WBEZ

Chicago officials report an average cost of $31,000 to replace lead pipes, significantly higher than many other cities. The article is a collaboration between Inside Climate News, Grist, and WBEZ.

Chicagoans filed over 20,000 weather-related complaints with the 311 hotline from June 10 to June 17, driven by downed trees, power outages, and flooding. The storms caused road closures and required city crews to prioritize clearing blocked streets, with 450 roads initially blocked.

A study found that closing 50 Chicago schools in 2013 led to a 10% increase in gun violence near vacant buildings compared to similar areas without closures. Repurposed school sites did not show significant increases in shootings, but most closed schools remained unused, failing to deliver promised community benefits.

A WBEZ and Sun-Times investigation found that Chicago-area law enforcement agencies have issued only two citations for diesel truck and bus idling violations in nearly 20 years, despite a 2006 state law limiting idling to 10 minutes per hour. Residents, like Amy Eickhoff, report persistent noxious fumes from idling buses near downtown Chicago buildings, raising concerns about health impacts from diesel pollution, which disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

The opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's South Side has led to a sharp increase in short-term rental licenses in the 20th Ward, contrasting with a citywide decline. Housing advocates warn that this surge in Airbnbs threatens affordable housing stock, pushing up prices and displacing residents in historically affordable neighborhoods like Woodlawn.