Stories by Evan Garcia
Red Panda Cubs at Lincoln Park Zoo Get Wrigley Field-Inspired Names
| Evan Garcia
Two red panda cubs at the Lincoln Park Zoo are born to love the Chicago Cubs. Like their two siblings born the previous year, the names of the cubs, revealed Tuesday, were inspired by Wrigley Field.
Mayor Proposes More Tax Hikes to Fix City Pensions
| Paris Schutz
After the big property tax hit, another new tax may be on the way for weary Chicagoans. Find out how much it might cost and why the mayor says it's necessary.
Obama Foundation Makes It Official: Jackson Park for Obama Library
| Brandis Friedman
The secret got out last week, but the Obama Foundation made it official at a news conference on Wednesday: Jackson Park will be the main home of the 44th U.S. president's library.
Reform Commission Takes 1st Look at New School Funding Model
| Matt Masterson
Illinois may become the ninth state since 2000 to adopt a new education funding system, and state leaders are hoping a new reform commission can figure out how its current formula can be fixed.
New Zika Guidelines for Florida as Vaccine Research Progresses
| WTTW News
Important research is happening locally and across the country in an attempt to control the Zika virus.
The Rise of Jon Secada: From Refugee to Top of the Charts
| Eddie Arruza
The singer-songwriter and two-time Grammy award-winner joins us in performance and conversation.
Uproar After DePaul University Bans Conservative Speaker
| Nick Blumberg
Students across the political spectrum are angry with DePaul University's decision not to allow a conservative writer and commentator to speak at an on-campus event.
Alligator Gar Not Effective Weapon Against Asian Carp, Says Biologist
| Evan Garcia
Despite a spate of recent reports, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources says that reintroducing alligator gar into Illinois' waterways will not prevent Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
Chicago-Area Man Aims to Be Full-Time Pokemon Trainer
| Hunter Clauss
The smartphone game has taken Chicago by storm. We hunt down and follow some of the area’s most dedicated players, including one who hopes to turn his hobby into a career.
Obama Pushes Support for TPP, Critics Fear Another NAFTA
| Paul Caine
President Barack Obama reiterates his support for the Trans Pacific Partnership. But the trade deal has strong opposition. What's at the core of the agreement that could shape U.S. trade relations in the 21st century?
New Bronzeville Community Center Offers Much-Needed Gathering Place
| Eddie Arruza
After years of waiting, Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood gets a spectacular and much needed arts and recreation center.
Old Main Post Office: Troubled Giant on Brink of Transformation
| Dan Andries
The building that thousands of cars drive under every day will be turned into commercial office space. Looking at the future of a building that's been empty since 1997.
Solutions for the State’s Perplexing Pension Gordian Knot
| Alexandra Silets
Can state lawmakers craft a constitutional fix for the Illinois public pension problem? We talk with one man who has a plan.
Hedy Weiss Reviews: ‘War Paint,’ ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ More
| Marc Vitali
The Chicago Sun-Times theater critic reviews a Pulitzer prize-winning play at Steppenwolf Theatre, a pair of one-man shows and two Tony award-winning actresses.
Northwestern, Lurie Children’s Hospitals Named Best Hospitals in US
| Kristen Thometz
Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago rank among the top hospitals in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of hospitals.
STEM Competition Aims to Inspire Teen Girls
| Matt Masterson
Dozens of teenage girls from the Chicago area are getting a unique, hands-on STEM experience as they transform recycled refrigerators into solar-powered race cars in the ComED Icebox Derby.
Black Lives Matter Coalition Releases 1st Official Platform
| Reuben Unrau
Just days before the two-year anniversary of the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, that sparked protests nationwide, the Movement for Black Lives has released an official platform that outlines its demands.
Looking Back at Republican, Democratic Conventions for Insight Ahead
| Alexandra Silets
The fallout continues from the political conventions. We hear from several reporters who spent two weeks on the ground at both the Republican and Democratic conventions.
FOP President Dean Angelo on Shooting of Paul O’Neal, Labor Day Weekend Staffing
| Brandis Friedman
In a phone call late Monday afternoon, Fraternal Order of Police President Dean Angelo spoke about the recent police-involved shooting of Paul O’Neal and the union’s call for police officers to reject Labor Day weekend overtime.
Community Activists Share Expectations for Obama Library
| Dan Andries
The site for the Obama Presidential library has been chosen and now community activists tell us what they expect as the project moves forward.
Chicago’s Plastic Bag Ban Extended to Smaller Chain Stores
| Evan Garcia
As of Monday, chain stores that are 10,000 square feet or less must comply with the city's plastic bag ban originally enacted a year ago.
Cartoonists of the Gilded Age on Display at Driehaus Museum
| Dan Andries
Revisit the wry cartoons of the turn of the century satirical magazine, Puck.
Frustrated Top Cop Calls for Tougher Gun Laws
| Brandis Friedman
Superintendent Eddie Johnson says his department has so far made 1,900 gun arrests in 2016, a 7-percent increase over the first seven months of 2015.
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