Stories by nick blumberg

Youth activists organized a peaceful march to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home on Aug. 13, 2020 to demand the removal of resource officers from Chicago Public Schools. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)

As Local School Councils Vote on Keeping Police in Schools, Some Advocates Push for Alternative Models

Wednesday marks the deadline for about 50 local school councils with Chicago Public Schools to decide whether they want to keep their school resource officers — Chicago police officers assigned to work on school campuses.

(Petr Kratochvil / Public Domain Pictures)

Taxi Industry Hopeful for Post-Pandemic Recovery

Uber and Lyft say they’ve added thousands of drivers in recent weeks to address long wait times and surge pricing. But many passengers are still unhappy and some are turning to taxis — an industry hit hard by the popularity of ride-share services and by COVID-19. 

A Chicago condo building. (Photo by Dylan LaPierre on Unsplash)

After Florida Collapse, a Look at Condo Building Safety in Chicago

The deadly collapse of a condo building in Surfside, Florida, has prompted quick action in nearby cities. It has also left some Chicagoans wondering whether any local condo buildings are at risk, and what sorts of inspections they face.

Chicago police officers and demonstrators make their way along city streets during one of many protests sparked by the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. (WTTW News)

Survey Reveals Racial, Partisan Divides on American Identity, Political Violence and Guns

It’s no secret that America is divided across partisan and racial lines. But a new, nationwide survey of white and Black Americans from the University of Illinois at Chicago illustrates just how deep some of those divisions are.

(WTTW News)

New Book Explores the Legal and Political Fights That Shaped Chicago’s Lakefront

Chicago’s lakefront is often referred to as one of the city’s crown jewels, and as with many valuable things, it’s been the subject of frequent high-profile political and legal fights. A new history of the lakefront traces more than 150 years of nearly nonstop litigation.

(Virtue Restaurant / Facebook photo)

Chicago Chef Erick Williams on Juneteenth, Promoting Equity in Hospitality

As Juneteenth becomes a widely recognized holiday, the award-winning chef at Virtue restaurant talks about what the day means to him, and how he tries to honor it through his work.

“Game of Thrones” author George RR Martin appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. (WTTW News)

George RR Martin Talks Northwestern, Writing and ‘Game of Thrones’

A notable Northwestern alum is in town for some major recognition. “Game of Thrones” author George RR Martin was awarded an honorary doctorate at Monday’s commencement ceremony. We caught up with Martin to talk about the GOT phenomenon and his time at Northwestern.

(WTTW News)

Dates Announced for ‘Sundays on State’ Open Streets Events Downtown

The Chicago Loop Alliance’s series of events shutting down a stretch of the city’s iconic street to cars, is scheduled to run for eight Sundays this summer starting July 11, CLA announced Wednesday.

Gary Laughlin handles specimens at the McCrone Research Institute in Bronzeville, founded in 1960 by Walter McCrone. (WTTW News)

The Chicago-Based Scientist Who Helped Find Art-World Frauds

Walter McCrone championed the light microscope — and used it to analyze art world treasures and frauds. The late scientist is featured in the recently released Netflix documentary series “This Is a Robbery” and appeared years ago on WTTW’s “The New Explorers.”

(Active Transportation Alliance / Facebook)

Bike the Drive Set to Return Labor Day Weekend

Bike lovers, get your rides ready. After it was canceled in 2020 over coronavirus safety concerns, the hugely popular Bike the Drive event is scheduled to return on Sunday, Sept. 5.

June 8 was the first day on the job for Christina Shutt, the new director of Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. June 8, 2021 (WTTW News)

New Head of Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on Lincoln’s Legacy and Inclusive Education

Christina Shutt will be the fifth executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the first person of color to hold the title.

(Petr Kratochvil / Public Domain Pictures)

Ride-Share Passengers Complain of Long Waits, High Fares

A Chicago alderman wants ride-share companies to cap surge pricing amid a driver shortage, and drivers want Uber and Lyft to do more to keep them safe.

The Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel (WTTW News)

Chicago Hotels See Occupancy Upswing, but Full Recovery Still a Ways Off

The last 14 months have been incredibly difficult for Chicago’s usually booming hospitality industry. Though many hotels are still grappling with lower occupancy rates and many employees are still laid off, a recent uptick in travel means things are starting to look up.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announces the findings of a Department of Justice investigation into the Chicago Police Department on Jan. 13, 2017. (WTTW News)

A Brief History of Chicago Police Reform Efforts

The Chicago Police Department has been operating under a consent decree since 2019. The order, which was prompted by the 2014 police murder of Laquan McDonald, is the first consent decree the department has faced. But it’s not the first attempt at police reform in Chicago.

