Stories by maya miller

The third annual Peace Hub Impact Youth Conference takes place May 5-6, 2017.

Peace Hub Youth Conference Addresses Chicago Violence

Nearly 1,000 young adults and social service professionals are expected to attend a conference this weekend to talk about the daily challenges of life in Chicago, from gun and gang violence to poverty.

Participants, facilitators and organizers of the pilot program WePlay take a picture in the Chicago Children's Museum Pritzker Playspace, where they've been spending time over the past 12 weeks. (Courtesy of Chicago Children's Museum)

WePlay Offers Safe Space, Community at Chicago Children’s Museum

Five years ago, Saleem Penny decided to create a program offering safe play spaces in Chicago to young parents and their children. Learn about WePlay, which just wrapped up its first session.

The cost of a single-family home in Humboldt Park increased by 20.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016. (Richie Diesterheft / Flickr)

Housing Prices Soar in Humboldt Park, Garfield Park

Data released by the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University outline substantial year-over-year gains in the price of single-family homes in Chicago neighborhoods of Humboldt Park and Garfield Park.

Emily Miller, left, and Kimberly Jung discuss their company Rumi Spice in 2015. (Courtesy of Rumi Spice)

Rumi Spice to Pitch its Chicago Business on ‘Shark Tank’

After serving tours in Afghanistan, attending Harvard Business School and launching a global business, Emily Miller and Kimberly Jung face another, daunting challenge: pitching their company Rumi Spice to potential investors on reality TV.

A member of SEIU Healthcare Illinois protests in early April. (Courtesy of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Facebook)

5,000 Chicago-Area Nursing Home Workers Threaten Strike

Thousands of nursing home workers at 53 Chicago-area facilities have threatened to go on strike beginning next week, according to an announcement from SEIU Healthcare Illinois.

Volumes Bookcafe is one of two dozen bookstores participating in #MyChicagoBookstore Challenge in honor of Independent Bookstore Day. (Courtesy of Volumes Bookcafe)

Chicago Celebrates Independent Bookstore Day

This Saturday, bookstores across the country will celebrate their status as indie shops, including two dozen stores across the Chicago area. “It’s like a pub crawl for bookstores,” said Lynn Mooney, co-owner of Women & Children First. 

10 Things to Do This Weekend: April 27-30

Independent bookstores, wine tastings, James Beard-inspired menus and hundreds of artists usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

The exhibition “Once Upon a Castle” avoids imposing gender stereotypes and norms onto children. (Courtesy of Chicago Children's Museum)

Fairy Tale Exhibition Aims to Level the Playing Field

By eschewing traditional tiaras, thrones and knightly armor, a fairy tale-minded exhibition at the Chicago Children’s Museum hopes to spark children’s imaginations without imposing gender stereotypes.   

Laura Doss, 68, was homeless for 16 years. She recently graduated from a public speaking program. (Courtesy of Speak Up)

From Homeless Pasts, a New Crop of Public Speakers

A program called Speak Up connects formerly homeless individuals with seasoned storytellers so they can learn how to speak more effectively about their life experiences. We meet a recent graduate of the program.

(Chicago Bicycle Program / Flickr)

Chicago ‘Dooring’ Reports Saw Steep Increase in 2015, Data Shows

Crash data for 2015 released this week by the Illinois Department of Transportation shows a rise in the number of reported “doorings” in Chicago – collisions that occur when the door of a parked vehicle is opened directly in the path of an oncoming cyclist.

Former President Barack Obama delivers his farewell address to the nation from Chicago’s McCormick Place on Jan. 10, 2017.

Obama to Speak on Civic Engagement at University of Chicago

Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak Monday in Chicago as part of his goal to “encourage and support the next generation of leaders,” according to his press office.

Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Lisa Morrison Butler on April 20 announces the city’s $1 million commitment to housing 100 homeless families. (Maya Miller / Chicago Tonight)

Chicago to House 100 Homeless Families, Address ‘Doubled-Up’ Population

This fall, 100 homeless families with school-age children will gain permanent housing and support services, thanks to a partnership between the city and the nonprofit Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

C2E2 returns this weekend. Is your costume ready? (Chris Favero / Flickr)

10 Things to Do This Weekend: April 20-23

A giant pop-culture convention, Earth Day celebrations and a wine festival usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

A number of tents line the Lawrence Avenue underpass on a winter night in 2016. (Chicago Tonight)

Report: Chicago’s Homeless Population More Than 80K in 2015

Chicago’s homeless population was 82,212 in 2015, according to figures released Wednesday by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

Simone’s Bar in Pilsen. (Connie Ma / Flickr)

Find Outdoor Dining Options at Chicago’s Open Data Portal

Could the city’s open data portal be your new go-to website for restaurant planning?

Carlos Javier Ortiz’s “A Thousand Midnights” is part of the “In Acts” exhibition at the Weinberg/Newton Gallery, where a panel discussion on human rights takes place Tuesday. (Courtesy of Weinberg/Newton Gallery)

Panel to Address Human Rights on Chicago’s South Side

A discussion about human rights on the South Side of Chicago – including public health and criminal justice – takes place Tuesday evening at a River North gallery.

An ICE agent arrests a suspect.

Immigrants’ Abuse Complaints Rarely Investigated, Group Says

Reports of abuse at U.S. immigration detention facilities, including those in Illinois, are rarely investigated, according to data obtained by a national nonprofit agency.

The Urbana Adult Education Center is one of the 463 social service agencies that reported negative impacts as a result of the state budget impasse. (Courtesy of Naomi Jakobsson13)

Data Shows Impact of Budget Impasse on Social Services

Nine out of 10 social services agencies said they were unable to raise 25 percent or more of the funding owed to them by the state, according to a new survey.

(Giuseppe Milo / Flickr)

In Chicago, Tour Guides Take Measured Approach to Trump Tower

The 92-story skyscraper is a regular feature of Chicago architecture tours. But a changing political landscape has led some tour guides to be more careful with their comments about the structure.

(Peter McCullough / MCA Chicago)

MCA to Offer Free Youth Admission Starting June 1

Area teens can add one more freebie to their summer to-do lists.

Luis Rafael’s low-poly design is displayed at dozens of storefronts in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. (Maya Miller / Chicago Tonight)

Monarch Butterflies Signal Immigrant Support

The orange-and-black insect has flocked to a Chicago neighborhood, but its presence is more of a political act than a natural one.

(Courtesy of Spring 2017 Soul Reunion)

10 Things to Do This Weekend: April 13-16

Spring is in the air. From dance parties to an art fair and family Easter party, here are 10 ways to celebrate the weekend in and around Chicago.

Latee Smith was 12 years old when he joined a gang. Now 16, he’s focusing on trying to “make something positive” out of his life. (Maya Miller / Chicago Tonight)

BUILD Chicago Offering Alternatives to Gang Life for Nearly 50 Years

After sustaining a life-threatening gunshot wound, 16-year-old Latee Smith began plotting revenge on his attacker. But a local intervention specialist helped Smith refocus his energy.

Astronaut Thomas Pesquet worked with artist Eduardo Kac to create "Inner Telescope," a piece of artwork that is currently aboard a space station. (Courtesy of Eduardo Kac)

Art in Space Sparks Discussion on Technology, AI

As artwork by a Chicago artist orbits the Earth aboard the International Space Station, a medley of professionals will explore how technology and artificial intelligence have shaped their industries. 

(Chicago Tonight)

Northwestern Crew Team Student Dies After Falling Overboard

The body of 19-year-old Mohammed Ramzan, a member of the Northwestern University men’s crew team, has been recovered from the North Shore Channel in Lincolnwood. Authorities say he fell into the water early Monday morning during a rowing practice.

Berto Aguayo says this photo shows ICE agents wearing gear that says “police” outside a home in Chicago the week of March 27. (Courtesy of Berto Aguayo)

Cook County Sheriff: ICE Agents Shouldn’t Identify as Police

A recent wave of videos on social media show Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents arriving at Chicago residences in unmarked cars, knocking on doors while donning vests and jackets that say “police.”