Mariah Woelfel covers city government at WBEZ. Before joining the City Hall beat in 2021, Mariah worked as a general assignment reporter and producer at the station, where she covered the creation of and start to Illinois’ multimillion dollar recreational cannabis industry, as well as the city and state’s healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to WBEZ, Mariah worked as a reporter, producer and All Things Considered host at WVIK, an NPR member station in western Illinois.
She grew up in Chicago and currently lives on the city’s West Side with her dog, Lola.
Mariah Woelfel
Reporter
Stories by Mariah Woelfel
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Chicago alderpersons lash out at mayor and governor over response to the influx of migrants
The City Council debated everything from a major contract to house migrants in tents to the state’s communication with the city.
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Johnson administration defends contract with private defense firm to prop up migrant ‘base camps’
The administration says it’s looking into whether it can staff the tent camps with local organizations once they are built.
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Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team will scrap INVEST South/West name, but not its aims
A top Johnson aide said the INVEST South/West development program on the South and West sides, a hallmark of the Lori Lightfoot administration, is perceived as “an unfulfilled promise.”
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How Thursday’s Chicago City Council was a big moment for progressives
From a tax to help the unhoused to raising the minimum wage for restaurant workers, a slew of plans progressives have long wanted got introduced — but passage remains miles away.
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson vows he won’t raise property taxes to close $538 million budget gap
Johnson has criticized past mayors’ reliance on raising property taxes, saying he won’t burden working families. The budget hole is due in part to the influx of migrants and pension costs.
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Here’s what we know about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to set up migrant ‘base camps’
The proposal aims to stop using police station lobbies and airports as points of intake, where nearly 2,000 migrants are currently staying.
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Chicago’s Board of Ethics opened and closed a review of allegations against City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin
The board doesn’t have the authority to investigate and the case was closed. The Office of the Inspector General won’t say if it is conducting an inquiry.
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Professor Lori Lightfoot is teaching Harvard students how to run a city in a pandemic
The former mayor recently started lecturing at the university’s Boston campus, saying she’ll teach about how to deal with the media and run a city in a crisis.
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How Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has prioritized his first 100 days
Johnson’s appeals to be a mayor “for all of Chicago” may be expanding his base, but some progressives worry his early efforts lack boldness.
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Allison Arwady says how she was fired will make it harder to replace her
While overseeing the city’s response to COVID-19, Arwady clashed with the Chicago Teacher’s Union, and Mayor Brandon Johnson dismissed her last week.