Rashod Johnson, president and CEO of Ardmore Roderick. (WTTW News)

Meet the Black-Owned Engineering Firm Helping Oversee the CTA’s Massive Red-Purple Line Overhaul

For extra help with its massive $2.1 billion modernization project, the CTA hired a joint venture made up of three firms, including a locally owned company that started in a South Side attic. Rashod Johnson tells us about his company and his love of civil engineering.

The site of the proposed development One Central. (WTTW News)

Lawmaker Moves to Block State Financing for Massive One Central Development

The proposed mega-development would create residential and retail space, parkland and a transit hub on top of the Metra tracks just west of Soldier Field. Why some lawmakers want to block state financing for the splashy, $20 billion plan.

The Navy Pier flyover. (WTTW News)

City, State Officials Cut Ribbon on Long-Awaited Navy Pier Flyover

The project’s many delays – some due to unexpected maintenance, some to funding availability – became a source of both frustration and humor for trail users and observers, who joked about the flyover taking longer than engineering marvels like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Sears Tower. 

Downtown Evanston (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Evanston

Reparations, equitable recovery top of mind for some residents

Located along the lakefront just north of Chicago, Evanston is known for its dining scene, arts and culture, and Northwestern University. But it also has a history of racial segregation and redlining, which city leaders hope to address through a historic reparations program that passed in March.

A runner approaches one of the Lake Shore Drive bridge houses on the nearly finished Navy Pier Flyover portion of the lakefront trail, April 30, 2021. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)

Full Navy Pier Flyover Close to Completion, But Misses Latest Deadline

The long-awaited, sometimes-maligned structure carrying the lakefront trail over Grand Avenue, Illinois Street and the Chicago River has missed its latest target to wrap up in April. But the Chicago Department of Transportation says it’s “very close” to completion.

Pedestrian traffic on State Street. (WTTW News)

Open Streets Project ‘Sundays on State’ Set to Start in July

One of Chicago’s most iconic thoroughfares is putting on its Sunday best this summer in an effort to lure people back downtown.

Maria del Carmen Macias was asked by the city to test the water in her Belmont Cragin home, where she offers day care. (WTTW News)

State Lawmakers Advance Bill to Replace Toxic Lead Service Lines

Chicago has more lead service pipes than any other U.S. city. Last year the city announced a plan to slowly replace those lines, an effort which has yet to get underway. Now, state lawmakers want to tackle the toxic problem—and they want Congress to foot the bill.

(WTTW News)

State Lawmakers Consider Letting Local Voters Decide on Rent Control

Since 1997, rent control has been banned in Illinois. A bill working its way through the General Assembly would give cities and towns the chance to hold a referendum vote on whether their municipality should allow it.

(WTTW News)

Transit Ridership Expected to Rebound, But Telecommuting Could Drive Big Shifts: RTA Report

People who have stayed away from public transit because of the coronavirus pandemic say they expect to return to buses and trains, but the shift toward working from home is likely to change when, why and how often people ride, according to a just-released survey.

Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef of the Chicago Activist Coalition For Justice speaks during a demonstration in Millennium Park on Thursday, April 15, 2021. (WTTW News)

Protests Planned in Chicago Following Release of Toledo Shooting Video

Police and city officials have been preparing for anticipated demonstrations following the release of videos showing the police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, as well as a verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged in the death of George Floyd.

A bill that would create a 21-member elected board to oversee Chicago Public Schools advanced in a Springfield committee Wednesday, but some lawmakers who supported the bill said they’re not fully sold yet. (WTTW News)

Lawmakers Advance Bill to Create Elected CPS Board, But Changes Appear Likely

A bill that would create a 21-member elected board to oversee Chicago Public Schools advanced Wednesday in Springfield, but some lawmakers who supported the bill said they’re not yet fully sold on it. CPS parents tell us how they think the school board should be structured.

(WTTW News)

Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Over Accessibility of Chicago Crosswalks

The DOJ says the city is required to install accessible pedestrian signals that give audio or tactile cues when it’s safe to cross the street. According to the suit, Chicago has just 15 of those signals out of 2,700 crosswalks with visual signals.