Fran Spielman interviews newly confirmed Chicago transportation commissioner William Cheaks Jr. about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed EV-charging-only parking spaces pilot with Cheaks Jr. noting autonomous vehicles are not authorized in Chicago and saying demand is uncertain.

Fran Spielman and WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel mark Brandon Johnson's three-year anniversary as Chicago mayor. Mayor Johnson discusses his family milestones and argues his administration has improved its messaging while citing a 60-year low in homicides, reopened public mental health clinics, increased downtown visitors, and stabilizing census trends. Pressed on CPS’s $732 million deficit and potential classroom cuts, he insists the State of Illinois must fully fund schools through progressive revenue such as a digital ad tax or billionaire/millionaire taxes, rejects school closures as repeating past failures.

Fran Spielman interviews Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), the new chair of Chicago’s City Council Zoning Committee, about how the council ended a months-long zoning stalemate without Mayor Brandon Johnson’s backing after leadership turmoil and failed mayoral picks. Villegas says the council is acting more independently, criticizes the mayor’s “100% or nothing” approach, and emphasizes collaboration and incremental wins.