Stories by evan garcia

Roughly 50% of all Illinoisans are fully vaccinated. (WTTW News)

A Look at Illinois’ COVID-19 Trajectory and the Impact of Lollapalooza

As summer winds down, Illinois continues to see a spike in COVID-19 cases, with more than 3,100 new infections reported by state health officials Thursday. Dr. Susan Bleasdale of UI Health breaks down the latest data and recommendations.

In this file photo, members of the Chicago City Council meet on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. (WTTW News)

Alderpeople Address Budget Shortfall, Police Tensions

Chicago’s revenue remains stunted by the pandemic. Meanwhile, City Council disclosed millions in investments using federal stimulus funds. And tension heightens between the community and police in the wake of Officer Ella French’s killing. Three alderpeople weigh in on these topics and more.

Pastor T.L. Barrett plays piano at his home on July 30, 2021. (WTTW News)

Chicago Record Label Revitalizes Forgotten Artists of the Past

Older artists are getting a second chance at stardom through the efforts of a local record label tucked away in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. We explore the musical world of Numero Group.
(WTTW News)

Survey Examines COVID-19 Misinformation on Facebook

For many of us, social media is a convenient way to keep in touch with family, friends and colleagues. But sharing false information on platforms like Facebook during a global pandemic can have life or death consequences.

Andrea Kersten, interim chief of Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability appears on “Chicago Tonight” via Zoom, July 21, 2021. (WTTW News)

COPA’s Interim Leader Looks Forward to Civilian Oversight Board

The Chicago City Council has approved a measure to create a board of civilians to oversee the Chicago Police Department, the police board and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Andrea Kersten, the interim chief administrator of COPA, shares her thoughts.

(WTTW News)

Digging into Chicago’s COVID-19 Vaccine Disparity

A recent South Side Weekly report used city data to show that Chicago’s vaccine disparity is widening between wealthier parts of the city, like the Loop, and areas on the South and West sides with a majority of Black and brown residents.

Malcolm Langford, 14, rides a tall bike at a Logan Square Park meetup organized by the custom bike club Rat Patrol on June 11. (WTTW News)

Riding High and Low: Exploring Chicago’s Vibrant Custom Bike Culture

Have you ever thrown out a broken bike or any of its spare parts? There’s a chance a local bike club scooped up that trash to make a work of art on wheels. We visit Logan Square to learn about the city’s bustling custom bike culture.

Mexican painter Carmen Chami's work is featured at the National Museum of Mexican Art (Courtesy NMMA)

National Museum of Mexican Art Prepares to Reopen Its Doors

When it reopens its doors July 1, the National Museum of Mexican Art will be kicking off operations with a major financial boost after it received an $8 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

While officials discuss a possible future permanent e-scooter program in Chicago, several members of City Council are raising safety concerns about the swift modes of transport. (WTTW News)

Examining the E-Scooter Data of Chicago’s 2020 Program

Last year’s electric scooter program, which ran from August to December, saw an increase in the number of available scooters but a decline in overall ridership, according to a Chicago Department of Transportation report.

Illinois State Climatologist: This Year’s Spring Driest Since 1934

What could drier-than-normal weather mean for your garden and the greater climate? A climate change specialist and floral expert weigh in.

The Chill Foundation’s skateboarding program kicked off in November 2020 in Chicago. (WTTW News)

Young Skateboarders Gain Their Footing Through New Chicago Program

Skateboarding has long been considered a sport, an art form and even a lifestyle by its devotees. In Chicago, a new program has helped young people break out of the pandemic blues by learning the basics of skateboarding while picking up valuable life lessons along the way.

Mister Kelly's, which operated from 1953 to 1975, is the subject of a new film unpacking its star-studded rosters and broader impact. (WTTW News)

‘Live at Mister Kelly’s’ Documentary Details Iconic Chicago Nightclub

The Chicago nightclub helped launch the early careers of music and comedy acts like Barbra Streisand and Richard Pryor, while achieving status from established jazz artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn, who both recorded live albums at the Rush Street venue.

(WTTW News)

Higher Education Programs Tackle Latino Issues Domestic and Abroad Amid COVID-19

Within university programs dedicated to Latino studies, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and brown communities, as well as tensions surrounding police brutality, are emerging in classroom discussions and curriculum.

An image taken from the WTTW documentary “Ida B. Wells: A Chicago Stories Special.” (Courtesy WTTW)

Ida B. Wells’ Pioneering Journalism Highlighted in New WTTW Film

Journalist and activist Ida B. Wells took great risks to expose the horrors of racism and fight injustice through her investigative writings. Wells’ life and groundbreaking work are the subject of a new WTTW Chicago Stories documentary airing Friday.

