Stories by evan garcia

Donnie Hunt, the roastmaster of Stivers Coffee, checks the color of coffee beans as they roast in the company’s gas-driven roaster. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

‘Labor of Love’ Drives Meticulous Stivers Coffee Operation in Pilsen

For more than 30 years, Stivers Coffee has used a large, gas-driven machine to roast coffee beans from all over the world for Chicago’s restaurants, offices, farmers markets and more. We go for a look.

The Week in Review: Eddie Johnson Out

Mayor Lori Lightfoot fires top cop Eddie Johnson weeks before his retirement. Are the feds eyeing House Speaker Michael Madigan? Legal pot hits a roadblock. And Mitchell Trubisky shines in a Bears win over Dallas.

Jonathon Solomon, left, of the James R. Thompson Center Historical Society introduces his group at the start of their public tour. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Preservationists Rally Around Thompson Center as Pritzker Prepares for Sale

The state says the building is too expensive to maintain and repair, but architectural activists are determined to highlight its unique features and its role in the city’s past, present and future.

Trump Impeachment Inquiry: House Dems, GOP Trade Barbs on Day 1

Analysis of Wednesday’s public impeachment hearings from three local legal minds: Renato Mariotti, Martin Redish and Christine Svenson.

(JESHOOTS-com / Pixabay)

‘OK Boomer’: Behind the Meme Making Waves on Social Media

Whether it’s used comically or in connection with serious topics, a new internet meme may be underscoring deeper generational divides. 

The Week in Review: Top Cop to Retire, Former LAPD Chief to Step In

Eddie Johnson will make way for interim Superintendent Charlie Beck at the end of the year. Lawmakers talk up lobbying reforms amid a ComEd investigation. And can the Bears salvage their season?

(AhmadArdity / Pixabay)

What Some Companies Are Doing with Your ‘Secret’ Consumer Score

When you send messages to an Airbnb host or order food through Yelp, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about where else that information goes – or who it goes to. But that data has the potential to affect you in surprising ways.

Catcade co-founder Chris Gutierrez shows off one of the rescue shelter’s free arcade games. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

There’s Plenty of Time for Play at Arcade-Themed Rescue The Catcade

In Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, there’s an animal shelter with a twist. We visit an arcade-themed cat rescue and lounge that’s helping foster feline friendships.

Joe Adkins of Wheaton, Illinois prepares to weigh a giant pumpkin he grew. At 1,258 pounds, the gourd took first place in a contest on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Growing Giant Pumpkins ‘A Tough Hobby’ for Illinois Enthusiasts

Inside a barn about 60 miles southwest of Chicago, six giant pumpkins are hoisted by forklift onto an industrial scale and weighed, one by one, so their growers can claim cash prizes for the heaviest – and bragging rights.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. (WTTW News)

Congress Grills Zuckerberg on Facebook’s Digital Currency Plans

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced tough questions Wednesday from members of Congress about his social media platform’s digital currency project. We discuss the billionaire tech entrepreneur’s plans for Libra.

How Parents of CPS Students Are Coping With Canceled Classes

Parents across the city again have to figure out what to do with their children who attend Chicago Public Schools. We check in with four parents of CPS students who joined us last week ahead of the expected strike.

Paul Jones of Mold-A-Rama Inc. checks on a souvenir machine at Lincoln Park Zoo. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

The Story of Mold-A-Rama, Chicago’s Very Own Souvenir Machine

For more than 50 years, vending machines scattered throughout Chicago-area zoos and museums have sold visitors souvenirs made of melted plastic. Meet the man keeping the vintage technology alive.

The Week in Review: Chicago’s Teachers on Strike

Chicago teachers take to the picket lines. Will the city delay the start of legal pot sales? A federal probe into ComEd widens. And the Bears try to bounce back against the Saints. 

Parents of CPS Students Sound Off on Teachers Strike

“Chicago Tonight” speaks with four parents of CPS students who have different opinions about the negotiations between the city and its teachers union. 

Statue of Christopher Columbus (Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikimedia Commons)

Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day? Chicago Groups Weigh In

In the wake of criticism directed at Columbus and his treatment of indigenous people, a movement to supplant Columbus Day with another holiday – Indigenous Peoples Day – has emerged.

The Week in Review: Teachers Strike Looms, McDonald Records Released

A teachers strike could be just days away. Illinois Republicans break from President Trump over Syria. New details on federal raids of the suburbs. And the Bears lick their wounds after a loss in London.

(Harry Pujols / Flickr)

The Cases for and Against Horse-Drawn Carriages in Chicago

A debate in Chicago over horse-drawn carriages has raged between animal activists and industry professionals for years. We hear both sides of the debate.

The Week in Review: Lightfoot Gets Blowback for Pot Plan

The mayor proposes to exclude marijuana sales in the Loop. A proposed ban on e-cigarettes leads to a testy debate in City Council. Climate change prompts a massive walkout. And the Cubs’ playoff hopes are on life support.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, workers in food preparation and serving-related occupations made up the bulk of workers earning minimum wage or less in 2013, the Pew Research Center reports. (delo / Pixabay)

Should Chicago Increase Its Minimum Wage to $15 by 2021?

At a City Council hearing on Tuesday, committee members discussed a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021. Activists say it’s long overdue. But could it hurt small businesses? We debate the issue.

Members of the Chicago Stock Yard Kilty Band rehearse before competing at the Wisconsin Highland games in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 31. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

After Nearly 100 Years, Chicago Stock Yard Kilty Band Marches On

As pipe major of the Chicago Stock Yard Kilty Band, Matt McKee carries on the tradition of a pipe band that started nearly 100 years ago. We go for a look, and a listen, as the band competes at a Wisconsin festival.

The Week in Review: Lightfoot Identifies Chicago’s Massive Budget Shortfall

Mayor Lightfoot unveils an $838 million budget gap. Chicago Public Schools approves its budget despite threats of a teachers strike. The Bears begin the countdown to opening night against the Packers.

A black-crowned night heron snags a fish on River Park’s new riverbed habitat, where Chicago’s last waterfall once flowed. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Remember Chicago’s Last Waterfall? It Looks Much Different Now

On Chicago’s Northwest Side, a gently sloping riverbed occupies the former site of a small but historically important dam. We visit a popular fishing spot – for humans and birds alike – at River Park.

The Week in Review: Report Cites Harassment, Bullying in Madigan’s Office

A sexual harassment report puts new scrutiny on Springfield. Bombastic former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh mulls taking on Trump. A teachers union trip to Venezuela causes uproar. And the Cubs close an otherwise strong week with a blowout loss.

This snowy owl was bred in captivity in Canada and brought to the Illinois Raptor Center as a permanent resident. Unlike most owls, which are nocturnal, the snowy owl is active during the day. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Bald Eagles, Owls and Other Birds Rehabilitated at Illinois Raptor Center

About 180 miles southwest of Chicago, a wildlife conservation facility cares for hundreds of injured, sick or orphaned raptors. We go for a look and meet some of these incredible birds of prey.

Amateur botanist Joey Santore examines the flowering plant dalea purpurea, commonly known as the purple prairie clover. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Meet the YouTube Botanist with a Thick Chicago Accent and Foul Mouth

Joey Santore isn’t your typical plant expert, but his colorful style and depth of knowledge have proved popular. We go for a stroll through Wolf Road Prairie, an 80-acre nature preserve in Chicago’s western suburbs.

(terimakasih0 / Pixabay)

Social Media Sans Metrics: One Artist’s Quest to Hide ‘Likes’

Could you imagine life without the “like” button? Ben Grosser, an arts and design professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, tells us about “demetrication.”