Many animal shelters are temporarily closed to the public under the state’s stay-at-home order, but they’re still offering essential services — and they’re bracing for an uptick in need as pet owners get sick and lose paychecks.
Stories by evan garcia
Olympic Dreams Deferred: Chicago-Area Athletes Look to 2021
Mar 30, 2020 | Evan Garcia
The coronavirus pandemic has caused organizers to postpone this summer’s Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. We discuss the delay with three Olympic athletes from the Chicago area.
Street Medicine: Treating Chicago’s Homeless During the Coronavirus Outbreak
Mar 19, 2020 | Evan Garcia
For many homeless people in Chicago, staying safely sheltered and isolated during the coronavirus outbreak simply isn’t an option. How one nonprofit is helping people in need.
The Week in Review: Schools Closed, Events Canceled as COVID-19 Spreads
Mar 13, 2020 | Evan Garcia
President Trump declares a national emergency as the coronavirus prompts event cancellations and school closures across the city and state. And primary races are down to the wire as Illinois voters head to the polls Tuesday.
The Week in Review: Lightfoot Endorses Biden Ahead of Illinois Primary
Mar 6, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Illinois’ top Democrats coalesce behind Joe Biden in the presidential primary. Bernie Sanders plans a Grant Park rally. A sixth person tests positive for the coronavirus in Illinois. And the police union votes for a new leader.
Not So Sweet: Illinois’ Maple Syrup Producers Grapple with Climate Change
Mar 3, 2020 | Evan Garcia
For generations, a small family business has relied on predictable weather patterns to produce thousands of gallons of maple syrup each year. But climate change is now threatening the industry – and filling the family with uncertainty about the future.
The Week in Review: Blagojevich Returns Home as ‘Freed Political Prisoner’
Feb 21, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is boisterous and unrepentant as he returns home, singing the praises of President Trump. Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushes a progressive tax in his budget address.
Chicago Food Policy Summit to Focus on Food Justice, Sovereignty
Feb 19, 2020 | Evan Garcia
A free public event Friday will focus on food inequality across Chicago’s 77 community areas. We discuss the event with Rodger Cooley, executive director of the Chicago Food Policy Action Council.
Chicago-Area Curlers Slide and Sweep Stones in Former Government Office
Feb 18, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Beijing’s Winter Games – and that singular sport, curling – won’t awe and inspire spectators for another two years. But there’s plenty of curling happening now in Chicago’s western suburbs.
Smash Away Your Stress at Chicago’s Only Rage Room
Feb 11, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Joe Lupa, the owner of Chicago’s first and only rage room, boils his business down to a simple consumer demand: people like smashing stuff. We visit Escapades Rage Room on the city’s Near North Side.
‘In The Zone’ Highlights Chicagoan’s Education Efforts at Home and Abroad
Feb 5, 2020 | Evan Garcia
A West Side native is lifting kids out of poverty and into better school zones. We meet Terrance Wallace, whose InZone Project is the subject of a 2018 documentary premiering in Chicago this week.
The Week in Review: Sandoval Pleads Guilty, Top Cop Shakes Up CPD
Jan 31, 2020 | Evan Garcia
A guilty plea has reverberations throughout the state. Coronavirus concerns spread in Chicago. A massive restructuring of the Chicago Police Department. And Catholic schools get a financial lifeline.
Big Shoulders Deal Directs $92M to 30 Catholic Schools in Chicago
Jan 30, 2020 | Evan Garcia
A 10-year deal between a local nonprofit and the Archdiocese of Chicago will pour millions into 30 Catholic schools on the city’s South and West sides.
Chicago Releases 2019 Electric Scooter Program Data
Jan 29, 2020 | Evan Garcia
The city’s four-month pilot program saw more than 820,000 electric scooter trips and reports of nearly 200 scooter-related injuries. What else the data tells us as the city gears up for a new scooter program.
Warm Winter Doesn’t Halt Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition
Jan 27, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Every year, artists meet about 80 miles northwest of Chicago to sculpt works of art from an unusual material. We take a look at their frozen creations at the 34th annual competition in Rockford.
Cook County Jail Inmates Turn Vegetable Oil into Diesel Fuel
Jan 22, 2020 | Evan Garcia
A small group of detainees are learning how to make biodiesel fuel from reclaimed cooking oil. Hundreds of gallons have so far been produced – and thousands of dollars saved – but officials also tout the program’s rehabilitative value.
How Should Chicago Handle a ‘Climate Emergency’?
Jan 21, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Ald. Matt Martin recently introduced a resolution in City Council declaring a state of climate emergency. The plan calls for citywide budgetary measures and policies to reduce carbon emissions, but some worry about its economic impact.
The Week in Review: Pritzker Urges Madigan Aide to Cooperate in Federal Probe
Jan 17, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Pritzker gets heated over Madigan aide. Hurt feelings between the mayor and City Council over LGBTQ language. Preckwinkle’s Cook County Health power play. And a new national newscast out of Chicago.
Interim Top Cop Charlie Beck on the Future of Policing in Chicago
Jan 15, 2020 | Evan Garcia
It’s a temporary job, but a big one: Chicago’s interim police superintendent talks about restructuring the police force, parallels between LA and Chicago and the search for the city’s next top cop.
Englewood Aldermen Address Political Divisions at Historic Town Hall
Jan 14, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Can one Chicago neighborhood overcome its political divisions to exert more influence in City Council? Five aldermen representing portions of Englewood held a historic town hall Tuesday to try and do just that.
White House Releases Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence Technology
Jan 13, 2020 | Evan Garcia
As artificial intelligence becomes more widespread, the White House lays out best practices for developing and using the technology.
US Stocks Surge Amid Easing Tension with Iran, Imminent China Trade Talks
Jan 9, 2020 | Evan Garcia
The U.S. stock market closed at record highs Thursday, indicating investor confidence as relations between the U.S. and Iran appear to cool down. Ed Stuart and Michael Miller share their thoughts on current economic conditions.
Trump’s Threat to Attack 52 Iranian Sites Draws Criticism, Concern
Jan 6, 2020 | Evan Garcia
An expert on Iranian culture says he was “appalled” by President Donald Trump’s threat to attack dozens of Iranian sites. We speak with Matthew Stolper of the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute.
The Week in Review: Legal Pot Brings Long Lines, Millions in Revenue
Jan 3, 2020 | Evan Garcia
The launch of legal marijuana in Illinois. Chicago homicides drop for the third straight year. What the future holds for Chicago-based Boeing. And the Bears are all in on Mitchell Trubisky in 2020.
AI Technology Used to Detect Strokes at Chicago-Area Hospital
Jan 2, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital is using artificial intelligence software to detect strokes via brain scans – and they say it allows them to initiate treatment faster than ever before.
Northwestern Scientists Study the ‘Shocking’ Mystery of Static Electricity
Jan 2, 2020 | Evan Garcia
Static electricity was first described more than 2,500 years ago, but scientists have never been able to fully explain what causes it. Researchers at Northwestern University now think they may have solved the mystery.