(WTTW News)

WBEZ ‘Reset’ Host Sasha-Ann Simons on Covering Chicago

A new WBEZ series examines how Chicago’s institutions interact with its residents. Sasha-Ann Simons, the station’s new host of “Reset,” joins us.

Pete Ternes, owner of the brewpub Bungalow by Middle Brow, takes a pizza out of the Logan Square restaurant’s oven on April 30, 2021. Bungalow by Middle Brow is one of several vendors participating in this year’s Logan Square Farmers Market. (WTTW News)

Logan Square Farmers Market Gives Businesses a Boost Amid COVID-19

One of Chicago’s only weekly, nearly year-long farmers markets opened on Sunday, just in time to provide some extra help to the farmers, restaurateurs and other food producers selling their goods in the city’s Northwest Side neighborhood. We meet some of this year’s vendors.

(Meagan Davis / Wikimedia Commons)

Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ Garcia Looks Forward to Open and Inclusive Redistricting Process

With a Democratic governor and supermajorities in the state Senate and House, Democrats are in the driver’s seat to redraw the state’s political boundaries. Do Illinois Latinos now warrant more representation in Congress than they currently have?

(Cytonn Photography / Unsplash)

Internet Cookies May Boost Online Experience But Raise Privacy Concerns

As data breaches in recent years have exposed weaknesses in the storage and transfer of personal data, lawmakers in the United States and Europe have expressed concern over the tracking of users online. 

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks with “Chicago Tonight” via Zoom on Thursday, April 29, 2021. (WTTW News)

Duckworth Pushes $35B Investment in Water Infrastructure

President Joe Biden made sweeping proposals in his address to Congress on Wednesday. Among them, a pledge to tackle lead in drinking water. U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has proposed $35 billion to update water infrastructure and improve drinking water quality across the country.

Minor Details founder Dina Lewis shows off her “squeeze tee,” designed to fit comfortably on children with sensory processing disorder, in her design studio on April 15, 2021. (WTTW News)

Chicago Designer Creates Clothing for Children with Sensory Disorders

Former real estate agent Dina Lewis moved from New York City to Chicago in 2018. Soon after, she decided to pursue a professional endeavor that was personal to her: designing clothing for kids with special sensory needs. We visited the design studio of Minor Details to learn more.

The digital rollout of the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant program to assist venues with payroll, rent and other financial obligations is delayed nearly two weeks after its planned launch due to an onslaught of demand and applications. (WTTW News)

Chicago Music Venues Try to Stay Afloat Despite Bungled Federal Aid Rollout

A recent bungled federal aid rollout worth 16 billion dollars for music venues and theaters across the country is adding more strain to a stressful situation.

Little Village resident Andre Gordillo, right, raises his arms in protest during the Adam Toledo peace walk on April 18, 2021. “I think it’s important to show that I care about my community and that I want justice to be done for the wrongful murder of a 13-year-old,” Gordillo said. “This is a peaceful, youth-led march.” (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Photos: Little Village Peace Walk Memorializes 13-Year-Old Adam Toledo

Several hundred people gathered Sunday evening in Little Village to mourn the death of Adam Toledo and participate in a peace walk through the neighborhood. The 13-year-old was fatally shot by a police officer on March 29.

(WTTW News)

Providers Combat Vaccine Hesitancy After Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause

Health officials recommended a pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine this week after six people experienced rare but severe blood clots. We discuss the situation—and concerns about vaccine hesitancy—with Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergist and immunologist at the Chicago Allergy Center.

Protester Natalia Sustaita holds a sign reading “He Had His Hands Up!” at a Logan Square protest April 16, 2021, over the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. “I feel it’s important to show solidarity with Adam Toledo because he was just a child,” Sustaita said. “And if the money and resources that are given to the Chicago Police Department would’ve been used to fund the community of Little Village, maybe the situation would’ve been different.” (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

Photos: Thousands March to Protest Police Killing of 13-Year-Old Adam Toledo

Thousands of protesters gathered in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood Friday evening to protest the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo last month. Toledo was fatally shot by a police officer in the Little Village neighborhood, about 6 miles south of the protest.

As of April 2020, more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt is owed by Americans, a figure that grows six times faster than the U.S. economy. (WTTW News)

Canceling Student Loan Debt an Undue Burden, Critics Say

Americans owe more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. Now, President Joe Biden is facing new calls to cancel $50,000 or more of loan debt per student. But critics say it would put an undue burden on Americans who never went to college.

Pro-Trump supporters breach security gates at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (WTTW News via CNN)

Who Stormed the US Capitol? New Report Digs Into Demographics of Those Arrested

A new analysis from the University of Chicago looked at the demographics of the 377 individuals arrested for the Jan. 6 attack. The study’s author said he had expected to discover something about the economic conditions of the rioters but was surprised that the data told a very different story.