A total of 1,730 Chicagoans died of opioid-related overdoses in 2020, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner. For context, that is almost double the amount of the city’s homicides and fatal traffic accidents combined. Chicago’s rise in opioid deaths coincides with a nationwide spike in drug overdoses. The CDC…

Dozens of restaurants and bars across Chicago have closed permanently as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The map represents only a handful of the Chicago restaurants closed during the pandemic. All map data courtesy of Do312. According to Bloomberg, over 110,000 restaurants across the country have closed…

Following years of steady growth since 2003, MLB player salaries appear to have stalled. According to Statista, the average MLB player salary has not seen a significant increase since 2016. The five yearlong plateau in salaries could be attributed in part to the increase in expensive deals for specific…

As COVID-19 cases continue to fall and vaccinations become more available, It’s likely that many will celebrate the end of their long quarantine with a trip to their local craft brewery. Craft breweries are more abundant in some states over others however. …

Poll workers in Chicago and Cook County adjust to the new changes in the 2020 Presidential Election due to Covid-19 By Jonah Nink and Fernando Mendez The COVID-19 pandemic, which by late October of this year had surpassed 300,000 confirmed cases in Cook County alone, made Election Day unlike any…

Writing and producing a feature-length video essay on the now infamous 2019 film adaption of the long-running Broadway musical Cats may seem like a cry for help to some, but to Lindsay Ellis, it’s just another day at the office. The Hugo Award-nominated media critic has made a living out…

Director Derrick Borte’s visceral new drama American Dreamer focuses on a day in the life of Cam, a former office worker turned downtrodden rideshare driver. When he’s not being ignored by his passengers or getting stiffed on tips, Cam moonlights as a chauffeur for Mazz, a hotheaded drug dealer with…

Listening to ROOKIE’s new self-titled debut album, which is now available on all platforms, is like sneaking a look through your dad’s old vinyl collection on a Sunday evening after he’s fallen asleep on the couch watching Back to the Future, and I mean that in the best possible way…