The Columbia Chronicle

Outside of downtown Beijing, students experience how heavy rush hour traffic contributes to pollution and smog.

Students experience off-the-charts pollution in China

April 13, 2015

The industrial revolution brought an era of innovation and economic growth that ushered in technological comforts and conveniences. But the path to the modern Western World was not paved without sacrifices, n...

6,500 same-sex marriage licenses issued in cook county

March 9, 2015

COOK COUNTY HAS issued more than 6,500 marriage licenses to same- sex couples since the Marriage Equality Act went into effect in June 2014, according to a Feb. 23 Progress Illinois report. Cook County ...

New York City-based indie-pop band MisterWives played its feel-good album, Our Own House, before a sold-out crowd at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., on March 3.

MisterWives makes Lincoln Hall its own house

March 9, 2015

MisterWives’ electric set shook the crowd on March 3 at Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave., playing through every song from its debut album Our Own House, released on Feb. 24 through Photo Finish Records...

Invisible identities: Gay-washing and other bisexual issues

By Managing Editor

February 9, 2015

When Massachusetts became the first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, renowned bisexual activist Robyn Ochs and her partner, Peg Preble, were more than ready to take their long-awaited walk down the aisle. After spending seven years together, the two women were happy to have a legally recognized marriage. But one problem arose after the ceremony—notable media outlets, including The Washington ...

States need to outlaw gay, trans panic defenses

By Tyler Eagle Editor-in-Chief

October 6, 2014

California took another step toward providing equal rights and protections to its gay and transgender residents when Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation on Sept. 29 that outlawed gay and trans panic legal defenses in the state.Gay and trans panic are legal defenses sometimes used in hate crime cases that do not dispute a defendant’s guilt but aim to reduce sentencing by arguing that the defendant’s actions were motivated by a...

Equal pay a civil right

May 12, 2014

The economy is slowly improving, but not everyone’s paychecks reflect that. On average, women are paid 77 cents for every dollar the average man makes, a ridiculously backward standard that needs to be remedied if the country is truly going to recover economically.President Barack Obama has increased his scrutiny of income disparity in the last six months, pressuring Congress to pass legislation that would strengthen the U.S. E...

Road to retail marijuana not always green

By Copy Editor

April 21, 2014

Twenty-four states have adopted marijuana law reforms, legalizing the substance for medical and—in some cases—recreational use. Still, many entrepreneurs bolting for the “Green Rush” are having difficulty getting their reefer-related businesses off the ground.Even in Washington and Colorado, where the ganja is legal for recreational use, marijuana business owners face state regulations, community animosity, bank re...

Illinois could be next to recognize gay marriage

By Hallie Zolkower-Kutz

December 10, 2012

Although same-sex couples can’t marry in Illinois, Chicago scored 95 out of 100 for LGBT-friendliness on the new Municipal Equality Index published Nov. 27 by the Human Rights Campaign.The MEI scores cities based on a list of 47 criteria under six broad categories, including “nondiscrimination laws,” “relationship recognition by the city” and “municipality as employer,” according to Paul Guequierre, the HRC’s dep...

Marijuana, same-sex marriage legalized in some states

By Tyler Davis

November 6, 2012

By voter referendum, recreational use of marijuana has been legalized in Colorado and Washington, according to the Huffington Post. Oregon’s marijuana referendum has yet to be determined.Voters in Maine passed the a ballot initiative to legalize same-sex marriage, while initiatives in Minnesota, Maryland and Washington are still up in the air....

Early results show support for marijuana legalization, marriage equality

By Tyler Davis

November 6, 2012

Voters in Massachusetts have approved a ballot initiative which will legalize medical marijuana in the state, according to NBCNews.com.Initiatives to legalize recreational use of marijuana are on the ballot in Washington, Oregon and Colorado. In Colorado, early results give some hope to this initiative actually passing, which would make it the first state in the country to legalize recreational use of marijuana.Early resul...

Vote ‘no’ on direct democracy

By Tyler Davis

November 5, 2012

Voters will have big issues to vote on during Election Day on Nov. 6, including abortion, same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization. Same-sex marriage is on the ballot in Maine, Minnesota, Maryland and Washington, while marijuana legalization is on the ballot in Washington, Oregon and Colorado. Campaign financing and the death penalty are also among the 174 ballot initiatives across the U.S. this year.Even though 54 percen...