Author: WBEZ Chicago

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Gary Pressy attended every Cubs home game for 33 years. No, he isn’t a die-hard season ticket holder. He’s the club’s organist. But all great streaks eventually come to an end, and a few weeks ago, he announced his retirement. Before playing his last 7th inning stretch, Pressy sat down with WBEZ’s sports contributor Cheryl Raye Stout to talk about his life, his career, and the special place the organ has in the atmosphere at Wrigley Field.

Farmers in Illinois and across the Midwest are hurting. Because of the weather. Because of competition with massive agribusiness. Because of the trade war with China. Last week, Taiwan doubled its order of Illinois soybeans. Cecile Shea of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs explains why it might not be the boon that farmers were hoping for, and explains what might be ahead for consumers in this “war of the tariffs” between China and the U.S.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has called for an official impeachment inquiry yesterday. That means the 6 House of Representatives committees investigating the president and his administration will determine if there’s enough evidence for the House to proceed with impeachment hearings. HuffPost congressional reporter Arthur Delaney fills us in on the latest, and Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL 10th) gives his take on where this is all going and what it means for congress and the country.

Then Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey updates us on the continuing negotiations between the CTU and Chicago Public Schools, and the possibility of a teacher’s strike.

When it comes to climate change, much of the world is sitting up, taking notice, and pledging to do something, while the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations and denies there’s even a problem. We talk about the recent UN Climate Action Summit with Karen Weigert.

Plus we hear from actor Harry Hadden-Paton about his role as England’s King George VI, and how the king overcame a stutter to lead his nation through WWII with the help of his speech therapist.

Nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center went on a one-day strike last Friday, highlighting what they see as staffing issues that put patients at risk. We’ll find out more about the strike from Tribune healthcare reporter Lisa Schencker, and Denise Summers, a member of the union representing the 2,000+ nurses that hit the picket lines.

Then, crime is up on the El. We’ll find out what kinds of crimes, and what’s being done to curtail them from our transportation contributor and Chicago Tribune transportation columnist Mary Wisniewski

A college education can greatly improve socioeconomic mobility. In The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes Or Breaks Us, journalist Paul Tough examines the many barriers to higher education for low income and minority students.