Why aren’t major clothing brands extending sizes when more than two-thirds of U.S. women are considered overweight?
By Abigail Ali Medill Reports Tess Holliday struggled to find plus-size clothing growing up in Laurel, Mississippi. As a teen, she was surrounded by images of thin women on TV shows like “America’s Next Top Model,” in magazines like Vogue and in ads for Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. “The early 2000s were not for […]
Methodology – A new Chinatown: Demographics, business landscapes evolve in Chicago’s 11th Ward
By Grace Xue and Tianshu Hu Medill Reports The datasets used in this report were downloaded from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and the Chicago Data Portal. These datasets are all publicly available. Three different types of data were obtained from these official agencies and authorities. The U.S. Census […]
How Tanicha Lopez made improving cool again
Taking inspiration from composers on and off the island to keep in shape, Tanicha Lopez is reinventing her career By Layla Brown-Clark Medill Reports SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — It’s a beautiful day in Miramar, a neighborhood in the expansive city of San Juan. The weather is warm and humid, and inside Gustos Coffee, the […]
A new Chinatown: Demographics, business landscapes evolve in Chicago’s 11th Ward
By Grace Xue and Tianshu Hu Medill Reports In recent years, the food culture and cityscape of Chinatown have gradually changed with the influx of new immigrants, international students and tourists. Along Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue, people walk with boba tea, past long lines of locals waiting to dine at bustling hot pot restaurants. […]
WATCH: Raising the Bar
By Isabelle Senechal and Rose LaForest Medill Reports As a teenager, Marshan Allen was sentenced to die in prison. Today, he is an accomplished criminal justice advocate and law school student who is fighting for the rights of those still behind bars. TRANSCRIPT: MARSHAN ALLEN: I was incarcerated, and I was convicted of felony murder […]
Investigating end of last Ice Age to understand today’s rapid global warming
By Annika Schmidt Medill Reports TIERRA DEL FUEGO, Chile — Glacial geologist Brenda Hall clambered up the side of a truck-sized, rain-slicked boulder in clothes soaked from a day hiking over forested ridges in the Patagonian wilderness. Despite heavy, steady raindrops clouding her glasses, Hall used a hammer and chisel to chip into the surface […]
1984 LA Olympics sparks decadeslong love
By Jonathan Hoffman Medill Reports The 2024 Paris Games wrapped up last week, and the next Olympics will be in Los Angeles again after 44 years. Thousands of fans, athletes and volunteers will travel to the city to celebrate the 2028 Olympic Games. While gold balloons, orchestral music and world-class athletic performances filled the eyes […]
Chicago embraces sustainability in motorsports during leadup to NASCAR 2024
By Aja Cousin Medill Reports As engines roared to life in preparation for the 2024 Chicago Street Race, this year’s buzz wasn’t just about speed and competition. NASCAR unveiled its Electrification Innovation Partnership with automotive company Asea Brown Boveri on the Saturday morning before The Loop 110 and introduced the sleek, electric vehicle prototype. “The […]
Road to professional wrestling is not scripted
By Everett Munez Medill Reports Loud banging filled the air as wrestling trainees threw their bodies on the hard canvas, rolling forward and backward. As two wrestlers rolled in the ring, others in a queue waited their turn. Standing at the back of the line was a skinny 6-foot-5, 180-pound, bearded man with red hair […]
With new Hyde Park bookstore, owner Courtney Bledsoe answers call for more diverse representation
By Layla Brown-Clark Medill Reports There are more than 50 independent bookstores in the Chicago area, each with its own flair and serving as a cornerstone to the culture of its neighborhood. This is true for Courtney Bledsoe’s Call and Response Bookstore in Hyde Park. Call and Response opened May 4 and has become a […]