VIDEO: Syrian immigrant left heartbroken by ISIS’s abduction of her sister
By Andersen Xia A recent abduction that happened in northeastern Syria has left a Chicago woman, Mimi Odicho, and her family heartbroken. Odicho’s sister, Valentina Odicho, a mother of three, was kidnapped last month by ISIS along with her children while more than 200 other Assyrian Christians remain in captivity in that area. The devastated family does not have any news […]
Speak Out: An In-Depth Look at Rape in South Africa
By Mariel Turner Charlene Smith was enjoying a typical night at home, nearly 17 years ago, when one stranger changed her life forever. “On April 1, 1999 I was raped in my home by a knife-wielding man.” Smith, a journalist from Johannesburg, said the rape and stabbing attack left her traumatized, fearful and suddenly aware […]
VIDEO: Right to host the NFL draft comes at a cost
By Joe Musso This spring the NFL draft returns to Chicago with mixed reactions from economists, city officials and fans. Chicago last hosted the draft in 1964. The event was small enough to be held in a ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel. Now, with the NFL firmly positioned as one of the most powerful entities in sports and corporate business, the […]
VIDEO: How ISIS is affecting Assyrian Christians in Chicago
By: Marika Bastrmajian On February 24, 2015, militants of the so-called Islamic State raided several villages in the Hassakeh province in Syria, capturing large groups of Christian Assyrians, an ethnic minority indigenous to the region.
VIDEO: How Jesus “Chuy” Garcia used grassroots skills to force a mayoral runoff
By Rachel White On February 24, underdog candidate Jesus “Chuy” Garcia was one of four challengers trying to unseat Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. He didn’t win the election, but he won enough votes to be the challenger in a runoff election. Garcia’s road to the runoff began in Chicago’s Latino community. As a young immigrant, Garcia took a stab […]
VIDEO: Millennials prioritize mortgage over marriage
By Beth Lawrence “First comes love. Then comes marriage.” But for many young adults, that old saying may no longer be true. What comes after love might be a house. A new study by the financial brokerage firm Redfin shows that 38 percent of millennials – the generation born between 1980 and 2000 — would […]
VIDEO: New park ranger, residents look to future of historic Pullman
By Adriana Cargill The Pullman neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side has always been a place where worlds and ideas collide. Some of America’s most important disputes between factory owners and factory workers, African Americans and white Americans, and preservationists and city planners have taken place here. Following Pullman’s designation as a national monument by President […]
Dr. Mae Jemison promotes STEM for women’s history month
By Stephanie Choporis Chicago girls were encouraged Thursday to seek opportunities in science and technology during ComEd’s signature event for women’s history month at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Multinational companies grab opportunities to borrow at bargain rates
By Lei Xuan If you think the depreciation of foreign currencies against the dollar will harm U.S. multinational companies, stop worrying. U.S. firms are grabbing at the opportunity to raise funds at an extremely low cost. In the first three months of 2015, more than 20 central banks all over the world either cut interest rates […]
VIDEO: Gentrification in Logan Square and Pilsen
By Courtney Dillard Gentrification is the process of rebuilding a neighborhood to accompany an increase of middle or upper class residents. As the community changes, residents who cannot afford property tax increases are displaced. Gentrification is a hot topic here in Chicago, where neighborhoods that have been immigrant communities for decades are seeing an increase of […]