How to Succeed in Politics Without Winning an Election
Two weeks into a new term, State Sen. Heather Steans is retiring, leaving political allies to pick her replacement. On the Far North Side, that’s simply how it’s done.
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The Complicated Record Exec Left Out of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The Netflix adaptation (and August Wilson's original play) track Rainey's abuse at the hands of a white recording industry. But there was also a go-between: J. Mayo Williams, a Chicago...
Notes of a North-Side Census Taker
Chicago’s response rate in the 2020 survey was decent — except among the people who would benefit the most from a full count.
Rep. Marie Newman’s First Week on the Job
The representative from LaGrange was sworn in three days before a mob swarmed the Capitol. Here, she recounts her first days in DC.
The Capitol Insurrection Stirs Political Divisions as Old as Illinois
Only two of Illinois's 17 representatives voted against confirming Biden’s electoral votes, but the move sent shockwaves through the state congressional delegation — and its GOP.
How a Chicago Data Geek Helped the MLB Sleuth Negro League Stats
For years, Scott Simkus and his pals dug through old newspapers looking for long-lost Negro League box scores. Now, the MLB is adopting their research.
Why Did Chicago Stop Growing?
Our city became a metropolis by gobbling up suburbs we now know as neighborhoods. