🤔 How much does your neighborhood actually cost?

Report Finds Immigrants at Risk of Evictions. Plus, May Day Turnout

Fear from Operation Midway Blitz and continued ICE detentions has caused many immigrant families to lose wages and get behind on rent. On today’s podcast, we talk about the financial challenges immigrant families face, plus how CPS managed May Day and things to do with kids in the city. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

DOJ Investigates 'Gender Ideology' in Illinois Schools

A federal investigation wants to know if 35 districts across the state are teaching about sexual orientation and "gender ideology" – and if there's a way parents can opt out. If not, the Department of Justice claims this is a violation of Title IX, which forbids discrimination based on sex. Gov. JB Pritzker opposed the move, calling it a "sham investigation." Other states across the country have faced similar inquiries from the Department of Justice. [Capital News Illinois]

New Database Shares Actual Cost of Neighborhoods

New Chicagoan and DePaul alum, Sourabh R. Rodagi, made a tool to help renters understand each neighborhood's cost of living. The database, Chicago.Intel combines data from a variety of public sources to calculate a neighborhood's "true price." It also includes other neighborhood measurements like safety, running, and walkability. [The DePaulia]

Expecting Drop, Board of Education Wants New Way to Count "Low-Income" Students

Illinois schools have used enrollment in federal assistance programs like SNAP and Medicaid to count students as “low-income” to receive funding. For the 2024-2025 school year, just under half of the state's 1.8 million students qualified as "low-income." New eligibility requirements for those programs, an effect of last year's "Big Beautiful Bill," mean that families across the state could be unenrolled. The Illinois Board of Education is seeking alternative methods to ensure an accurate count. [WTTW]