Stories by Marc Vitali
Rediscovering Influential Chicago Artist Charles White at the Art Institute
| Marc Vitali
On the 100th anniversary of his birth, Charles White is being recognized with the first major retrospective of his work since 1982.
Trump Amps Up Assault on Media, the ‘Enemy of the People’
| Alexandra Silets
Ivanka Trump splits with her father over his attack on journalists. Is the president’s rhetoric increasingly dangerous?
Chicago Communities Push to Reopen, Fund Public Mental Health Clinic
| Nick Blumberg
Behind the ballot referendum to restore public mental health care in Logan Square, Hermosa and Avondale.
Chicago Proposes 3 New Dog Parks on South Side
| Alex Ruppenthal
Chicago purports to be a dog-friendly city, but when it comes to dog parks, there is a huge discrepancy between the city’s North and South sides. What one dog-lover is doing to change that.
New ‘Bat Condo’ is 6th to Be Installed in Cook County
| Alex Ruppenthal
The structures, which look like doghouses without doors or windows, rest atop 12-foot stilts and can accommodate as many as 2,000 bats. Is this the year the bats will move in?
CPS to Consider Boundary Change to Add Students at Planned High School
| Matt Masterson
District officials will hear from Near South Side community members this week about a proposal to expand the attendance boundary for the new high school CPS is planning to phase in at the National Teachers Academy.
How Chicago Hospitals are Addressing the Opioid Epidemic
| Kristen Thometz
From decreasing access to opioids, to identifying patients at risk of addiction: A look at what local hospitals are doing in the fight against opioid addiction.
Bill to Help Illinois Agencies Donate Leftover Food Signed Into Law
| Alex Ruppenthal
A new law aims to make it easier for state agencies in Illinois to donate leftover food, which advocates say will help reduce waste and feed hungry residents.
Van Dyke Case: Judge Won’t Rule on Venue Change Until Jury Selection Begins
| Matt Masterson
After a daylong hearing featuring hours of expert testimony and competing surveys, it remains to be seen where the trial of Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke will be held.
5 Medicinal Plants Growing in Chicago You Should Know
| Kristen Thometz
More than 200 medicinal plants grow in a garden on the city’s Near West Side, including species that have led to the development of treatments for cancer and congestive heart failure.
Web Extra, The Week in Review: Russia Targets 2018 Midterm Elections
| Nick Blumberg
Eddie Arruza and guests discuss the warning from top U.S. intelligence and security leaders over continued Russian attempts to influence American elections.
The Week in Review: Critics Pick Apart Chicago Police Consent Decree
| Nick Blumberg
An anti-violence march takes over Wrigleyville. Battle lines are drawn over Chicago police reforms. And a state lawmaker accused of “catfishing” resigns.
Report: Immigrant Deportation, Separation Can Have ‘Lifelong Impacts’
| Kristen Thometz
Even if family separations are temporary, “the psychological effects of separation reverberate throughout the community for a long time,” said Dana Rusch, assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Protesters Take to Lake Shore Drive for Rush Hour March to Wrigley
| Matt Masterson
Protesters on the North Side of Chicago shut down all four lanes of Lake Shore Drive during rush hour Thursday to draw attention to gun violence in the city.
New UIC Program Aims to Bring More Men of Color into Classrooms
| Nicole Cardos
There’s a shortage of male teachers in Illinois classrooms, particularly those who are African-American and Latino. How the University of Illinois at Chicago is hoping to change that.
Bonnie Koloc, Howard Levy Share Deep and Enduring Musical History
| Marc Vitali
A studio performance with harmonica hero Howard Levy and Chicago folk legend Bonnie Koloc.
Live Bait Shop at Montrose Harbor a Relic of Chicago’s Fishing Heyday
| Jay Shefsky
Once upon a time in Chicago, so many people fished to feed their families that there were bait shops up and down the lakefront. The oldest one has been owned by the same family for 60 years.
US Economy Strong But Trump’s Tariffs Could Cause Problems
| Paul Caine
By almost every measure, the U.S. economy is on a bullet train to prosperity. But are there warning signs among the surging data?
‘Leopold and Loeb Files’ Offers Deep Dive Into Baffling 1924 Murder
| WTTW News
Some have called the Leopold and Loeb case “the murder that wouldn’t die.” A new book fans the flames of our obsession with this baffling and sensational crime. A conversation with author Nina Barrett.
Illinois to Sue Trump EPA Over Rollback of Clean Car Rules
| Alex Ruppenthal
In a joint statement released Thursday, attorneys general from nearly 20 states, including Illinois, said weakening the so-called clean car rules would cause Americans to breathe dirtier air and pay higher gas prices.
You Found a Baby Animal on Your Chicago Block. Now What?
| Alex Ruppenthal
Residents who come across young animals in the city often think they’ve been abandoned. But that’s rarely the case. Learn how to respond when you spot kittens or other baby animals on your block.
Mysterious Box of Photographs Inspires a Globe-Trotting Art Show
| Marc Vitali
East meets West in an art show that began with a collection of photos found at an estate sale 27 years ago.
Is Chicago the ‘Rat Capital’ of the US?
| Nicole Cardos
Chicago residents logged more than 50,000 complaints last year about rats, according to a new survey that ranks the city as the “rat capital” of the U.S. We separate rat fact from fiction.
Lake Shore Drive March: Activists to Protest Police-Involved Shootings
| Evan Garcia
Protesters are poised to take over Wrigleyville on Thursday. Organizers of the march are here to tell us why.
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