Stories by Brandis Friedman

Unsolved murder cases like that of Marissa Boyd-Stingley are a chronic problem in Chicago. Why are some witnesses unwilling to share information with police? We asked CPD's Chief of Detectives Gene Roy to weigh in.

The dreary weather Wednesday morning didn't keep scores of Chicago Teachers Union members from taking to the streets and calling on the city and the school district to enact measures to stabilize the district's funding.

The first full day of summer also marks the last day of the school year for Chicago Public School students. How stormy will their summers be as the district tries to weather its financial crisis?

It may not be quite an "exodus" of CPS principals, but more of them are leaving. Why the district is concerned it could get worse.

Parents of students at more than a dozen Chicago schools are receiving notices that testing has found elevated levels of lead in water at their children’s schools.

Despite darkening storm clouds that have been looming over Chicago Public Schools’ finances, two reports released this week show some rays of sunshine for student academics.

The Grant Park Music Festival opens in one week, making classical music accessible to anyone who's interested. But the makeup of orchestras across the country doesn't always reflect the makeup of surrounding communities.

The day after Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool warned that schools may not open in September, the Chicago Teachers Union weighed in, calling Claypool's leadership a failure. We hear arguments from both sides.

With just three weeks left in the school year, some Chicago Public Schools are finishing work that many schools try to have done at the beginning of the year: making sure all children are up to date on their shots and annual physicals.

As parents rally for education funding outside of CPS headquarters, district officials prepare for an even bigger rally in Springfield.

As Chicago Public Schools brace for additional budget cuts, some principals find out exactly how much the current financial climate could impact their budgets for the next school year.

To stay or go in the face of Chicago's violence? Many black families are choosing to go. 

A local author and blogger's hilarious take on parenting in her new book "I Want My Epidural Back."

In the final days of the Vietnam War, an effort to rescue thousands of babies from the country brought one of them to Chicago. Brandis Friedman shares the story of how he rose to become a Michelin-starred chef.

Brandis Friedman takes a look at the inspiring dishes being served after next week's James Beard Awards – and how television is a main ingredient this year.

So what if the kids have a television for a babysitter and a Big Mac for dinner—five nights in a row? They're alive. These are the hilarious confessions of Chicago mommy blogger Karen Alpert, who is out with her second book, "I Want My Epidural Back: Adventures in Mediocre Parenting."

As the head of the Chicago Teachers Union warns of a strike, the district makes one last pitch to reach a contract agreement. 

Some schools are changing the structure of the classroom and how students are learning. Brandis Friedman visits one West Side charter school that's taking a personal approach to learning.

People who took public transportation to the Cook County Court building Monday at 26th and California were surprised to find that the lockers they used to protect their phones were gone. And with a courthouse cellphone ban in effect, it left many not knowing what to do.

Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey started his day at Roosevelt High School in Albany Park. He hopes Friday’s walkout sparks action on the state budget. At Beasley Elementary in the Washington Park neighborhood, CTU President Karen Lewis rallied her troops and argued funding is exactly what the strike is about.

Parents of Chicago Public Schools students still searching for alternatives to attending school this Friday will have their pick of 262 contingency sites announced today by the district. Meanwhile, the Chicago Teachers Union has released a tentative schedule of events, which includes picketing schools and rallying downtown during rush hour.

The Chicago Teachers Union says the vote for a one-day strike passed overwhelmingly. But a vocal minority still opposes it.

Criminal backgrounds, homelessness and lack of education and opportunity are all factors in preventing black youth between the ages of 16 and 24 from finding employment, according to a report released by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great Migration, but a new report from the Chicago Urban League says many blacks still live in racially segregated and impoverished neighborhoods.

Chicago Public Schools has filed a lawsuit against former Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd-Bennett. The complaint, filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court, seeks $65 million in money damages and civil penalties.

Three Chicago charter schools are celebrating a victory today: a state commission has ruled they will be able to remain open, despite Chicago Public Schools' plans to close them for poor performance.