Stories by Maya Miller
10 Things to Do This Weekend: June 15-18
| Maya Miller
Street festivals, vintage sales, funny femmes and plenty of tacos usher in Father’s Day weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.
Chicago Teachers Offer Plan to Better Handle Student Trauma
| Matt Masterson
Local teachers are recommending changes to Chicago Public Schools to offer better support to students dealing with poverty, homelessness and violence.
3.3 Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Evolution of Human Spine
| Kristen Thometz
What the nearly complete skeleton of a 2 1/2-year-old child tells researchers about the history the human spine – and human evolution.
Ask Geoffrey: White Castle Inspired by Chicago Water Tower?
| Erica Gunderson
Was the design of White Castle restaurants based on a Chicago landmark? Geoffrey Baer has the answers you crave.
Big Property Tax Hike for Chicago Homeowners
| Amanda Vinicky
Chicago residents should expect to pay about 10 percent more in property taxes.
The Illinois Executive Mansion Gets a Makeover
| Amanda Vinicky
A leaky roof, rotting walls and crumbling stairs – that was the condition of the Illinois executive mansion in 2015. Now a renovation of the 161-year-old mansion is underway.
It’s ‘A Whole New World’ for Disney Composer Alan Menken
| Brandis Friedman
What does it take to adapt a classic Disney musical for a live audience? We sit down with the award-winning composer to talk about remaking “Aladdin,” and the “keys” to his success.
Chicago’s Taxi Industry Is In Crisis: Can It Be Saved?
| Evan Garcia
Since ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft hit the Chicago market in 2013, overall taxi ridership in the city has taken a plunge. We discuss the future of Chicago’s cab industry.
Russia’s Election Meddling More Extensive Than Originally Thought
| Nicole Cardos
New details on the Russian cyberattack before the 2016 election, and how Illinois was affected.
Fed Expected to Hike Interest Rate Again
| Nick Blumberg
The Federal Reserve is expected to raise the benchmark interest rate again. What that means about the U.S. economy.
Giraffes Wear ‘FitBits’ to Measure Activity Rates at Brookfield Zoo
| Alex Ruppenthal
Customized activity monitoring devices are helping Brookfield Zoo staff study sleeping patterns and other behaviors in giraffes.
‘Love, Africa’ Details Beauty, Danger of Conflicted Continent
| Paul Caine
Jeffrey Gettleman was born and raised in Evanston, but a trip to Kenya when he was 18 years old changed the trajectory of his life.
Founders ‘Pushing Color’ at Chicago Women’s Funny Festival
| Maya Miller
When two local comedians launched the Chicago Women’s Funny Festival in 2012, they were regularly asked: “What’s it like to be a woman in comedy?” Find out what’s in store for this year’s fest—and how the business of comedy is evolving.
Joseph Berrios: Cook County Assessments ‘Fair and Accurate’
| Eddie Arruza
Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios is pushing back on a series of reports by the Chicago Tribune questioning the accuracy and fairness of his office.
Illinois House Members on State Budget Impasse
| Alexandra Silets
The state owes nearly $15 billion in unpaid bills, and if a budget isn’t passed, the backlog could swell to $24 billion. Can a deal be made? We discuss the budget crisis.
Chicago FOP President and ACLU Weigh In on Police Reform
| Evan Garcia
On the road to reform, which path should the Chicago Police Department take: one with or without federal oversight?
CPS Chemistry Students to Study Toxic Metals, Environmental Racism
| Alex Ruppenthal
A new $450,000 federal grant program partners CPS students with university professors to study the impact of toxic metals on Chicago neighborhoods.
Chicago Charter Teachers Back Potential CTU Merger
| Matt Masterson
Educators in the nation’s largest charter school union voted last week in favor of joining the Chicago Teachers Union in a move both sides hope will help expand their “collective power” to advocate for public education in the city.
UIC Launches Stem Cell, Regenerative Medicine Center
| Kristen Thometz
Researchers at UIC will focus on understanding tissue regeneration and spearheading future developments in stem cell biology as a means to repair diseased organs and tissues.
Urban Nature: ‘Chicago’s Crossroads’
| WTTW News
If you want to know what Chicago looked like 200 years ago, head to the city’s southeast corner, where native wetlands, forests and prairies all come together.
Sidney Blumenthal Tells Story of Lincoln’s Political Evolution
| Alexandra Silets
The Lincoln biographer and Clinton family adviser discusses his newest book, “Westling With His Angel.”
International Stories Take the Stage at Sullivan High School
| Nicole Cardos
Students at Roger C. Sullivan High School will share stories of community and identity from local and international perspectives this week, in collaboration with Lifeline Theatre.
DuSable Museum Seeking World War I Artifacts, Stories for New Exhibit
| Maya Miller
The museum is turning to the public for help in telling the story of African-Americans who served as combat soldiers during World War 1.
Historical Happy Hour: A Toast to Gwendolyn Brooks
| Erica Gunderson
The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet would have celebrated her 100th birthday this week. We take some poetic license ourselves with the Jazz June, a gin-based cocktail with a spring of fragrant lavender.
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