Bernie Tafoya on Muck Rack

Bernie Tafoya

Verified
Chicago
As seen in: WBBM-AM (Chicago, IL), MSN, WBBM-TV (Chicago, IL), Audacy.com, NewsBreak, WPET-AM (Greensboro, NC)
Covers:  fire safety, air travel, illinois state lawmakers, law enforcement, chicago transit authority (cta), iphone apps, road construction, chicago politics, highway safety, chicago public schools, governor pat quinn, chicago catholic church, chicago crime, metra, chicago mayor rahm emanuel, suburban schools, health care
Husband, Dad, Papa, golfer, #Cubs fan. Catholic. More Neanderthal than 97% of you. Semi-retired reporter @WBBMNewsradio. Follows appreciated.

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Bernie Tafoya’s Biography

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I'm the morning drive reporter for Chicago's CBS all-news station WBBM Newsradio (780AM, 105.9FM and CBSChicago.com).

I’ve been with WBBM Newsradio 780 since 1986 and think I have one of the best jobs around. I’m a general assignment reporter and cover everything from education and politics (including Democratic National Conventions 1996, 2000 and 2008) to crime and religion (including the Catholic Bishops Conference in Dallas that dealt with the priest sex abuse scandal).

My work has been hono…

Articles

Gov Pritzker to pause data center tax breaks

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By Bernie Tafoya 
| WBBM-AM (Chicago, IL)
Governor Pritzker is putting a hold on a program that processes tax exemptions for new data centers until the state legislature installs guardrails for consumers. Data processing centers have seen explosive growth and the governor wants protections for consumers before more exemptions are processed. As such, he has ordered the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to take a pause on processing agreements for the Data Center Investment Program.
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Chicago 5th In Dog Bite Attacks Against Mail Carriers In 2025

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By Bernie Tafoya 
| WBBM-AM (Chicago, IL)
Chicago has come up near the top in a dubious list of the most dog bite attacks against postal workers. The United States Postal Service is starting a monthlong awareness campaign Monday about dog bite attacks against its employees. The USPS says there were more than 5,200 dog bite attacks across the country last year. Chicago is listed as the city with the fifth highest number of attacks. There were 43 attacks.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (4) Issue with article?

Funeral services are held for a Chicago firefighter who died during a training exercise.

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By Bernie Tafoya 
| WBBM-AM (Chicago, IL)
A Chicago firefighter who died in the line of duty was remembered today as someone who did for others …on the job and off. 61-year old firefighter Steve Decker died last week during a training exercise. During his funeral at St. Paul Lutheran Church on the Northwest Side, he was remembered as someone who was gentle, kind and caring. His brother Jim offered one of the eulogies. "Steve was truly born to be a fireman," he said.
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

Desk assistant for WIND Radio in Chicago while I was still in college.

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes. I learned to type on a typewriter in my sophomore year of high school.

How is social media changing news?

It's making our world turn faster. It's putting information/tips and more on the plates of journalists. It also means more we have to check.

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