The 21st Show

Rent Control In Illinois; Women And Personal Finance; Sports Update; LEGO Exhibit At Brookfield Zoo

By Niala Boodhoo, Robin Linn, Libby Foster and Alan Montecillo
 

Ashley Brown/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

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With more American households renting now than at any point in the last 50 years, some lawmakers say it’s time to get rid of Illinois’ ban on rent control. Plus, can forgoing a daily latte really put you on better financial footing? It’s just some of the advice women are calling out. And, Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell is back on the field after being suspended for domestic violence. Also, throughout the summer, Brookfield Zoo visitors can experience the new “Brick Safari” Exhibit, which includes 40 different life-size animal sculptures.

When it comes to paying those monthly bills, most Americans have their biggest bill in common: housing. And in recent years, more and more U.S. households are renting. In fact, there’s a higher percentage of U.S. households renting than at any point in the past 50 years, according to 2017 data from The Pew Research Center.

There are many ways policymakers can try to keep rents affordable. But there’s one policy tool that hasn’t been an option because it’s banned in Illinois and 36 other states. And that’s rent control.

Some advocates including Democratic State Representative Will Guzzardi say it’s time to lift that ban and allow local governments in Illinois to enact rent control laws. Others say that’s the wrong approach to affordable housing.

We were joined with Rep. Guzzardi and Michael Mini, who is the head of a coalition called SHAPE Illinois and the executive vice president of the Chicagoland Apartment Association.

Also--

We spent some time talking about women and personal finance and some of the ways gender can keep people out of this conversation.

This was inspired by some Twitter conversations around saving and sexism. Specifically, a tweet by Chase bank had a mansplaining vibe of telling people to save money by eating leftovers instead of eating out. Then, a new financial advice book came out called, "The Latte Factor" that offered advice to women on how to save such as buying less frivolous things like coffee drinks and keeping more cash in your purse. The backlash was fierce.

Here’s what Melissa said on Twitter yesterday when we said we were talking about this topic:

Annie Logue is a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago and an author of a number of books in the “For Dummies” series about finances, including "Day Trading for Dummies." Kate Leipprandtis is a certified financial planner and the Managing Director of Baldwin Financial Advisors. Bobbie Kincaid is the President of Central Illinois’s Heart of Illinois Chapter of Better Investing.

Plus-- 

With the weather starting to warm up and summer on our radar, baseball fans throughout Illinois finally have something to look forward to. With the Cubs leading the NL Central division and the White Sox improving on their abysmal start to last season, it’s a good time to go catch a game.  

But, controversy involving Cubs infielder Addison Russell still looms large over this season. He returned to the line-up last week after a 40-game suspension for violating the MLB’s domestic violence policy and already is back in the headlines for how he has responded to Cubs fans booing him.

Cheryl Raye Stout, WBEZ sports contributor, has been on top of everything sports-related here in Illinois and she joined us on the line to give us an update.

And--

A great summer day at the zoo might include a stop to see roaring lions, playful penguins and grazing zebras. But now, and throughout the summer, a visit to the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago will also include life-sized animals made of LEGO bricks.  

Brookfield Zoo patrons will be able to see 40 different sculptures which are part of the new “Brick Safari” Exhibit. It includes everything from full-sized elephants to leaping dolphins and tiny beetles made from millions of LEGO bricks.

You can see these sculptures at the Brookfield Zoo until the end of September. Andre Copeland is the Interpretive Programs Manager for the Brookfield Zoo.

Story source: WILL