A former Northwestern football player says athletes were forced to put athletics ahead of academics
Ramon Diaz says athletes of color are brought in to win, often with little focus on their learning and mental health, opening the door for abuse.

Kevin McCarthy’s run as speaker was relatively short and anything but sweet.
‘The Book of (More) Delights’ is an invitation to slow down and notice the living beings around you.
Morton Arboretum seeded bur oak gardens with saplings from Illinois, Minnesota and Oklahoma to learn how bur oaks adapt to a warming planet.
Mayor Johnson hopes to add $100 million annually to programs providing services to the city’s unhoused people.
Research shows a combination of socioeconomic status and access to care mean Hispanic and Latinos are more likely to develop the diseases.
Some are happy to offer a ladder to new arrivals. Others decry the lack of services for locals. About 400 migrants could move into an area shelter as soon as Tuesday.
U.S. adults have a 40% chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes, but Hispanic adults have more than a 50% chance of developing the disease.
“In some ways, we think that we live in Illinois and somehow we’re immune to this,” said David Goldenberg, the Midwest director of the Anti-Defamation League that issued the report.
Lauren Groff’s latest follows a girl’s escape from a colonial settlement.
But there is hope, too, according to the report. It shows small- and medium-budget organizations saw a slight increase in average staff sizes.
Meta, Bloomberg and others pirated more than 190,000 e-books to train generative AI according to a dataset made searchable by The Atlantic.
The North Side Congressman was the only Democrat who did not vote to approve the plan. He took issue with the lack of funding for Ukraine.
The Biden administration plans to wipe out loans for more borrowers after the Supreme Court rejected an earlier proposal.
The National Museum of Mexican art is featuring its 37th annual Día de Muertos exhibition.
After extending work permits to Venezuelans, what else could the federal government do to address the growing migrant crisis?
Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó and American immunologist Drew Weissman found that a chemical change to genetic code called mRNA eliminated a problematic side effect when used in vaccines.
The Senate voted 88-9 to approve a short-term spending bill to fund the government through Nov. 17. President Biden signed the bill into law shortly afterward.
The City Council debated everything from a major contract to house migrants in tents to the state’s communication with the city.
The technology is the first of its kind at any opera house in the world.
Chain restaurants attract customers from different income brackets and represent ways to break down class barriers, according to a new study.
A trust fund is helping landlords provide rental assistance to the influx of migrants who have been bussed to Chicago.
In an unpredictable year for Chicago stages, one storefront theater company is going for the jugular.
The auto workers’ strike has expanded to Chicago’s South Side. Larry Snelling is confirmed as Chicago’s top cop. And much more.
The long-awaited analysis by Chicago Public Schools leaders examined facilities needs citywide, where school buildings are on average 83 years old with some in serious disrepair.
Little Amal is making her way across America to inspire hope and draw attention to the plight of many refugees around the world, half of whom are children.
More than 40,000 people in Illinois are living with HIV or AIDS, according to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
A couple dozen Black leaders attended Thursday’s Board of Education meeting to ask for a committee that would develop a strategy to help Black students academically.
Should I be impressed, inspired or horrified by AI chatbots?
The Oscar-winning Chicago football-player-turned-director recently joined WBEZ’s Rundown to talk about his new show ‘Young Love,’ growing up in the city and his hopes for future Black storytellers.
When police pull over Black drivers in Illinois, it’s mostly for non-moving violations
The daughter of disgraced Ald. Danny Solis got “verbal counseling” for failing to report a sexual harassment allegation, records show.
The Xes on the sides of the tower help make this one of the most recognizable high-rises in downtown Chicago, but also serve a functional purpose.
The restaurant and lounge on the 95th and 96th floors of the former John Hancock center is permanently closed. The high-end restaurant and bar offered sweeping views of the city and Lake Michigan.
Planet Earth experienced the hottest summer on record in 2023.
Want to taste fall without the marathon drive to an orchard? There’s a great fritter at a bakery near you.
If you see the bug, take a photo, squish it and then report it to the state Agriculture Department.
Ninety years after FDR’s American Civilian Corps, a new federal program aims to train young people for jobs to fight climate change.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated across the country from Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 this year.
Renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, are supposed to account for 25% of all power in the state by 2025 according to the law.
The yearly theater festival will bring local and international productions to nearly a dozen venues across the city. Here are some highlights.
Documents obtained by WBEZ show Park District officials have quietly settled sexual misconduct cases at the city’s beaches and pools.
