Residents said the rapid construction is destroying local infrastructure, severing the very pipelines that communities depend on for daily life. For many, the disruptions have come with little warning and even less explanation.

Lucha libre, or “free wrestling,” is woven into the fabric of Mexico’s cultural identity. It’s an acrobatic, flamboyant and thrilling choreographed sport that melds athletics and theater to symbolize the ultimate battle between good and evil.

Students from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism traveled to Mexico City in early 2026 to report on stories shaping life in and around the city.

Just steps from the city’s Monument to the Revolution, a unique community is taking shape. The neighborhood, known as “Little L.A.,” is populated by people who spent decades in the U.S. and are now struggling to adapt to a country they barely remember.

In Mexico City, sex work is legal but largely informal — a form of work that many women rely on to pay rent, buy food and cover medical costs.

On the waterways of Xochimilco, just south of Mexico City’s center, communities are working to preserve a farming system that has sustained life for centuries.

For decades, street art has been dominated by men, not only in Mexico but around the world. Now, a growing movement of women artists is changing that reality by reclaiming public space and transforming the city’s walls into bold statements of visibility and power.

Women’s softball is gaining momentum across the world, and in Mexico, the sport’s growing popularity is creating new opportunities for women and girls who historically have had few places to compete professionally.

For 60 years, Tlaxcala, two hours outside of Mexico City, has been one of Latin America’s most important textile recycling centers. But one family-owned business is imagining something different.

In an effort to combat suicide trends, two community-led organizations in Chicago — No Kids Die in the Chi and Soul Survivors of Chicago — are working to intervene early and provide young people with culturally grounded support.

Chicago’s lack of affordable housing impacts thousands of residents across the city. This problem is exacerbated when accessibility accommodations, such as needing a wheelchair, are also necessary.

“The more children can see folks that look like them, that talk like them, that understand the cultural nuances they have, the easier it becomes to teach them, the easier it becomes to reach them,” longtime South Shore educator Wayne Issa said.

The classes help seniors learn how to use technology — from identifying online scams to using Google Maps to navigate public transportation. Seniors develop independence and autonomy and overcome significant language barriers.

Nearly 300 public radio stations and more than 100 public television stations in the U.S. are producing local reporting, researchers found. In nine counties, public radio is the sole news source.

Chicago has more lead service lines than any other city in the U.S. with more than 400,000 lead water service lines are still active in the city. Local officials are not moving fast enough to address the cascading disparities and environmental injustices, community advocates say.

Most of the funding went to organizations outside the Chicago metro area. Nonprofit outlets received 30% of the money. The vast majority of news organizations in Illinois are for-profit.