Stories by Quinn Myers
Illinois Democratic Party Endorses Sen. Duckworth for Vice President
| Quinn Myers
A one-on-one discussion with Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on the possibility of being Joe Biden’s running mate, the federal response to COVID-19, whether schools should reopen in the fall and more.
Meet the Chicago South Side Pastor Sampled by Kanye West
| Evan Garcia
Pastor T. L. Barrett wrote and recorded soul-infused gospel music in the 1970s with his youth choir. Forty years later, his music is reaching new generations — via some star-studded names.
The Challenges of Running a Bar in Chicago During a Pandemic
| Dan Andries
Chicago bars have been open since the middle of June, and since that time, new coronavirus cases in young people are spiking. How are bar owners and managers handling their business — and the safety of customers and employees?
More Than Half of Chicagoans Expected to Vote by Mail in November
| Paul Caine
A record 121,000 Chicagoans have sent in applications to vote by mail in the November election. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump claims without evidence the 2020 election will be “the most rigged.”
Aldermen OK New Contract for Chicago Police Brass That Allows Anonymous Complaints
| Heather Cherone
Aldermen advanced an agreement that will allow anonymous complaints against police sergeants, lieutenants and captains to be investigated, despite concerns that it does not go far enough to hold police brass accountable for misconduct.
Pritzker Outlines Plan that Would Trigger Additional COVID-19 Restrictions
| Kristen Thometz
With the number of coronavirus cases rising in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced a new COVID-19 mitigation plan to combat a possible resurgence of the virus.
CPS Issues New Guidance as Local Councils Vote on Cops in Schools
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Public Schools is recommending school leaders schedule community town hall meetings as more and more local school councils consider votes to eliminate their resource officer programs.
4 Companies Apply to Offer Scooters During Chicago’s Second Pilot Program
| Heather Cherone
Some 10,000 scooters will be scattered throughout Chicago when the city’s second pilot program starts next month. It’s designed to settle once and for all the question of whether scooters should be allowed on Chicago’s streets.
OK to Use Air Conditioners During Pandemic, City’s Top Doc Says
| Patty Wetli
With temperatures set to soar in Chicago in the coming days, Dr. Allison Arwady reassured residents that it’s “safe and appropriate” to use air conditioning in their apartments and homes without risking the spread of COVID-19.
CPD Entering ‘Next Generation’ of Policing as 2 Senior Leaders Retire
| Matt Masterson
Chicago’s top cop says his department is heading into the “next generation” of policing as two of its most senior leaders head into retirement and more than a dozen others have been promoted into command staff positions.
‘We Are on the Precipice’: Lightfoot Warns That Rising Cases Among Young Adults Threatens Progress
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday delivered a blunt warning to young adults in Chicago: you are spreading the coronavirus, and threatening the tentative progress Chicago has made in fighting the pandemic.
First COVID-19 Vaccine Tested in US Poised for Final Testing
| Associated Press
The first COVID-19 vaccine tested in the U.S. revved up people’s immune systems just the way scientists had hoped, researchers reported Tuesday -- as the shots are poised to begin key final testing.
Trump Administration Rescinds Rule on Foreign Students
| Associated Press
The decision was announced at the start of a hearing in a federal lawsuit in Boston brought by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
An Exit Interview With Police Department’s First Deputy Superintendent
| Amanda Vinicky
Anthony Riccio, the Chicago Police Department’s second-in-command, is retiring. The move comes as police departments nationwide are under the microscope — including in Chicago.
Push to Legalize Coach Houses, Granny Flats Stalls Amid Opposition From Aldermen
| Heather Cherone
An effort to ease Chicago’s affordable housing crisis by permitting coach house dwellings stalled Friday amid opposition from aldermen concerned they would not be able to stop unwanted units from being built in their wards.
Newly Discovered Comet NEOWISE is Streaking Across the Sky and Giving Us Life
| Patty Wetli
The comet has been delighting sky gazers across the globe. Catch it now, because it won’t swing back our way for another 6,800 years.
Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Trauma to Curb Gun Violence in Chicago
| Marissa Nelson
While the Chicago Police Department is increasing its community policing efforts, a new behavioral health task force on the West Side is convening to address trauma as a root cause of violence.
The Debate Over Police in Chicago Public Schools
| Quinn Myers
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools leadership say the decision to remove police officers from schools should lie with individual local school councils. Now, some schools are taking action.
Reopened Museum Looks at Power of Resistance in Puerto Rico
| Marc Vitali
The Museum of Contemporary Photography is rolling out resistance. That’s the theme of their long-delayed show that just opened on the Columbia College campus in the Loop. We go for a look.
Former Meatpacking Plant to Host Vegan Farmers Market
| Patty Wetli
Chicago Vegan Test Kitchen has found a new home for its farmers market — Vegan Paradise — at Bubbly Dynamics’ The Plant, a former meat processing facility in Back of the Yards.
Freeze on Development Along 606 Trail Extended for 6 Months Amid Pandemic
| Heather Cherone
Aldermen unanimously agreed Tuesday to ban demolitions near the 606 Bloomingdale Trail for another six months as aldermen craft a measure to blunt rapid gentrification along the popular trail.
City Colleges Launches Debt Forgiveness Program to Offer Former Students a ‘Fresh Start’
| Matt Masterson
Students held back by debt who dropped out of the City Colleges of Chicago system before completing their studies can now re-enroll and finish their degrees through a relief program that promises to forgive those unpaid dues.
Aldermen Advance Revised Measure to Give Some Tenants More Notice Before Evictions
| Heather Cherone
A significantly revised measure that would give long-term renters more notice before they are evicted without cause cleared a key city panel Tuesday after progressive aldermen stalled its passage for a month.
Pritzker Says He Won’t Hesitate to Reimpose COVID-19 Restrictions
| Kristen Thometz
“I will not hesitate to reimpose some mitigations if we see (coronavirus) numbers moving upward,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday. “My concern again is all about the health and safety of the people of Illinois.”
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