Snelling will now have to confront the alarming surge of robberies and vehicular theft that has residents of North Side neighborhoods like Bucktown, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Old Town and Lakeview up in arms.
The move comes after nearly a year of requests for voluntary recognition by employees in offices run by Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch.
But Northwestern, University of Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign didn’t sign on to the new standards for financial aid letters.
The Biden administration announcement last week included only Venezuelans arriving before August. Thousands of Venezuelans have arrived since then, and many who arrived before and since are from other countries.
The ex-Illinois House speaker is awaiting trial for his alleged role in a federal bribery scheme.
Xavier Williams makes sure kids on the West Side get to class each day. “It’s another form of giving back,” he said. “That’s what I love about it.“
More than one million Illinois households are eligible for energy assistance. That money is down a third to $280 million dollars this year from its peak in 2022.
The GOP-controlled House Judiciary Committee held the hearing at Fraternal Order of Police headquarters to discuss violence in the city.
Juan González is a senior fellow at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago. He says U.S. foreign policy is key to understanding why migrants flee to the city.
Preservationists argue that the unique structure, vacant since the 1970s and a darling of gonzo artmakers, was the skyscraper of its time and deserves to be saved.
Mexican Independence Day celebrations offer a glimpse of the size and growth of the community in the Chicago area.
From the cotton-candy scented katsura to the classic red leaves of the maple, here is where you can find some of the best fall foliage in the Chicago area.
Despite glitches in other courthouses, the first week of bail reform in Cook County went relatively smoothly.
As the only member of Congress with a Ph.D. in physics, Foster is using AI to learn more about a field that fascinates many and terrifies others, including federal officials.
If Congress doesn’t pass a federal spending bill by Oct. 1, agency closures will disrupt numerous routine functions for Illinois residents.
The abundance in acorns this fall is the result of a phenomenon that happens once every few years, in which oak trees produce far more acorns than normal.
Dogs must be vaccinated and have a permit to visit a dog park. But is anyone checking?
Red Oak School received threats Thursday and Friday. The school was also targeted last week by a X account that caters to an anti-LGBTQ+ audience.
Apple-picking season lasts only six or so precious weeks, but it is fully underway. While U-pick fruit is the star attraction, many farms this year are expanding side attractions.
The union is pointing to the companies’ huge recent profits as it seeks wage increases of 36% over four years.
The city’s budget office wouldn’t confirm whether Mayor Brandon Johnson or the remaining 48 alderpersons will receive the annual raise.
Fred Waller, Chicago’s temporary top cop, blames “miscommunication” for the error and says the issue has been remedied.
Whether you’re a dabbler or a connoisseur, you’ll find something new to sip in tasting rooms that prize limited-run varieties and regional fruit.
A small alternative school on the South Side marked International Day of Peace by taking to the streets and pleading for an end to violence.
Friends, how many of us have them? We’re talking about building bonds, soft quitting acquaintances, and loving the people that hold us down.
Tania James let “delight” guide her while writing her historical novel ‘Loot.’
The administration says it’s looking into whether it can staff the tent camps with local organizations once they are built.
A top Johnson aide said the INVEST South/West development program on the South and West sides, a hallmark of the Lori Lightfoot administration, is perceived as “an unfulfilled promise.”
Nationally, about a third of foster care youth identify as LGBTQ+, and researchers say they are at significantly higher risk of experiencing homelessness and physical harm.
Venezuelan migrants in the U.S. as of July 31 can sign up for Temporary Protected Status. Homeland Security officials estimate that roughly 472,000 more people will now be eligible for work permits.
Research shows midwives help improve outcomes for both parent and child. But hospitals across the Chicago area are not investing in midwife programs.
The district had lost students for 11 consecutive years and last year gave up its status as the nation’s third-largest public school system. CPS has lost more than 80,000 kids in that time.
Regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, tennis legend Serena Williams blazed a trail for generations to come.
Chicago alderpeople advanced a plan to raise tipped workers’ pay to the city’s minimum wage over five years. It still needs full council approval.
The county was already helping rent the former hotels in Evanston and Oak Park. The plan won approval from a county board committee, though some commissioners want low-income south suburbs prioritized.
CPS says this West Englewood school can lead the way for other schools as new state data show math scores remain below pre-pandemic levels.
Illinois is the first state in the U.S. to abolish cash bail. The historic change took effect on Monday, prompting confusion and long days.