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Photos: National Nurses United rally

05/18/2012 6:23 PM

Members of the National Nurses United union rallied roughly 2,500 protestors in downtown Chicago's Daley Plaza Friday afternoon, May 18 to protest the NATO and G8. Photographer Joel Meyerson was on hand to capture the scene.

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• A journalist packs for NATO coverage

05/18/2012 6:20 PM

• I was under NATO arrest this afternoon

05/18/2012 5:56 PM

• First big NATO weekend rally goes off without hitch

05/18/2012 5:31 PM

• From the balcony

05/18/2012 11:41 AM

NATO is here

Tom Morello of band Rage Against the Machine performs to the crowd gathered at the National Nurses United rally in Daley Plaza Friday, May 18.

Click here for more photos from the rally.

BEN MEYERSON/Staff

Plush finally closes doors in wake of controversy

'Restaurant that acts like a nightclub' sells out to family-oriented pizzeria

05/16/2012 2:11 PM

After a year and a half of tense battles with its neighbors and community groups, Plush, the controversial “restaurant that acts like a nightclub,” is closed, and a pizzeria will soon replace it. The restaurant at 1104 W. Madison St. had a going-out-of-business bash last weekend before voluntarily surrendering its liquor license this week. The business was formally closed on May 15, according to a sign on the front door from the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.

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Hackers take on science

For 24 hours, programmers, designers and scientists turn Adler Planetarium into lab

05/16/2012 10:00 PM

In a windowless classroom on the bottom floor of the Adler Planetarium, about a half-dozen people sat huddled around a table. Sprawled across the table in front of them between MacBook Pros were the remains of a dissected lime green Nokia cell phone, several tubs of wiring, computer chips, batteries — and a heart rate monitor.
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Dealing art under the rumbling trains

Surrounded by ruckus, William Bigham Galleries makes noise with custom decorations and awards

05/16/2012 10:00 PM

On South Wabash Avenue near 15th Street, the train noise is nearly constant. Amtrak trains rumble past the building’s left during early mornings and evenings, and freight trains occasionally crawl past it. But most of the noise comes from the ‘L’ tracks behind it. The Orange and Green lines ride past it every other minute during rush hour, and about every 5 to 10 minutes during off-peak hours. The sound of the wheels echoes off every metal surface.

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Near West teacher wins Golden Apple

St. Malachy teacher Zack Ruelas, 27, honored as one of Chicago area’s best

05/10/2012 6:59 PM

It started like any other day for Zack Ruelas, as he took his post at the front of his third grade classroom at the Near West Side’s St. Malachy School. But when he saw his mom, sister, girlfriend and a TV camera barge into his classroom a little before 10 a.m., he realized that his day was going to be very different. That’s because on Thursday, 27-year-old Ruelas learned he had won the Golden Apple Award, given out annually to 10 outstanding teachers in the Chicago area.

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West Loop students make a scene

Skinner West students gear up for Redmoon's Youth Spectacle 2012

05/16/2012 10:00 PM

Most second graders can’t spell commitment, much less discuss it. Not so for Ashley Howlett’s Skinner West Class. “My commitment is to treat others how I want to be treated,” said Kaila Williams. “If you, like, commit to things it can, like, help you with your life.” Well, still not bad from an 8-year-old.

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