Local cake business is a one-woman show
By Layan Dahhan Medill Reports Chicago local Dalia Qubbaj has loved being in the kitchen for as long as she can remember. Recreating meals from restaurants and making up new recipes are some of her favorite hobbies. One year ago, she decided to turn her hobby into a business. A self-taught baker, Qubbaj creates elaborate […]
‘Radical’ activism: A Q&A with Chicago immigration organizer Rey Wences
By Anabel Mendoza Medill Reports Rey Wences is the co-founder of the Immigrant Youth Justice League, which later became Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD), a local nonprofit focused on advocating against the deportation, detention and criminalization of immigrants. Wences, who started organizing for immigrant rights at 18 years old, discussed what makes OCAD different from […]
Filipino census committee hosts event to ensure all community members are counted
By Whitney Tesi Medill Reports Last time the U.S. Census was conducted, the Filipino community in Chicago was undercounted by an estimated 50,000 people. Ahead of this year’s census, the advocacy group Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE) wants to do all it can to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Last […]
Illinois braces for potential coronavirus outbreak
By Henry Ren Medill Reports Illinois is preparing for a potential coronavirus outbreak after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday that some spread of the virus in the U.S. is expected. Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in 53 countries, infecting more than 6,000 people outside of China, according to the World […]
Buttigieg’s plan for addressing racial equality draws mixed reactions
By Areeba Shah Medill Reports ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Before Antoine Brown performed at his first political event — a black art and culture celebration for the presidential campaign of Pete Buttigieg — he had only performed at local coffee shops and hookah lounges. But now, he stood before a crowd of about 20 Buttigieg supporters […]
Over a month after deadly quakes, a Puerto Rican town is still reeling
By Joel Jacobs Medill Reports The town of Guánica in southern Puerto Rico is still reeling from a series of earthquakes that began in late December. The largest — a devastating 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck around 4:24 a.m. on Jan. 7 — was followed by a 5.6-magnitude aftershock a few hours after, and a 5.9 […]
South Africa’s sex education aims to reduce gender-based violence
By Hannah Farrow Medill Reports Growing up in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Asa Jali had a narrow outlook on relationships. “You learn that if your boyfriend hits you, that’s how they show you love. So if he doesn’t, he doesn’t love you. If there’s no violence, he doesn’t love you,” Jali, 23, said. Her views […]
Climate change has hit Beaufort, South Carolina, but only some vote on the issue
By Anne Snabes and Maura Turcotte Medill Reports BEAUFORT, S.C. — The sea along South Carolina’s coast line is growing ravenous. In this sleepy coastal town at the bottom of the state, Tropical Storm Irma sent waves over the sea wall into a downtown park in 2017. Downtown businesses flooded with waist-high water. Nearly a […]
Bridget Venturi Veenema makes opportunity a focal point for girls’ baseball clinics
By Leah Vann Medill Reports Former pro player Bridget Venturi Veenema leads a group of girls aged 8 to 14 who are standing on one foot and holding baseballs. They’re practicing proper pitching form at the mound inside the University of Illinois-Chicago’s physical education building on Sunday during one of the six Illinois Girls Baseball’s […]
Q’s on the Quad: Claflin University
By Samone Blair and Emine Yücel Medill Reports Medill School’s Q’s on the Quad visited Claflin, a historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, to ask students how they feel about Democratic presidential primary candidates’ plans on supporting HBCUs.