New Orleans creates plan for affordable housing
By MacKenzie CoffmanMedill Reports A brand new three-bedroom house stood for sale in the little New Orleans neighborhood of Freret. Yet, at an asking price of $599,000, this home carried a price tag 169% more expensive than the median home cost in the city. It mirrors an issue familiar in New Orleans and cities across […]
WATCH: WM Phoenix Open brings party atmosphere to PGA Tour
By Seth Humeniuk Medill Reports The PGA Tour has a reputation of being a little stuffy, but fans at the WM Phoenix Open bring a different energy to the sport. In Phoenix, fans drink heavily, cheer heartily and boo emphatically. They do their best to make golf a party for all involved. Transcript: Narration: […]
Chicago’s production trends from the big screen to the little one
By MacKenzie Coffman Medill Reports The next time you venture out to the movie theater, don’t expect Chicago to make an appearance on the big screen. For decades, iconic Chicago landmarks from the “L” to LaSalle Street speckled their way throughout movie after movie. Although audiences today can spot the city masquerading as Gotham once […]
Cincinnati Bengals celebrate magical season, first Super Bowl appearance in 34 years despite rowdy road atmosphere
By Colin Salao Medill Reports The Super Bowl is played in a supposedly neutral site. But in Super LVI, the Cincinnati Bengals drew the Los Angeles Rams playing on the team’s home turf of the SoFi Stadium. Rams fans showed up in jubilant force. The Bengals were essentially a road team for the Feb. 13 […]
With the Cosmic Crisp, apple breeder Bruce Barritt puts fruit snobs first
By Christian Thorsberg Medill Reports “Did you hear it?” The Zoom call eclipses into an all-crimson canvas and resounds a noisy crescendo — something akin to striking thunder, or an ice cube splintering. “Yes? You heard a crack?” Bruce Barritt asks, backing away from his screen and spitting a mouthful of white, juicy flesh off-camera. […]
VIDEO: Jason Van Dyke’s release prompts protests, arrests, activist unity
By Kinsey Crowley Medill Reports Jason Van Dyke was released from prison Feb. 3, prompting the Day of Outrage and Direct Action rally organized by Chicago activists. The former Chicago police officer killed Laquan McDonald while on duty in 2014. A video later released showed Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times, many of the shots […]
Chicago tea company founder highlights stories of tea farmers
By Elisa Xu Medill Reports Annie Xiang makes her online Chicago-based tea business about more than selling single-origin loose-leaf tea to customers. It’s about amplifying the stories of the Chinese farmers who cultivate tea and humanizing them in the process. “It meshes my (passions for) community building and cultivating empathy really well,” Xiang said. “I […]
Following WM Phoenix Open, Phoenix restaurants brace for baseball postponement
By Andrew Polk Medill Reports Major League Baseball’s lockout continues, and restaurants in the Phoenix area are anticipating a decline in business for the third spring in a row due to decreased tourism. The MLB recently announced the postponement of its spring training season until at least March 8. Cactus League teams expected to welcome […]
UIC kinesiologist details ‘mistreatment’ athletes often receive after severe injury
By Alyssa Muir Medill Reports Kinesiologist John Coumbe-Lilley spent years observing the care, or lack thereof, that athletes who had experienced severe sports injuries were receiving during their rehabilitation process. Surprised by the results he saw, Coumbe-Lilley decided to conduct an official research study to “see if he could prove (himself) wrong.” His research since […]
Lakeview coffee shop combines lost loves, lattes with specialty menu
By Jackie Walsh Medill Reports The Coffee & Tea Exchange featured a special latte menu in February in honor of Valentine’s Day. The “Thank You, Next” menu commemorated seven celebrity break-ups by creating corresponding coffee drinks. The celebrity couples featured spanned the decades, from the Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber split in 2018 to Brad […]