Chicago education tech company targets rural Illinois schools
By Taylor Mullaney When Ryan Hoch started teaching Algebra II in St. Louis five years ago, he found that his students were vastly unprepared for the futures they wanted. “When they got to my class their junior year, 90 percent of my students told me that they wanted to go to college,” Hoch said. “They […]
Diners react to possible Chipotle price hike
By Alysha Khan During the last quarterly earnings call, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. executives warned that if the price of beef continued to rise, the chain may have to raise its prices. We took to the streets of Chicago to talk to Chipotle customers about the potential hike.
Solis’ run-off challenger files for a recount in the 25th Ward
By Andersen Xia Aldermanic challenger Byron Sigcho filed a petition for a vote recount in the 25th Ward, wishing to push incumbent Alderman Danny Solis under 50 percent of vote and into a runoff. “We see that it’s like one or two votes that each precinct only has to take to swift the election and to […]
Oil prices freeze the Illinois fracking boom
By Holly LaFon Illinois may have missed the fracking boom, as oil prices simmer near $50 a barrel. But a heated drama to reclaim the gold rush is playing out downstate with a cast of environmental activists, big oil, farmers, politicians and Saudi Arabians. Only one company, Strata-X signed up to apply for a permit […]
New Chicago Steel coach learns on the job
By Ryan Lund Dan Boeser had a lot to think about during the nearly nine-hour bus ride between Bensenville, Ill. and Lincoln, Neb. A former assistant coach with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel, Boeser was named the team’s head coach and general manager on Feb. 11, after former coach Scott McConnell and the […]
Obama still ‘optimistic’ as judge delays expansion of immigrant orders
By Christine Smith President Barack Obama expressed optimism–shared by some immigration experts–that a Texas judge’s ruling to delay the expansion of the president’s executive order that would grant children of undocumented immigrants a temporary reprieve from deportation will be eventually be overturned. Although Texas U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen issued a preliminary injunction Feb. 16 […]
Islamic poet takes audience on journey through death, afterlife
By Meghan Tribe Boonaa Mohammed took the stage on Wednesday night at Loyola University Chicago alongside a wooden coffin covered in a clean white sheet. He rhymed and rapped, ushering the crowded auditorium from “the bugs and maggots” of their graves to 50,000 years of celestial trial for their deeds and, ultimately, through the gates […]
VIDEO: Citizen Scientists Catch Clues about Star Formation
By Lizz Giordano Citizen scientists are leading astronomers to new clues about star formation. Citizen scientist volunteers discovered the more than 900 mysterious bright yellow objects that became the subject of recent paper in the Astrophysical Journal.
Chicago minority business creating surge in job growth
By Yinmeng Liu The doorbell rang as customers buried under woolly overcoats shuffled in. Chicago’s chilly February air swept into the bakery with them, instantly diluted by the warm smells of sweet potato pudding and fresh-baked hardough breads. Michael Hume regarded the newcomers quietly through thin silver spectacles. He is an American-born Jamaican of medium built with a gentle […]
McDonald’s Corp. experiments with touch screen menus
By Andrew Fowler and Alysha Khan Across the country, McDonald’s Corp. is rolling out Create Your Taste, the chain’s new way to customize your burger with a touch screen. Executives say the new initiative could potentially lift sales and bring in more customers.