‘365 Days of Defending Freedom’ rally in Chicago: How the war in Ukraine has changed and what’s ahead?

By Almagul Serikbayeva Medill Reports One year has passed since the beginning of the war, and some people are already forgetting about it, Ukrainian native Anya Lomachenko said on Feb. 24, the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She joined thousands of Chicagoans who aren’t forgetting at a rally in Ukrainian Village to show support […]
Antisemitic group calls for National Day of Hate: local authorities stress vigilance

By Brenda Ordoñez Medill Reports Local and national Jewish communities and businesses are remaining vigilant this weekend after a neo-Nazi group based in Iowa declared Feb. 25 as the National Day of Hate. VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: FOLLOWING A STRING OF ANTISEMITIC HATE CRIMES EARLIER THIS YEAR, LOCAL JEWISH COMMUNITIES ARE BACK ON HIGH ALERT AFTER […]
Curbside pickup extended for Illinois medical marijuana patients despite limited availability

By Dilpreet Raju Medill Reports For the second time in a month on Jan. 25, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) extended the variance allowing curbside pickup for the state’s medical marijuana patients. Yet curbside pickup — or any pickup — is unavailable in many areas of the county with nearly two-thirds […]
Medill Newsmakers: Ukrainian refugees adjust to America, advocate for Ukraine

By Seth Humeniuk Medill Reports As the war in Ukraine rages on, millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country. Many have made their way to Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, where a thriving community of Ukrainians has stepped up to help them adjust to life in America. Despite all the challenges they face in […]
Chicago’s art house theater innovates to survive pandemic

By Jack Murray Medill Reports CHICAGO— Music Box Theatre, an arthouse movie theater located on the city’s North Side, has been a Chicago staple since the 1920s. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in the early months of 2020, the future of the theater, especially to those who look at the facility as a […]
Ukrainians unite under blue and gold Chicago skyline

By Jack Savage Medill Reports It doesn’t get much bigger than an 1,800-square-foot flag blowing in the breeze over the city. Chicago’s grand gesture to the people of Ukraine flew in full view above the Kennedy Expressway on Grand Avenue in Fulton Market on March 6, showering the city under a fluorescent blue and gold […]
WATCH: Chicago rallies around Ukrainian refugees

By Seth Humeniuk Medill Reports As the war in Ukraine rages on and millions of Ukrainians flee their homes, Chicagoans are stepping up to help. Protesters rallied support for the Ukrainian government, organizations prepared resources to help refugees and one brave young woman told her story of escape and begged Americans to support her war-torn […]
WATCH: Pilsen activist uses fitness, political education to combat life expectancy gap

By Chantel Ropp Medill Reports According to an analysis of the largest 500 U.S. cities by NYU School of Medicine, Chicago is the city with the largest life expectancy gap amongst low income and affluent communities in the country. One nonprofit organization in the Pilsen neighborhood is tackling these inequities through fitness, political education and […]
Live from Chicago, it’s the return of comedy clubs

By MacKenzie Coffman Medill Reports Comedic relief was in high demand as we slipped into the pandemic almost two years ago. More than ever, we needed to feel unrestrained laughter — the kind that makes you wipe away stray tears and clutch your stomach as your abs strain. Instead of seeing live standup or improv, […]
Surviving in a digital-first world: The unexpected tenacity of analog games

By MacKenzie Coffman Medill Reports What do you think of when you imagine analog games? Maybe it’s Monopoly, Dungeons and Dragons or just a deck of cards. Our schema for each of these games may vary vastly; tabletop games can be family fun or a highly competitive livelihood for professionals. No matter what your game […]