Sarah Stark

Fatphobia is everywhere, including the office. Anti-fat bias shows up in hiring, salary negotiations, conversations between coworkers and even the chairs we sit in. “I cannot think of any example in the workplace where it would be appropriate to comment on the size of someone’s body,” said Rundown producer Sarah Stark. In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Stark about workplace bias and the importance of fat community. To hear more conversations like this, check out the “Bias Against Bodies” series Stark produced for WBEZ’s daily talk show Reset. This episode was originally published on Feb. 8, 2023.

Last May, the federal government declared the end of the pandemic public health emergency. But COVID-19 is still widely circulating, and Chicago event organizers are taking precautions into their own hands. Emily Dupree started Clean Air Club after her partner caught COVID while masked at a concert. “If we’re going to meaningfully reduce the disease burden in the country and around the world, we have to target air quality,” she said. Dupree and some COVID-cautious event organizers see these types of precautions as an issue of accessibility—and we all stand to benefit. In this episode, Rundown producer Sarah Stark talks to Dupree about COVID-safer events and the case for cleaning the air we breathe.

“My toxic trait is that I’m a ‘what-if’ person,” said Hannah Sellers, one of three co-owners of Lot’sa. Lot’sa is a new community art space in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood, and it has multiple identities: store, gallery, gathering place. Sellers opened Lot’sa with sisters Cheryl and Sarah Hinman. But the three were friends long before they opened a business together. In this episode, Rundown producer Sarah Stark talks to Sellers about working with friends and fostering an artistic community.

Emily and Tyler Nevius celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in January, but they were too tired to throw a big party. In the past few months, years of hard work have culminated in the opening-slash-reopening of the Ramova Theatre. The historic movie theater in Bridgeport is now a concert venue, backed by the Neviuses, Chance the Rapper, Jennifer Hudson, Quincy Jones and dozens of other investors. Rundown podcast producer Justin Bull talks to the Neviuses about the years, tears and beers that went into restoring the Ramova to its former glory.

Sulyiman Stokes grew up in Auburn Gresham on Chicago’s South Side, and he fell in love with music at a young age. His winding artistic journey has taken him to Los Angeles and back to Chicago, and he has stepped in and out of the music industry. Now, he’s carving out a path as a multidisciplinary musician and photographer. In this episode, Stokes talks about using his art to tell Black narratives. This episode was produced by Ari Mejia for WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo and their Chi Sounds Like series.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first budget lays the groundwork for his campaign promises while not raising property taxes. A new report says Uber and Lyft deactivated thousands of Chicago drivers. Many are still struggling to recover three months after record setting storms flooded thousands of homes.

Later today, there’s gonna be a rally downtown to raise awareness about the overdose crisis. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announces 146 grants for libraries and other organizations that support literacy. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed a law that will require pay transparency in job listings.

“As trans people, we can never be safe,” says Stephanie Skora, the Chief Development Officer at Brave Space Alliance. “That’s why we’re named Brave Space Alliance, not safe space alliance.” On this episode of The Rundown, producer and guest host Sarah Stark talks with Skora and Brave Space Alliance CEO Channyn Lynne Parker about the pressing issues facing transgender folks in the Midwest and nationwide, how the conversation has shifted in the past few years, and how to make some space for joy, too. Brace Space supports transgender Chicagoans who have been left out of traditional spaces, especially Black and brown Chicagoans on the South and West sides.

A new $100 million studio is coming to South Shore.

Early voting is well underway across Chicago’s 50 wards.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing a four-year plan to make preschool available to every 3- and 4-year-old in the state.

The Winnetka nonprofit has been serving people with visual impairments for over 100 years.

The fund aims to send one-time payments of $500 to Chicagoans who didn’t receive federal COVID stimulus checks.

It really boils down to one thing: wings.

Re-opening long-shuttered mental health clinics is top of mind for most of the candidates. But not for Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

A recent study found young men in some Chicago neighborhoods face greater risks than U.S. troops did in war zones.

Touchdown!