Alden Loury

Chicago

Data Projects Editor at WBEZ-FM (Chicago, IL)

Data Projects Editor

Articles

There's more to Black men's stories than bleak statistics.

1 week ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Alden Loury

“Black men are in trouble. Serious trouble.”Those were the words I led with for my first cover story with The Chicago Reporter, a nonprofit news organization covering issues of race, poverty and inequality. Published this month 25 years ago, the story was a first-person account about the challenges confronting Black men in Chicago and across the country. I cited statistics about how often Black men are arrested and imprisoned.
No more editorials at the Sun-Times, but letters, op-eds and columns will continue

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Tracy Brown |Rummana Hussain |Alden Loury

For more than 75 years, the Sun-Times Editorial Board has been an important voice in Chicago, advocating for the well-being of our city, holding the powerful to account and helping readers understand and navigate the complexities of the news.
Chicago's rising rents aren't just a problem for those living in poverty

1 month ago | wbez.org | Alden Loury

For many lower-income households in Chicago, making ends meet can seem like an eternal struggle. Imagine paying for housing, utilities, groceries, transportation and other essential costs for your family each year on just $32,150. That’s the poverty threshold for a family of four, according to the federal government’s latest poverty guidelines. It’s hard to save or get ahead when every cent that comes in the door ends up going right back out to cover the rent, pay bills and buy food.
Chicago's rising rents aren't just a problem for those living in poverty - Chicago Sun-Times

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Alden Loury

A low-income family of four in 1950 could still afford rent and utilities for nearly half of Chicago apartments. It's a far different picture today.
Searching for reasons behind opioid deaths of Black men born 1951-70

2 months ago | wbez.org | Alden Loury |Lee Bey

The Chicago Sun-Times has long been known for its headlines. They’re often clever, catchy and bold. But the one I read for a story published in December grabbed my attention for other reasons. “Opioids have been killing the same generation of Black men in Chicago for decades,” it read. I was deeply intrigued, so I read on. “Black men born 1951-1970 always have had the greatest risk of dying of overdoses, even in their 20s, 30s and 40s,” the story continued. Immediately, I stopped reading. I was frozen.
Searching for reasons behind opioid deaths of Black men born 1951-70

2 months ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Alden Loury

The Chicago Sun-Times has long been known for its headlines. They’re often clever, catchy and bold. But the one I read for a story published in December grabbed my attention for other reasons. “Opioids have been killing the same generation of Black men in Chicago for decades,” it read. I was deeply intrigued, so I read on. “Black men born 1951-1970 always have had the greatest risk of dying of overdoses, even in their 20s, 30s and 40s,” the story continued. Immediately, I stopped reading. I was frozen.
Derrick Rose shows our city the resilience of Englewood

Jan 11, 2025 | chicago.suntimes.com | Alden Loury

Thanks to the generosity of a good friend, I scored a ticket to a sold-out United Center earlier this month for Derrick Rose night. The scene was electric.
What it means when movie theaters in Black neigborhoods close

Dec 8, 2024 | wbez.org | Alden Loury |Lee Bey |Natalie Y. Moore

A decade ago, when my oldest daughter was preparing for the road test to get her driver’s license, I took her to the parking lot of an abandoned movie theater at 62nd Street and Western Avenue. It was a familiar scene for her. When she was a small child, we’d go to see movies there until it closed in 2007. My middle daughter hopes to get her driver’s license soon.
What it means when movie theaters in Black neigborhoods close

Dec 6, 2024 | chicago.suntimes.com | Alden Loury

A decade ago, when my oldest daughter was preparing for the road test to get her driver’s license, I took her to the parking lot of an abandoned movie theater at 62nd Street and Western Avenue. It was a familiar scene for her. When she was a small child, we’d go to see movies there until it closed in 2007. My middle daughter hopes to get her driver’s license soon.
Trump’s inroads in Chicago driven by staggering dropoff in votes for Democrats

Nov 15, 2024 | wbez.org | Amy Qin |Alden Loury |Dan Mihalopoulos |Tom Schuba

Yes, many Chicago voters shifted right this election, but even more of them didn’t show up to vote blue. A WBEZ analysis finds that a large part of Trump’s doubling support in Chicago was due to a staggering dropoff in Democratic voter turnout rather than an increase in Trump voters. Citywide, former President Donald Trump saw a roughly 16,000 vote bump compared to 2020, but Vice President Kamala Harris’ vote total was more than 205,000 votes behind President Joe Biden’s in 2020.