Stories by Nick Blumberg

Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey started his day at Roosevelt High School in Albany Park. He hopes Friday’s walkout sparks action on the state budget. At Beasley Elementary in the Washington Park neighborhood, CTU President Karen Lewis rallied her troops and argued funding is exactly what the strike is about.

Bison are once again roaming Illinois prairies. It's been more than 175 years since the last wild bison died in this state, but as of October they are back, thanks to The Nature Conservancy project in western Illinois called Nachusa Grasslands.

Pop diva Beyoncé is arguably the most popular performer in the world. But there's much more to her than her success as a provocative pop icon. That's the idea behind a new college course at UIC that delves into Beyoncé's role in shaping "feminist perspectives and [the image] of U.S. black womanhood."