In Tight Race, Black Voters Urged To Turn Out
Transcript RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: There's little doubt that President Obama will win a large majority of the minority vote. Polls this year show the Latino voters supporting him by large margins, and...
View ArticleA Vision For Chicago Public Housing, Stymied And Contested
Chicago's $1.6 billion "Plan for Transformation" envisioned public housing in a way that would deconstruct an image of the city's poor all concentrated in huge housing silos.The idea was to mix...
View ArticleViolence-Riddled Chicago Hopes Gun Proposals Will Help Shield It
As President Obama unveiled his gun control proposals Wednesday, he highlighted mass shootings at schools in Colorado, Virginia and Connecticut. He also mentioned another group of children, not in...
View ArticleGun Violence Robs Chicago Mother Of Remaining Child
The gun violence that scars some Chicago neighborhoods has been a plague for one woman. Shirley Chambers first lost a child to gunfire in the mid 1990s. In 2000, a daughter and a son were shot to death...
View ArticleFirst Lady Among Mourners At Funeral For Slain Chicago Teen
Hundreds of mourners, including first lady Michelle Obama, turned out Saturday for the funeral of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, a Chicago girl who was shot to death just days after she and her high...
View ArticleAirport Suites Offer Travelers A Place To Nap On The Fly
When there's a big snowstorm or a plane has mechanical problems, airports often turn into uncomfortable holding pens, with people scrunched in chairs, lying on floors, filling up restaurants and...
View ArticleAn 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 ArticleAugust Wilson's Words Get New Life In Monologue Contest
When the stage lights go up at Chicago's Goodman Theatre on Monday evening, more than 20 high school students will each have a moment to step into the spotlight and perform a monologue from one of the...
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 ArticleChicago School Closing Battle Targets 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 ArticleStates Face Language Barriers To Health Exchange Sign Up
Polling shows that many Americans aren't quite sure how the Affordable Care Act will affect them, and it may be even more confusing for immigrants and people who don't speak English as their first...
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 ArticleOne Way For An Indie Bookstore To Last? Put Women 'First'
As recently as 25 years ago, there were more than 100 self-described feminist bookstores in the U.S. — stores focusing on books written by and for women. Like most independent bookstores, though, their...
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