Avoiding an Undercount: New Census Strategies in Illinois

By Brody Ford and Kate Perschke Illinois has lost congressional seats, electoral votes, and federal funding every Census since 1930. But for Census 2020, the state is trying a new outreach model, and, based on returns, it appears to be working. At least 439 Illinois organizations or government entities have received grants for Census 2020. …

5 Rights Every Illinois Voter Should Know Before the Illinois Primary

By Kate Perschke The Illinois Primary Election is just days away and voters are preparing to cast their ballots through early voting and Election Day voting. Amid the United States' response to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Illinois Primary Election is still planned to take place on Tuesday March 17. Before heading to the polls, …

Only 6% of Chicago Election Day Polling Places are Fully Accessible

By Kate Perschke Out of 2,068 Election Day polling places in Chicago, only 125 are fully accessible to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). As of this week, 45 precincts are still not assigned. The Chicago Board of Elections has election information, such as accessibility statutes, on their website. This …

February Saw Google Searches Intensify as the Democratic Primary and ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’ Near the Beginning of the End

By Kate Perschke What is America’s most dramatic, competitive, high stakes primetime television event? If you guessed either The Bachelor or the Democratic Debates, you would be correct. The Bachelor is nearing the end of this season's run on primetime, ending in a two-part finale on March 9th and 10th speculated by Reality Steve, the …

Swimming: America’s Forgotten Sport

By Kate Perschke https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/1458149/ The interactive chart above shows the top 10 medal leaders in Olympic swimming. The top three ranked athletes are Michael Phelps (USA) with 28 Olympic medals, Jenny Thompson (USA) with 12 Olympic medals, and Ryan Lochte (USA) with 12 Olympic medals. Since the birth of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, …

All Aboard the Craft Beer Bandwagon

Craft breweries have become a favorite pastime of Americans, bringing together multiple generations through the love of small batch beer. According to the Brewers Association, "craft brewers are small brewers... [where] the hallmark of craft beer and craft brewers is innovation." These breweries not only offer beer, but often a communal space where people can …

Quinn: Pensions Threatening MAP Grant Program

Gov. Pat Quinn talks about MAP grants at DePaul University. (Photo/Bob Smith) Editor’s note: This story was originally posted on Dec. 12, 2012 and is housed at RedLineProject.org By Bob Smith Gov. Pat Quinn visited DePaul University’s Loop campus on Wednesday to discuss how pension reform is harming the Monetary Award Program (MAP) college scholarships …

Residents and Students Reflect on Crime and Violence in Rogers Park

By Kate Perschke and Victoria Gonzalez On June 27, the city was on high alert when a 17-year-old boy had been shot and killed in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Quintin Brown was tragically murdered on a Thursday afternoon when he was standing near the 6900 block of North Glenwood Avenue. Earlier that day, a 33-year-old …

The 10 Best Places to Volunteer in Chicago this Giving Season

It is officially autumn in Chicago, and dreams of pumpkin spice lattes and leaves changing color are now reality. While Halloween is still a few weeks away, chatter about the winter holidays is already beginning. With the holiday season quickly approaching, many people are feeling the desire to give back to their community. Spanning 77 …

ANALYSIS: Amazon Fires and Hurricane Dorian spark climate change debates, PM Trudeau and CSU question our society’s values

The Amazon burns and Dorian devastates Bahamas, all in the same month Two of 2019's most devastating natural disasters left the world stunned during the month of August, the Amazon Rainforest fires and category five Hurricane Dorian, sparking a debate on climate change and its implications for the future. The Google Trends graphic above shows the …