Chicago is testing its first composting program
By Damita Menezes Medill Reports As people become more environmentally conscious, local governments are working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building eco-cities. And Chicago is finally taking its first step into composting. The city announced the launch of a pilot program in November and is now ready to begin accepting food scraps from a […]
Q&A: Chicago Sinfonietta violist Seth Pae on life as a musical activist – and Wrigleyville’s busiest dueling pianist
By Julia Lowe Medill Reports Between performing as the principal violist with the Chicago Sinfonietta — “Chicago’s hippest orchestra” — and playing piano at bars like Sluggers and the Zebra Lounge, Seth Pae, 31, is building a diverse portfolio as a multi-instrumentalist. A self-described musical activist, Pae mainly performs compositions by women and musicians of […]
WATCH: ‘I’m living out a dream’: 4 Northwestern draft prospects shine in NFL Combine performances
By John Riker Medill Reports INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Scouting Combine gives draft hopefuls the chance to showcase their speed, power and smarts in front of NFL teams and fans. Traditional powers Alabama and Georgia were well-represented, along with smaller schools sending their best to the pro level. Medill Reports made the trip to Indy […]
WATCH: Andrea Metcalf: From TV news health expert to full-time Pilates instructor
By Kennedy Chase Medill Reports Former television news health expert Andrea Metcalf is now the founder and owner of Pilates studio Heat 3.0 in Lincoln Park, Chicago. She now brings her health and fitness expertise to her studio as the head Pilates instructor. TRANSCRIPT: [Andrea Metcalf’s Workout Wednesday archived video] Kennedy Chase: HEALTH […]
WATCH: Poetry Foundation kicks off Chicago event season with Latinx poetry celebration
By Julia Lowe Medill Reports On the heels of Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March comes the powerful recognition of poetic voices through National Poetry Month in April. The Poetry Foundation regularly hosts in-person and live-streamed readings to highlight the work of minority poetry communities. Watch how Latinx poets in Chicago are using the spoken […]
Antisemitic incidents at all-time high, new Anti-Defamation League report finds
By Damita Menezes Medill Reports The Anti-Defamation League released its annual report on March 23, which showed a 36% increase in antisemitic incidents in the country compared with last year. A record-high 3,697 confirmed cases of targeted harassment, vandalism and assault toward Jewish people in the United States marks the third time in the past […]
WATCH: Chicago This Week — Episode 1
On the latest episode of “Chicago This Week,” Medill reporters cover the latest on the Chicago mayoral election, the arraignment of former President Donald Trump, the story of the missing bodies of two women in Little Village, the NCAA champions update and more. “Chicago This Week” is a half-hour show that features news, […]
‘I’m not that scared kid anymore’: Highland Park’s Rachel Jacoby on her path to becoming an anti-gun violence activist
By Jordana Comiter Medill Reports In June 2022, Rachel Jacoby, a national organizer for March for Our Lives, planned a rally in her hometown of Highland Park, Illinois, to end gun violence. While she was publicizing it, commenters on neighborhood-based social networking site Nextdoor said, “We don’t have gun violence in Highland Park,” and “Why […]
Q&A: Josh Zagoren, the puppeteer whose alter ego is Chad the Bird, talks about TikTok success and how the pandemic changed him
By Koster Kennard Medill Reports When actor-turned-comedian-turned-puppeteer Josh Zagoren, 41, heard the Green Mill was shutting down indefinitely because of COVID-19, taking away one of his primary sources of income, he crumpled. As the puppeteer whose alter ego is live op-ed columnist Chad the Bird, Zagoren has entertained audiences at the Green Mill’s variety show […]
WATCH: ‘Live theater … was no more’: Chicago performers reflect on major comeback 3 years after beginning of COVID-19 pandemic
By Jordana Comiter Medill Reports It’s been three years since the world shut down and people’s lives were interrupted. With live performances halted, the theater industry took one of the biggest hits. Three years later, Cabaret Zazou performers, crew and audience members are reflecting on how their lives have changed since the return of the […]