Eight Forty-Eight - WBEZ

Brizard discusses teachers' pay, longer days

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:12:00 -0600

Schools on the Line is the name of a call-in show WBEZ airs during the last Thursday of every month. It is a chance for listeners ask Chicago Public School chief Jean Claude Brizard their questions. There are certainly no shortage of issues facing schools, parents, teachers and administrators. School closings and longer school days are two of the most pressing issues right now.

During Thursday nights show,...

Lone Star Swing Band resurrects obscure Scottish musician

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:18:00 -0600

Scottish country-blues musician Duncan McLean joined Eight Forty-Eight to talk about his group, Lone Star Swing Band, and their involvement in the intimate concert production, "Long Gone Lonesome."

Criss Henderson, executive producer at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, also joined the conversation. Shakespeare Theater collaborated with the...

The ultimate decision: stay or go?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:11:00 -0600

WBEZ blogger and Patriots fan Mark Bazer cannot decide whether to go to the Super Bowl to support his home team or make good on his promise to watch it at home with his son. When he wrote about his dilemma on Facebook, the responses, which were all over the map, got him even more confused.

He joined Eight Forty-Eight for a therapy session. WBEZ's Justin Kaufmann, Carrie Shepherd and Lisa Labuz offer their...

Dueling Critics: 'Punk Rock' at the Griffin Theatre

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:56:00 -0600

WBEZ Dueling Critics Jonathan Abarbanel and Kelly Kleiman tell Eight Forty-Eight about the building boom underway in Chicago's theater district. While expansion is a boon to the theatre scene, moves can often result in a temporary decline in quality.

They also debated the merits of "Punk Rock," which runs through March 4 at the...

Anita Alvarez assigns new task force to review convictions

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:46:00 -0600

Last week Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez joined Eight Forty-Eight to talk about a recent case in which her office dropped charges against four men who confessed to a rape and murder when they were teenagers because new DNA evidence did not match any of the suspects.

During last week's show, Alvarez briefly mentioned a new unit to deal with these kinds of cases. In a speech Thursday to the City Club of...

Celebrating the contributions of African-American musicians

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:01:00 -0600

Eight Forty-Eight and Radio M host Tony Sarabia grew up in a household that celebrated musical diversity. His parents took him to concerts by the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, the Fifth Dimension and Chaka Khan.

As a boy, Sarabia listened to WBEZ's Richard Steele, then the "Real Steele" on WBMX, which later became V-103. Every Thursday in February, he and Steele will take the last half hour of Eight Forty-Eight to listen to some deep cuts from the...

Listener relives the 2011 blizzard

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:22:00 -0600

Eight Forty-Eight turns the clock back to the morning of February 2, 2011, when Chicagoans woke up to hushed streets, abandoned cars and lots of snow.

Tony Sarabia recalls his epic journey to work. And, Lakeview resident Mike Molitor recounted his harrowing experience on Lake Shore Drive the night of the blizzard.

Matt Damon and Lupe Fiasco bring 'The People's History' to Chicago students

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:49:00 -0600

For some students, high school history can be a drag. But some schools and teachers mix things up from the standard lesson plans. One alternative is to teach from Howard Zinn's seminal 1980 work A People's History of the United States.

Actor Matt Damon is a fan of the book and actually grew up next to Zinn in Boston. He's executive producer of the film The People Speak, based on Zinn's book.

Damon...

Rev. Jesse Jackson explains dismay over Grammys' decision to cut categories

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:23:00 -0600

WBEZ's Jim DeRogatis and Eight Forty-Eight's Tony Sarabia discussed the legacy of Soul Train's Don Cornelius who was found dead this morning at his home in Los Angeles. Cornelius launched the music and dance program in Chicago in 1970.

And, Rev. Jesse Jackson joined Sarabia and DeRogatis to discuss his dismay over the Grammy Awards' decision to drop categories from the nominations list. Rev. Jackson said both the Grammy and Academy Awards have not been successful...

Chicago launches new round of TIF reforms

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:15:00 -0600

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced this week the latest round of Tax Increment Finance, or TIF, reforms. TIFs are an economic tool meant to spur development. But for some, there's a rub. The property tax dollars collected in these districts don't always go to schools, parks, the county or other taxing bodies. They go to the TIF fund, where the Mayor and City Council decide how this money gets spent.

Eight Forty-Eight discussed the details of TIF reform with Carole Brown, Chair...