An Oprah-less Chicago Tries To Keep Talk Show Spirit Alive
It's been nearly two years since Oprah ended her daily show, and Chicago's been adjusting to the loss of the daytime talk queen. Although she left a huge void, there's no need to write an obituary for...
View ArticleGame Of Change: Pivotal Matchup Helped End Segregated Hoops
During the March Madness of 1963, playing was infused with politics. The NCAA matchup between Loyola University of Chicago and Mississippi State helped put an end to segregated basketball. Loyola's win...
View ArticleChicago Teachers, Parents Riled By Plan To Close 54 Public Schools
In Chicago, officials have released a long-feared list that places more than 50 schools on the chopping block. The public school district faces a $1 billion shortfall, and the mayor says many of the...
View ArticleFor Pulitzer-Winning Critic Roger Ebert, Films Were A Journey
He won a Pulitzer Prize for his writing, but just as influential as his print essays were his "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" movie reviews. Film critic Roger Ebert died Thursday after struggling for...
View ArticleMichelle Obama Steps Into Gun Control Debate
First lady Michelle Obama gave a personal and emotional speech Wednesday in Chicago as she stepped into the debate over gun control."Right now, my husband is fighting as hard as he can and engaging as...
View ArticleCash Crunch Prompts Controversial Sales At Chicago's Field Museum
The economy may be on the rebound, but many cultural institutions are still struggling to regain their financial footing. That's especially true for one of the country's most recognized museums — the...
View ArticleLosers In Chicago School Closings Target Elected Officials
A day after school officials approved shutting down 50 schools, the Chicago Teachers Union and community activists say they'll hold a voter registration and education campaign. The union is agitated...
View ArticleIn Chicago, Public Housing Experiment Enters New Phase
The Chicago Housing Authority has torn down all of its high rises and says it's close to completing its plans to transform public housing. Now, city leaders are moving to the next part of their plan:...
View ArticleBayard Rustin: The Man Who Organized The March On Washington
The trailblazing strategist behind the 1963 March on Washington will this year be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That's a long way from the days when civil rights activists...
View ArticleMinneapolis Courts Chicago's Same-Sex Couples
With the skyline of Chicago behind him, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak stands on a rooftop plaza in Boystown, the heart of a predominantly gay community.He's here on a recruiting mission. Minnesota...
View ArticleProposed Minimum Sentencing Law In Illinois Faces Scrutiny
In Illinois, you can face a prison term of one to three years if you use a weapon unlawfully. But you might serve only half that time, or you could get probation or even boot camp.Chicago alone saw...
View ArticleDespite The Headlines, Chicago's Crime Rate Fell In 2013
In 2013, Chicago newspapers and television stations kept a daily deadly count, listing those slain each day, most by gun violence. One of the most noted occurred early in the year when Hadiya...
View ArticleBig Cities See Violent Crime Rates Fall In 2013
Transcript AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: At the start of this new year, a number of cities in the United States, including its five largest, have a common story to tell about crime. In 2013, they all saw...
View ArticleLots Of Little Credit Charges Add Up To One Big Scam
Would you notice an unexpected charge of $10 or less on your credit card statement? Lots of consumers don't — and scammers count on that, says Steve Barnas, president and CEO of the Better Business...
View ArticleFlagging Down Taxi Drivers To Sign Up For Obamacare
Dan Ware has been driving a taxicab in Chicago for more than a decade, but he still doesn't have what many jobs offer: health insurance."I'm without health coverage," he says.And that's not unusual,...
View ArticleAs a Test Gets Phased Out In Chicago, Some Boycott Its Final Year
Transcript MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: It's testing time in Illinois today. Hundreds of thousands of students began taking state tests in math and science but some students, parents, even teachers are...
View ArticleCommuters Ditch Cars For Public Transit In Record Numbers
During the morning rush at Chicago's Union Station, commuter trains pull in, the doors open and a crush of people, newspapers and coffee cups in hand, pour off like a flood.Financial analyst Nader...
View ArticleLatinos Wary Of All-Out Push To Sign Up For ACA
All throughout the country, supporters of the Affordable Care Act have worked to reach the uninsured, holding health fairs and putting ads on TV and radio.The push continues to get as many enrolled as...
View ArticleStates, Lawmakers Want Feds To Use New Math For FEMA Calculations
It's no question the weather's been brutal for some communities, including Washington, Ill., a town of 15,000 in the central part of the state. When a tornado ripped through the area last November...
View ArticleSubminimum Wages For The Disabled: Godsend Or Exploitation?
The president recently signed an executive order raising the minimum hourly wage to $10.10 for workers employed by federal contractors — including those with disabilities.That's a victory for disabled...
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