show.

Mike Stephen learns the powerful story of living with a personality-changing brain tumor from local author Mary Ellen Aschenbrenner, gets an update on TIFs in Chicago from civic educator Tom Tresser, and discusses the efforts to revitalize the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood. Check out the OTL Wrap Party towards the end of the show so you can let us know what you’d do if you were in charge of TIF money in Chicago!  This week’s local music is brought to us by Vo Era. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 6 years ago Tagged

Mike Stephen engages in conversation from the Allstate Skyline Studio at WGN Radio.

Mike Stephen discusses why some black millennials are staying in the city, gets an update about the impact of TIF districts on neighborhoods, and learns about the issues surrounding the proposed landmark district in Pilsen.  Mike and Producer Collin talk about dive bars and landmarks as part of the OTL Wrap Party.  The local music on this week’s show comes from Caroline Campbell.   To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 6 years ago Tagged

Mike Stephen discusses the possibility of enacting a moratorium on the expansion of expressways in Chicagoland with Ron Burke of the Active Transportation Alliance, previews a community-building event called the CivicLab Harambee with Tom Tresser, and learns the Secret History of Evanston activist folk singer Kristin Lems.  The local music this week flows from J P J. To subscribe to the OTL podcast, please visit our iTunes page or RSS feed.

Posted 7 years ago Tagged