Neutral Austria and Switzerland join Germany’s “Sky Shield,” further redefining Europe’s Defense future

By Linus Höller The foreign ministers of traditionally neutral Austria and Switzerland officially declared their intent to join the German-led “Sky Shield” air defense alliance Friday. The move has reignited debates about what it means to maintain neutrality and is likely to draw criticism from France and Italy for its reliance on American — rather…

After Illinois Tornado Outbreak, a Question Lingers: Is Chicagoland getting more Tornadoes?

Severe storms swept across much of the central United States on March 31st, killing at least 33 people, injuring over 211 more and causing significant property damage, including leaving over 766,000 customers without electricity. While outbreaks of this sort are not unheard of, some scientists are warning that it could be a symptom of broader trends in severe weather – including more tornadoes in the Chicago area – as human-induced climate change upsets global weather patterns.

How Political Intrigue Means that Chicago’s Far South Side is Still Waiting for a Connection to Downtown – Promised in the 60s.

By Linus Hoeller, Northwestern University Few Chicagoans can remember a time before the promises of a southward extension of the city’s public transportation backbone, the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line. However, none has seen it go beyond a mere promise. Decades have passed since the idea of extending the Red Line, going from the Northern…

Nuclear-armed and with Millions in Poverty: Former British Colony at the Brink of Collapse

Linus HoellerNorthwestern UniversityReporting on the ground from the nation’s third-largest city, Chicago Nearly three weeks after an eventful election in the former British colony known formally as the United States of America, the incumbent far-right president D. Trump has yet to concede to his victorious centrist challenger J. Biden, calling about an unprecedented democratic crisis….