Stories by nick blumberg

(WTTW News)

COVID-19 Vaccines May Protect Against Other Coronaviruses: Study

A new study shows that vaccination against a coronavirus or a previous infection can provide protection against other viruses in that same family – and it shows that generic vaccines could be developed to protect against future viruses.

(Photo by Daniel Bosse on Unsplash)

As Women Leave the Workforce, Researchers Say Low-Income Working Moms Need More Support

Women have lost nearly 3 million jobs since February 2020. A look at the barriers facing low-income, working mothers.

Coalition Food Hall, set to be located near the California Green Line Station in Garfield Park, is one of 11 equitable transit-oriented developments that received a grant this week.  (Credit: Coalition Food Hall)

Grant Program Aims to Boost Equitable Development Near Train, Bus Lines

The city’s Equitable Transit-Oriented Development pilot program awarded micro-grants to 11 projects around Chicago on Wednesday. The funding goes up to $20,000, and technical assistance to get projects off the ground is also included.

(WTTW News)

UIC Lab Tracking COVID-19 Trends and Hot Spots By Testing Wastewater

A University of Illinois Chicago lab and its partners have been tracking the virus that causes coronavirus in wastewater and sharing the data with local public health agencies. 

Cyclists of color in Chicago get a disproportionate number of tickets from police, according to reports by the Chicago Tribune. (WTTW News)

Study: Black, Latino Bicyclists Face More Ticketing and Less Infrastructure

Cyclists of color in Chicago get a disproportionate number of tickets from police, according to reports by the Chicago Tribune. Bike advocates hope a new city initiative can help address the problem but say it’s not just about infrastructure.

The northwest corner of 115th and Halsted streets sits at the intersection of West Pullman, East Morgan Park and West Roseland. Local leaders are working to redevelop the massive site into a mixed-use, community-driven project. (Courtesy Far South Community Development)

Developers Turn 12 Vacant Acres on the Far South Side Into a New Community

Local leaders are working to redevelop a massive city site into a mixed-use, community-driven project. They’ve gotten millions in seed money from the state — and are hoping for city support, too.

 The West Loop is known for its trendy Michelin-rated restaurants and lively nightlife scene. (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: West Loop

The neighborhood has changed from an industrial hub to an area bustling with bars and restaurants. And more changes are on the way, with huge new developments under consideration, including a Guinness brewery.

In Englewood, one of the biennial’s 15 sites, the community partner is Grow Greater Englewood and they are constructing a new Englewood Village Plaza at 58th St. and Halsted. (WTTW News)

Chicago’s 4th Architecture Biennial Reimagines City’s Vacant Lots

The exposition kicks off Friday. Past editions have been based at the Chicago Cultural Center, but now, its focus shifts to neighborhoods across Chicago — and to finding creative opportunities to meet those communities’ needs.

Byron Nuclear Generating Station in Ogle County, Illinois. (WTTW News)

The Week in Review: Energy Overhaul Finally Moves Ahead

An energy bill passes the House. Calls grow to investigate an alderman accused of retaliating against residents. Thousands of CPS students are potentially exposed to COVID-19. And the Chicago Bears kickoff their season Sunday.

City Council colleagues of Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) are calling for him to be punished after text messages show him using offensive language and seeking to withhold city services from a constituent. (WTTW News)

Spotlight Politics: Calls to Punish Alderman Grow

City Council colleagues of Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) are calling for him to be punished after text messages show him using offensive language and seeking to withhold city services from a constituent. Our politics team weighs in on that story and more.

(WTTW News)

Class-Action Lawsuit Targets Chicago Police Stop-and-Frisk Practices

More than two million people might be eligible to join a class-action lawsuit over the Chicago Police Department’s stop-and-frisk practices, according to attorneys suing CPD and the city. We hear from one of the plaintiffs in the suit and an attorney.

Des Plaines is a diverse city, with a growing population of more than 58,000 people, located just North of O’Hare Airport. (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Des Plaines

Des Plaines is a diverse suburb just north of O’Hare Airport. It has a high vaccination rate but is still facing an uptick in COVID-19 cases. It’s also looking forward to the reopening of a historic theater, and the expansion of one of its major employers.

A new High Speed Rail Commision is also charged with integrating current rail service from Metra and Amtrak. (WTTW News)

Illinois Advocates Hope High-Speed Rail Is on the Horizon

Imagine getting from Chicago to St. Louis by train in just a couple of hours. That’s the vision of high-speed rail advocates, who want to see an ultrafast train cut across Illinois — and the vision has gotten a boost from Illinois lawmakers.

