Perspectives
What happens when black Americans leave their segregated hometowns
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Black Americans who grow up in racially segregated areas tend to have worse health, education and future economic prospects. Moving out can make a big difference.
Criminal Justice
An innovative strategy to reduce gun violence: beautify Chicago neighborhoods
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The city is spending millions on creating jobs to clean up vacant lots and green public spaces in areas with high shooting rates, an approach backed by research on blight and crime.
Perspectives
Why community-owned grocery stores like co-ops are the best recipe for revitalizing food deserts
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Prodded by Michelle Obama and other government leaders, Walmart and other major US retailers vowed to build hundreds of stores in food deserts. What happened?
Perspectives
Can parks help cities fight crime?
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Some parks reduce violence in the local vicinity. Other parks attract crime. The difference has to do with how these urban green spaces are designed, programmed and managed, experts say.
Perspectives
US poverty statistics ignore millions of struggling Americans
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In the US, poverty is measured by income level. But that measure misses many other aspects of poverty – like unemployment, poor health and a lack of health insurance.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
Lightfoot administration waffles on ending driver’s license suspensions
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Ticket fine reform is coming to Chicago, but one key measure requires state legislation.
Government and Politics
Report: Chicago’s wealthy, white communities most likely to have park projects approved
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Friends of the Parks says it may seek legal action to ensure parks are funded equally.
Government and Politics
Chicago agrees to refund duplicate tickets since 1992, following lawsuit
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The suit alleges that black and brown communities were targeted with illegal double ticketing, relying heavily on data uncovered by a joint investigation by WBEZ and ProPublica Illinois.
Economic Development
Target opens stores in younger, wealthier, white neighborhoods as it pulls out of South Side
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Protests are planned for Black Friday in response to retailer closing two South Side locations.
Economic Development
Alternative energy scams hit poor blacks and Latinos the hardest, complaints show
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Thousands are misled into switching suppliers in the hopes of saving money but instead see their utility bills spike, sometimes driving them into debt.