Stories by Kathy Long

Jahmal Cole was inspired to create a new web series after volunteering at the Cook County Jail and realizing that most of the inmates had never visited landmark sites, such as the Willis Tower.

New York-based ad firm Omnicom and Paris-based ad firm Publicis merged on Sunday, creating the largest advertising firm with $23 billion in combined revenue. The merger might create complications since it will bring together rival clients, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, and AT&T and Verizon. We have analysis.

Hyde Park is famous for being home to presidents, politicians and religious leaders. It is also known for its highly integrated community. A new book captures the visually fascinating history of the evolution of the neighborhood in photos from 1850 to today.

Hunger is rising; 860,000 people were food insecure in Cook County in 2011. Out of those, one in five were children. The Greater Chicago Food Depository, a nonprofit food distribution and training center, which provides food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in Chicago, is expanding summer feeding programs to serve kids who usually receive their meals at schools. Read an article.

Though the worst predictions about the sequestration -- such as severe unemployment benefit cuts, hour-long waits at airports, and four-hour waits at border crossings -- have not come true, other sectors have not been spared. Learn more about the impact of sequestration from two economists.

The Obama administration has delayed a portion of the Affordable Care Act, which will extend the deadline for employer mandated health care to 2015. Bruce Japsen, a health care reporter for Forbes, joins us to break down the employer mandate and explain the implication of the extension. Read a Q&A.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which is considered a landmark in civil rights legislation. The 5-4 ruling declared that the formula for preclearance is unconstitutional and unnecessary. Read the full opinion and reaction.

The Art of Migration, a new book by Peggy Macnamara, animates the journey birds and insects embark on during migration in her vibrant watercolor illustrations.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that human genes are off-limits for patent protection. Read the full opinion, and a Q&A with a bioethics professor about the impact of the ruling on the medical community.

The Reagan Presidency is a new documentary focusing on President Reagan’s domestic and foreign policy decisions during his two terms in office. It premieres on WTTW11 at 8:00 pm Thursday. Watch a trailer and read more about Reaganomics.