A life ring installed on the lakefront by Rogers Park activist Jim Ginderske. (Credit Halle Quezada / Twitter)

Rogers Park Alderwoman Asks Neighbors to Put Pressure on Park District After Lakefront Life Ring Removed

After a drowning in Lake Michigan near a Rogers Park beach earlier this month, longtime community activist Jim Ginderske decided to take action in the name of public safety. Now, a local alderperson is joining the effort.

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by unvaccinated Illinoisans, Governor J.B. Pritzker reinstated an indoor mask mandate and widened the state’s vaccination mandate. (WTTW News)

The Week in Review: Vaccine Mandates Widen

A statewide indoor mask mandate. A city worker vaccine mandate and police union pushback. Two Republican congressmen in jeopardy as remapping begins. And the country reels from an Afghanistan terror attack.

According to recent reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided in May to stop tracking all COVID-19 breakthrough cases and is instead only gathering data on the most severe cases. (WTTW News)

The CDC Is Only Tracking Some Breakthrough COVID-19 Cases. Is That a Problem?

As the delta variant continues to drive a spike in COVID-19 cases, two recent reports outline the challenges of tracking so-called breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated people. We discuss the importance — and limitations — of disease surveillance.

Pritzker Signs Into Law New Sex Education Standards. Critics Say They Go Too Far

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed into law a pair of bills that update sex education for K-12 schools in Illinois. Supporters say the move will offer students age-appropriate information, but critics say the new standards go too far.

(WTTW News)

The Pfizer Vaccine Wins Full Approval. Will That Spur an Uptick in Vaccinations?

President Joe Biden says people who have been waiting for the FDA to formally approve a COVID-19 vaccine should get their shot now to stem what he calls a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Dr. Michael Angarone of Northwestern Medicine weighs in on that and more.

The Northwest side community of Avondale is a diverse neighborhood with an industrial history. (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Avondale

Located near the Kennedy Expressway and the Chicago River, Avondale has significant Polish, Latino, Eastern European and Asian populations. And like many parts of Chicago, residents and community leaders are concerned gentrification might displace longtime neighbors.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Area Deals with Tornadoes, Heat Warnings During Week of Extreme Weather

Half a dozen or more tornadoes touched down in the Chicago suburbs Monday, with more severe storms possible in the next few days. Those come as hot and humid conditions have prompted extreme heat warnings — and on the heels of a stark new report on climate change.

Author and Englewood native Steven Rogers gives The Last Word on “Black Voices.” (WTTW News)

The Last Word: Steven Rogers

The retired Harvard Business School professor and Englewood native talks about some of the ideas in his new book, “A Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues: What You Can Do Right Now to Help the Black Community.”

Water safety advocates want flotation devices like life preserver rings or life buoys made available throughout the lakefront. (WTTW News)

Safety Advocates Want Flotation Devices Along the Lakefront. The Park District Isn’t Sold

Lake Michigan is one of Chicago’s biggest attractions. And while it’s scenic, it’s also sometimes dangerous. What water safety advocates are proposing to stop people from drowning and dying in the lake.

Commissioner Rosa Escareño joins “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” via Zoom to discuss her background, history and legacy as she steps down from Chicago’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, July 30, 2021. (WTTW News)

After More Than 30 Years With the City, BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareño Retires

While she was originally planning to stay for just the first year of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s term, the pandemic delayed Rosa Escareño’s retirement plans – and gave her a firsthand seat to the massive blow COVID-19 dealt to the local economy.

Renderings of Katherine Johnson and Gwendolyn Brooks are captured in part of Bronzeville’s “Renaissance Mural.” (WTTW News)

‘Chicago Tonight’ in Your Neighborhood: Bronzeville

The historic Bronzeville neighborhood on the city’s South Side sits just south of McCormick Place, and has been known for decades as a hub of Black arts and culture in Chicago. Wednesday, City Council paved the way for a massive new development that could reshape the community’s future.

In this file photo, high waves create hazardous conditions along Lake Michigan. (WTTW News)

Survey Finds $2B in Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Coastline Repairs in Coming Years

Coastal repairs and climate change mitigation are a huge concern for cities around the Great Lakes region. The group behind a new survey calls on the American and Canadian governments to fund local efforts to address these issues.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks at the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line CTA station on July 16, 2021. (WTTW News)

On Chicago Visit, Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Promotes Biden Infrastructure Plan

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he’s confident the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill will pass Congress, touting on Friday its bipartisan support and saying both the president and the public are impatient to see the deal finalized.