Stories by Leslie Hurtado

Everything about one’s experience of living in Chicago can be traced back to segregation and race, according to community leader José Rico, executive director of Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Chicago.

Revealing that they’ve been the victim of a sexual assault is a frightening task for any survivor.And if a private insurer is billed for the cost of treatment, family members may learn about the attack through insurance documents.

As snowfall pelts the region, outreach workers in Chicago are working to provide supplies and shelter to the homeless community. Advocates are calling on the city for support as shelters deal with limited bed capacity in the pandemic.

The initiative aims to provide up to $14.4 million dollars in support to businesses recovering from the pandemic. Business owners will be able to utilize funds for building renovations, energy efficient supplies and more.

A change made by state lawmakers in January 2021 to a sweeping criminal justice law removes the possibility of prosecutors charging defendants with murder in cases when a third party is responsible for the killing. But criminal justice groups are lobbying for further changes.

Chicago Public Schools students in predominantly Latino communities are being disproportionately impacted by pollution emitted from industrial sites across the city. 

As dentists across Illinois experience staffing shortages and an increased demand for dental appointments, they are asking state officials to consider teledentistry and other services to help fill the demand. 

According to district data from Chicago Public Schools, over 12,818 students are in quarantine, and 2,355 adults are also staying home due to a positive case.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch reflects on his first year on the job. Welch’s historic win followed Michael Madigan’s decadeslong hold on political power in the Illinois House. 

A common indicator of COVID-19 is the loss of taste and smell, which can last for months after infection, according to recent research.

Officials are urging the public to get vaccinated and get tested — but many people are reporting challenges in finding tests.

While some business owners say requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination will limit spread of COVID-19, others worry about how it will impact their business – and how patrons will react. 

Multiple in-store thefts have been reported recently on the Magnificent Mile amounting to millions of dollars in stolen merchandise. But retailers say it’s not just about lost revenue — it’s about safety — and they’re calling for city officials to put more protections in place for businesses.

A public health advisory from the U.S. surgeon general’s office details how the pandemic has disrupted the lives of children, teens and young adults, causing them anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

The Protecting Moms Who Served Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and championed by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to invest in quality maternal care for mothers across the country.

The deadline for a city ward map is Wednesday. CHANGE Illinois believes that map should be independently made by community members who reflect the city’s population and not by alderpeople. 

The increase in cases in Illinois this fall has now surpassed last summer’s delta variant surge. Health officials are urging residents to take extra precautions as they make plans to gather with family members who may or may not be vaccinated. 

Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico said that he supports Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mitigation efforts but still believes Illinois should follow the other 44 states that do not have a mask mandate. 

The student loan debt crisis is now up to $1.7 trillion. Many federal loan borrowers were temporarily relieved of repayments during the pandemic, but they’re set to resume Feb. 1. And there’s no movement on canceling student debt.

“Our goal in public safety is to have children no longer think about being shot at,” said Chris Patterson, who was tapped to lead the newly created Office of Firearm Violence Prevention. “Communities don’t feel safe because of the violence.”

A report from WBEZ reveals that homeowners collectively owe up to $421 million in debt, and that includes penalty fees and water taxes. Sixty percent of those homeowners make up the city’s majority Black ZIP codes.  

“It is much healthier to get more of that light in the morning than in the evening,” said Dr. Sabra Abbott, a sleep medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine.

Some Afghan youth at a local immigration center are traumatized after fleeing their country, according to a recent report by ProPublica. We hear from the reporter who broke the story.

The Illinois State University graduate was last seen in late August, and his body was found last month. On Monday, the LaSalle County coroner said Jelani Day drowned to death, but his family is asking federal agencies to get involved.

Thousands of Puerto Ricans are taking to the streets to protest massive blackouts. The island’s antiquated power grid has long been unreliable, and it was decimated by Hurricane Maria in 2017. This summer, officials hoped the privatization of the power grid by LUMA Energy would help.

Small-business owners in Illinois are experiencing an unprecedented demand in supplies and goods, but inventory is limited at stores due to supply chain issues nationwide.