

Chicago’s Busiest L Stations: An analysis of CTA ridership reveals scores about who needs public transit and who has access to it.
It takes a resident of Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, about an hour to travel to the Loop via the CTA, which encompasses the L (the subway) and buses. By contrast, a resident of Edgewater, located on Chicago’s North Side, can get to the Loop in just … Continue reading Chicago’s Busiest L Stations: An analysis of CTA ridership reveals scores about who needs public transit and who has access to it.

Stigma, denial and misunderstanding: The real tragedy of “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel”
On its face, Joe Berlinger’s recent docu-series “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel” promises to be a story of intrigue and mystery. The first installment of the four-part series focuses on the 2013 death of Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Canadian student on a road trip, searching for meaning, place and connection. But … Continue reading Stigma, denial and misunderstanding: The real tragedy of “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel”

Even in defeat, Johnny Juzang is this year’s March Madness hero
March Madness knows how to stage a feel-good moment. UCLA’s Johnny Juzang looked speechless when his brother Christian, a former Harvard basketball player, suddenly appeared outside the team’s hotel. Johnny’s big brother made the 25-hour flight from Vietnam to surprise … Continue reading Even in defeat, Johnny Juzang is this year’s March Madness hero

Rock trio Silvertone defies genres with new singles
If the Hives, the Killers and System of a Down had a lovechild, it’d probably sound like Chicago’s rock trio, Silvertone. Comprised of members that span indie rock to metal, Silvertone risks the disjointed sound too often associated with projects marrying artists from multiple genres. But on its three latest singles, Silvertone incorporates elements from metal, indie and … Continue reading Rock trio Silvertone defies genres with new singles

Doses by ZIP Code: Chicago’s Vaccine Rollout Still Marked by Racial Inequities
Jackie Neiman, 71, called, texted and anxiously watched her computer in the hopes of securing her first COVID-19 vaccine. She’d been at it every day since Jan. 25, the day Cook County expanded to Phase 1B of the vaccination plan, which includes essential workers and residents over 65 … Continue reading Doses by ZIP Code: Chicago’s Vaccine Rollout Still Marked by Racial Inequities

Musicians demand justice from Spotify in a global demonstration
As passersby approached the corner of W Erie St. and N Franklin St. in the midst of Monday’s snowstorm, they heard the sounds of a marching band. But from a closer distance, observers could see that the marching band was actually a group of 50-odd music workers protesting outside of Spotify’s downtown office. Dressed in green and wielding picket signs with demands … Continue reading Musicians demand justice from Spotify in a global demonstration

Illinois Prison Project launches initiative to support incarcerated women
On June 5, 2007, Tewkunzi Green, of Peoria, was backed up against the kitchen sink, holding her 6-month-old son, when her boyfriend — her child’s father — began to strangle her. Afraid she would faint and drop her son, Green … Continue reading Illinois Prison Project launches initiative to support incarcerated women

Surviving, one order at a time: The rise of the delivery-only restaurant
We meet at the corner of LeMoyne and Bosworth. A discreet man emerges from a black Nissan Rogue with a brown paper bag. It’s a 40-degree day, but he has no coat, wearing only black jeans and a white-and-gray striped … Continue reading Surviving, one order at a time: The rise of the delivery-only restaurant

Q&A: Former Black Panther on the fight to save Fred Hampton’s childhood home
Stanley McKinney was just 15 when he first met the revolutionary socialist and activist Fred Hampton in January 1969. The encounter quickly changed McKinney’s life, leading him to become an original member of Hampton’s Illinois chapter of the Black Panther … Continue reading Q&A: Former Black Panther on the fight to save Fred Hampton’s childhood home

Mark his words: A Scrabble champion spells out his L-O-V-E for the game
When Marty Gabriel sees letters, he immediately rearranges them in his brain and spells out all the words possible. An anagram for M-A-R-T-Y: “tryma” (a nutlike fruit). Fittingly, Gabriel is a nut for Scrabble. The 69-year-old from Charleston, Illinois, has … Continue reading Mark his words: A Scrabble champion spells out his L-O-V-E for the game