G.O.P. Takes Aim at E.P.A.

G.O.P. presidential candidates, in a race to gain favor among Republican primary voters, have found a common enemy in the Environmental Protection Agency. Almost across the board, Republican hopefuls are portraying the E.P.A. as a symbol of alleged Obaman over-regulation and a roadblock to economic recovery. Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Herman Cain — all have......read more

Chicago Food Deserts Down 40 Percent

With First Lady Michelle Obama in Chicago to address the city's food desert problem, a report [PDF] released this week shows that the amount of people without easy access to fresh, healthy food is down 40 percent over the last five years. Still, an estimated 384,000 Chicagoans -- mostly African-Americans, 124,000 of which are children -- live in food desert neighbourhoods. There is no......read more

Michelle Peterson-Albandoz: Salvaged Wood Abstraction

For Michelle Peterson-Albandoz, dumpster diving is just part of her creative process. The Chicago artist trolls for discarded pieces of wood around her North Side neighborhood, then shapes them into abstract sculptures featuring patterns and textures inspired by nature.  The large, striking works reflect Peterson-Albandoz's environmentalist ideas. "I'm involved with a lot of......read more