Stories by Eddie Arruza

Chicago Pastry Chef Awarded France’s Highest Civilian Honor

Words of culinary wisdom from master pastry chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of The French Pastry School.

On 500th Anniversary, Local Exhibitions Reveal Impact of Reformation

On the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s dramatic challenge to the Catholic Church, two local exhibitions reveal the astonishing impact of the Reformation.

William Shatner (Gage Skidmore / Flickr)

Can William Shatner Help Chicago Land Amazon’s HQ2?

Chicago’s bid to land Amazon’s much-coveted HQ2 has taken on a sci-fi element.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, left, and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions

Durbin, Sessions Spar Over Chicago Gun Violence

A testy confrontation on Capitol Hill: Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions sparred over gun violence in Chicago and the Justice Department’s threat to withhold federal grants to cities that protect undocumented immigrants.

How Plastic Cutlery is Bringing Hope, Jobs to a South Side Community

A training program and manufacturing plant are not only providing high-demand plastic products, but giving community residents hands-on experience in specialized jobs that are the future of manufacturing.

 A noose is shown hanging in a Water Department truck. (Courtesy of Ald. David Moore)

Controversial Photo Prompts Demand for Water Department Hearings

A Chicago alderman demands hearings into the city’s Water Department after a photo surfaced of a noose hanging in a department truck. 

Hundreds Flee Devastation in Puerto Rico to Join Family in Chicago

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Monday the city is not only offering emergency responders to help Puerto Rico, but has already accepted 1,600 evacuees. 

(Todd Rosenberg / Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Lyric Opera and Joffrey Ballet to Join Forces Under One Roof

What brought about the new business arrangement of two of Chicago’s most prominent cultural institutions? We speak with two of the driving forces behind each company.

After Years of Development, GM Takes Hands-Free Technology on the Road

The race to create self-driving cars is heating up. One automaker has taken a significant step towards a hands-free future with a model that will soon be available in the Chicago area.

Trump Touts ‘Good Job’ in Puerto Rico as Chicago Residents Take Action

The Trump administration fights back against widespread criticism of its slow response to Hurricane Maria, while Chicago’s Puerto Rican community mobilizes to try to send supplies and water to the island.

In Pilsen, Monarch Butterflies a Source of Joy and Education

How a Chicago community organization cultivates the scientific and cultural aspects of monarch butterflies.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul

State Sen. Kwame Raoul Announces Bid for Attorney General

Lisa Madigan’s bombshell announcement that she won’t run for a fifth term has ignited the race to replace her.

Chicago Reporter Analysis Shows Slow Progress on Police Reform

A scathing federal report on the Chicago Police Department outlined 99 recommendations for reform. But an analysis by an online investigative site says only six of those recommendations have been fully implemented so far. 

(Courtesy of Lyric Opera of Chicago)

Ballet and Opera Join Forces in Famed Choreographer’s Homecoming

Choreographer John Neumeier is in the sixth decade of a career that’s still going strong, and his latest project marks an unprecedented Chicago collaboration.

Chicago in Hot Pursuit of Amazon Corporate Headquarters

It’s being called the Olympics of corporate relocations, and Chicago is very much chomping at the bit.

State Sen. Daniel Biss

Daniel Biss and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa Part Ways

It was only last week that gubernatorial candidate and Democratic state Sen. Daniel Biss named Chicago’s 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his running mate. On Wednesday, the two went their separate ways.

McCook Reservoir to ‘Significantly Reduce’ Flooding, Says MWRD

A grand canyon that will become a deep lake: We get a tour of the final reservoir in the Deep Tunnel plan. 

(Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.)

Former Dancer Awarded $148M in Personal Injury Suit Against City

Tierney Darden was left paralyzed from the waist down after a bus shelter at O’Hare International Airport collapsed on her during a storm in 2015.

Thousands Catch Eclipse Fever at Adler Planetarium

The last time a total solar eclipse spanned the continental United States from coast to coast was 99 years ago. Thousands joined in the Adler Planetarium’s celestial celebration to mark the occasion.

Question Over Controversial Public Monuments Comes to Chicago

As the debate over Confederate monuments heats up following the Charlottesville tragedy, some Chicago aldermen want to get rid of a name with a fascist history.

Emanuel: Neo-Nazis ‘Think They Have a Friend in the Oval Office’

The violent confrontation between white supremacists groups and protesters has sparked nationwide outrage and condemnation. How some local politicians are responding.

Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin

More Fallout From the Cook County Sweetened Beverage Tax

Several Cook County commissioners, including one who may be after Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s job, are blasting her handling of the new sweetened beverage tax.

Former Northwestern Professor Accused of Murder Appears in Court

Wyndham Lathem, 42, who is accused in the murder of a 26-year-old Chicago man, made his first court appearance on Monday.

Illinois State Fair to Auction Off $100,000 in Unclaimed Property

The nine-day event has something for everyone, including an attraction that’s been found to lure folks to the fair who might not otherwise go: an auction of unclaimed property.

Illinois Shuts Down ‘The Fire Ball’ Rides

The Illinois Department of Labor has joined other states in shutting down carnival rides similar to the one that malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair Wednesday.

Unpublished work © 2017 The Estate of Vivian Maier. All rights reserved

500 Vivian Maier Photos Donated to University of Chicago

A relatively small but significant trove of photographs by Vivian Maier has a new home at the University of Chicago Library.