School closings: Dismay for many, relief for a few

CPS_VOTES

Karee Magee/MEDILL

Protesters are removed from Wednesday's Chicago School Board Meeting. The Board voted to close 50 schools.


CPS votes to close 50 schools in face of stiff opposition

by Karee Magee

The board spared four elementary schools, including two that independent hearing officers had argued should be kept open. The need to deal with a $1 billion budget shortfall next year outweighed the passionate and heated opposition of parents and teachers.

Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) said to the CPS Board of Education that the schools in his ward have a plan and should be left open to succeed. 
President Karen Lewis, Chicago Teachers Union, said that CPS should stop punishing students and let schools have a fresh start.

CPS protesters accuse Emanuel of racism

by Marina Cracchiolo

Watch video as protesters outside Chicago Public Schools get rowdy and accuse Mayor Rahm Emanuel of being racist.

Protestors demand to be admitted to CPS Board meeting

CPS School Board decision creates unrest

by Summer Nettles

Aldermen and Chicago Teachers Union officials expressed fear for the local economy and for the safety of students in the wake of the decision to shutter 50 schools Wednesday. The board voted to spare four schools that had been considered for closure.


ALLENGUNS8

A ticking clock on Illinois concealed carry

by Mackenzie Allen

Following a federal court ruling, Illinois has until June 9 to pass firearms carry legislation or carrying a gun in public could become legal for almost anyone. The current legislative session ends May 31. If action isn't taken by then, a special session would be required to meet the deadline that is only 18 days away.

Multimedia Icon Audio: Lindsay Nichols of the Law Center to Prevent Handgun Violence explains gun legislation in other states 


Girl or Boy_Photo

Picking your baby's gender moves from 'old wives' tale' to common medical reality

by Emily Nelson

Gender selection, the process of electively choosing the sex of a baby before implantation, remains a controversial topic but a steadily growing practice in the U.S. It's not cheap - an estimated $15,000 for a procedure typically not covered by insurance. Most clinics will only perform the procedure to avoid gender-related genetic diseases or for family balance purposes. Family balance means the family already has two or three children of the same sex and wants to guarantee the next one is the opposite.

Video Icon Video: Choosing baby's gender
Marvin McGee Hope Manor

Hope for homeless veterans in Garfield Park, Englewood

by Esther Bergdahl

Hope Manor is a West Side housing facility for homeless and at-risk veterans. While many residents credit the program for turning their lives around, some residents and outsiders are worried about Hope Manor II, a new project that has just broken ground in Englewood, said by some to be an epicenter of the self-destructive behavior these veterans are trying to escape.

Multimedia Icon Audio: "Just walk through them doors": Larry Bryant gives advice to other veterans who may be in his situation.
Multimedia Icon Audio: Marvin McGee describes how Hope Manor has surprised him.
Multimedia Icon Audio: Marvin McGee predicts that putting Hope Manor II in Englewood will lead to trouble.
BMI_food

Fast food distance linked to high BMI among African Americans

by Abby Theodros

Study: How close African Americans live to fast food restaurants is associated with their body mass index levels.

Beam PAC by State

Beam Inc. donates to Kentucky politicians who support bourbon

by Aubrey Pringle

Like any company, Beam Inc. has certain political interests. The Deerfield-based parent of global bourbon brands like Jim Beam and Makers Mark would like to see the alcohol taxes reduced and trade barriers lowered. That’s where Beam’s political action committee comes in. By making donations to certain candidates – ones who care about the success of the bourbon industry – the PAC aims to achieve political goals that will benefit Beam Inc.




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