Adult ballerinas chasséing down memory lane: ‘More than just a side hobby’
By Kaitlyn Luckoff Medill Reports Debra Cannon, 66, leaves her job at Abbott Laboratories around 5 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – and puts on a ballet leotard. “I like the feel of being in ballet, wearing ballet clothes,” she said. Cannon suits up for Melanie Cortier’s 90-minute advanced beginner/intermediate class at Chicago Ballet […]
LISTEN: Chicago’s Filipino food scene continues to grow
By Layna Hong Medill Reports HOST INTRO: A Pew Research Center study finds only 1% of Asian restaurants in America serve Filipino food. But in Chicago, Filipino restaurants are growing in both number and influence. Layna Hong has more. HONG: Saturdays at Umaga Bakehouse in Albany Park are chaotic. People file into the bakery, loading […]
WATCH: Chicago This Week — Episode 3
Medill Reports This week in Chicago: A mob of teens takes over a Chicago neighborhood. Plus, an act of vandalism at Northwestern University, and cherry blossoms begin to bloom. “Chicago This Week” is a half-hour show that features news, sports, business and entertainment stories from around Chicago. All the producing, reporting, writing, shooting and editing […]
WATCH: Changes in Trump administration could threaten immigration status of thousands of Ukrainians in Chicago
By Catherine Lacovara Medill Reports On Feb. 28, during a disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the Ukrainian president’s leadership. And in the days that followed, the Trump administration pulled military and intelligence aid to Ukraine, only to restore it days later. The constant […]
Vienna’s public transit works for the environment — but not for everyone
By Layna Hong Medill Reports VIENNA – At the heart of one of the world’s most livable cities is an expansive and efficient public transit system, one that has become a global model for sustainable urban mobility. Car usage has steadily decreased since 2005, due to the city’s concentrated efforts. Sustainable mobility is a key […]
Chicago dance instructor Jessica Mays turns her first steps into a booming ballroom business
By Paulina Czupryna Medill Reports Tuesdays give dance instructor Jessica Mays a rare break from the endless loops of Ed Sheeran, Frank Sinatra and John Legend hits. She dedicates the other six days of the week to teaching 20- to 70-year-olds how to waltz to the song they choose for the most important performance of […]
WATCH: Road to the three-peat: South Side team prepares for another Unified Special Olympics State Basketball Championship
By Will McLernon Medill Reports High school basketball players from Southside Occupational Academy and De La Salle Institute in Bronzeville play together for Southside Unified. The squad — made up of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities — won back-to-back Unified Special Olympics State Basketball Championships in 2023 and 2024, and went to their third-straight […]
WATCH: Chicago This Week — Episode 2
Medill Reports This week in Chicago: Do you really need a Real ID? Plus, Lionel Messi takes Chicago by storm and the grand opening of the new Harry Potter store. “Chicago This Week” is a half-hour show that features news, sports, business and entertainment stories from around Chicago. All the producing, reporting, writing, shooting […]
WATCH: Chicago Public Schools implement Black Student Success Plan to close opportunity gaps
By Amalia Huot-Marchand Medill Reports On Feb. 20, Chicago Public Schools announced the implementation of the Black Student Success Plan. During a time when diversity, equity and inclusion practices are under scrutiny, the plan aims to correct the chronic disinvestment of CPS in South and West side schools. Its main goals are to double the […]
WATCH: Chicago This Week — Episode 1
Medill Reports This week in Chicago: Anti-Trump protests sweep the nation, the Cubs take on opening day at Wrigley Field and a new twist on yoga. “Chicago This Week” is a half-hour show that features news, sports, business and entertainment stories from around Chicago. All the producing, reporting, writing, shooting and editing are done by […]