Chicago’s green space: Inequitable for 100 years
By: Carly Graf Medill Reports This July marks 100 years since 17-year-old Eugene Williams drowned in Lake Michigan. The black teenager unknowingly drifted across 29th street while on a raft—crossing the unofficial demarcation between the white and black sides of a South Side beach. White beach-goers threw rocks at him and knocked him unconscious, causing […]
$50 million expansion of Divvy program targets under-served neighborhoods
By Carly Graf Medill Reports Divvy will receive a sizeable direct investment to build dock stations in every city ward, modernize its bicycle fleet and create a job training program for youth and ex-offenders, should the City Council green light the proposal. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) recommended these programs […]
Chicago bike shops welcome new wave cyclists
By Carly Graf Medill Reports Thanks to 200-miles of bike lanes, the newly renovated Lakefront Trail and more than 130,000 spots to park and lock your bike, Chicago consistently ranks among America’s most bicycle-friendly cities, according to ratings in Bicycle Magazine. But that friendliness wanes if you’re black, Latino or a woman looking to ride. […]
On Northwestern’s campus, men are addressing their role in sexual violence
By Chris Schulz Medill Reports The topic of sexual assault and misconduct is nothing new, but conversations among men about the role they can play in prevention is. For generations, masculine sexual aggression has been dismissed as “boys will be boys” or locker room talk. Now that society is demanding accountability where sexual violence or […]
Overcoming obstacles, Northwestern safety Jared McGee looks to take the league by storm
By Andre Earls Medill Reports Jared McGee has made it. Whether it was fighting concussions since he was 14-years-old, coming off of a brutal hip injury in 2017, or even fighting for playing time in the midst of his fifth year season, he’s overcome every obstacle in his path. Sure, the NFL Draft is in […]
Chicago group makes climbing accessible
By Melissa Hovanes Medill Reports At age 15, Clarinda Valentine’s life was forever altered. “A guy came in the YMCA shooting and I got the bullet in the back,” said Valentine. “That’s kind of been my life since then. I was a sophomore in high school at the time.” Forty-nine years later, at age 64, […]
Michigan Wolverines come up short in quest for B1G Tournament 3-Peat
By Seth Schlechter Medill Reports Michigan steamrolls Iowa and Minnesota before falling to rival in B1G Title Game Prior to taking the floor each game, the Michigan Wolverines huddle at the end of the tunnel for a last-second pregame pep talk. One by one, each player takes a turn saying what he will contribute to […]
AI automated order takers may reshape the future of drive-through restaurants
By Yixuan Xie Medill Reports The next time when you shout into the ordering box at a drive-through, you might not be talking to a human but an automated order taker. Drive-through windows make up about 70 percent of fast-food chains’ sales, according to a recent study from QSR Magazine. But employees often consider this […]
Q and A with Laura Polanco, candidate for District 99 school board in her hometown of Cicero
By Ankur Singh Medill Reports Laura Polanco, 34, is a parent who was born and raised in Cicero. She’s currently running for school board for Elementary School District 99 and hoping to advocate for other parents like her in the district where she attended school. She is one of four candidates running for three seats […]
For those who pushed for Illinois minimum wage increase, automation poses questions, challenges
By Dwight A. Weingarten Medill Reports The Illinois state minimum wage will rise to $9.25 an hour on Jan. 1, 2020, increasing for the first time in a decade, and to $15 an hour by 2025. But the struggle of low-wage workers and their political allies who fought for the increase face a seemingly steep […]