Firework accident victim preaches safety (VIDEO)
By Sara Shouhayib Despite incurring a serious eye injury three years ago from a firework accident, Jameson Lamb, 19, still considers the Fourth of July his favorite holiday. The accident happened at his family’s cottage in Michigan where they traditionally celebrate Independence Day. He no longer sets off fireworks himself, but he is still looking […]
Hundreds protest Illinois state budget cuts (VIDEO)
By Anne Arntson and Angela G. Barnes Hundreds of people gathered at the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago this morning to protest state budget cuts. July 1 is the first day of the new fiscal year; however, Gov. Bruce Rauner and state lawmakers could not agree on a state budget. Gov. Rauner said in a […]
Deadheads swarm the Field Museum (VIDEO)
By Sean Froelich and Coral Lu Deadheads are what loyal Grateful Dead fans are known as and thousands are expected in Chicago this weekend to see the rock legends play three shows at Soldier Field. Field Museum organizer, and fellow Deadhead, Megan Williams collaborated with the band and their promoters to bring “Dead” culture to […]
Modern Mediumship is Kept Alive by Chicago’s Spiritualist Community
By Elizabeth Elving Dr. Kenneth James stood behind the pulpit at Church of the Spirit and smiled at the congregation. It was one of the first Sundays of the year to feel like spring and the crowd was sparse; about 40 people had trickled in during the morning meditation. “When you talk to someone about […]
The changing landscape of Chicago’s public housing
By Daniel Brown On a spring morning, with crisp air and blue skies outside, Theresa Cook, 51, sits down on the beige couch in her living room. She wears shorts, a gray t-shirt and a blue bandana around her head. Her two-year-old son sleeps beside her. Her nephew awakes from a mattress on the ground, […]
Surrogacy: A new normal in parenting
By Anne Arntson Chelsea Jarvis delivered twins last year, but they were not her own. Kelly Stoeber gave birth to a baby girl on April 6, but her two young sons did not get a sister. “For that 40 weeks, it kind of provided as my identity,” said Stoeber, a first-time surrogate.
VIDEO: Fighting the Syrian war from Chicago
By Noor Wazwaz Syria may seem a world away but not to Syrians living in the Chicago area. The war in that country has entered its fifth year and the violence has only escalated. The Syrian Network for Human Rights reports the current death total is over 215,000 and 20,000 of them were children. In this episode of […]
VIDEO: PROTESTERS CALL FOR HIGHER WAGES
By Kira Boyd Protesters rally for a pay increase to $15/hr. The protest took place at McDonald’s headquarters in Oak Brook, IL while shareholders held their annual meeting.
VIDEO: LATINO PASTORS CALL FOR LAW MAKERS TO STOP SEPARATING FAMILIES
By Kira Boyd A group of Chicago area Latino pastors head to Washington to ask the Obama Administration to use maximum discretion when deciding who to deport. At a press conference, the pastors asked for the prayers of the community.
VIDEO: Protests in America, then vs. now
By Kira Boyd On this edition of Medill Newsmakers, we will discus protesting then versus now. We will explore the history of protest movements in the U.S. Also, we will talk about how social media have changed the face of activism in the 21st century. Throughout the past year, there have been large demonstrations against […]