South Africans in the dark as privatization battle rages over energy crisis
![Arslan Ahmed Rana sits in his tailoring shop in Johannesburg.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/medill.wordpress.offload/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/rana.jpg)
By John Volk Medill Reports Arslan Ahmed Rana, 33, sits quietly in the back room of his Johannesburg tailor shop. His blue-checkered suit flatters his build, and he’s taken great care to coif his hair and line up his short beard. But the dark circles under his eyes tell a different story. He pushes his […]
From ‘Aa’ to ‘Za:’ Memorize every two-letter Scrabble word with these 5 tips from the game’s experts
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/medill.wordpress.offload/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/05/scrabble-board-1024x772.jpg)
By John Volk Medill Reports Does your Scrabble rack leave you feeling like Old MacDonald? Don’t worry — there’s so much you can do with E-I-E-I-O. The game accepts 107 two-letter words, and 67 of them contain E, I or O. Learn all 107 and prepare to win your next family game night. These shorties […]
Q&A: Lisa Cole, mother of Chicago women’s football, reflects on sport’s 20th anniversary
![Lisa Cole, center, poses with the 2013 Women’s Football Alliance Championship trophy and alumni of the Chicago Force's inaugural 2003 season.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/medill.wordpress.offload/wp-media-folder-medill-reports-chicago/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/03/ColeChamps-min-1024x614.png)
By John Volk Medill Reports Lisa Cole is George Halas — that is, if the Chicago Bears founder and owner were a 29-year-old gay woman with a penchant for blue jeans. Two decades ago, Cole, now 49, founded the Chicago Force, the city’s first professional women’s tackle football team. A Massachusetts native and marketing specialist […]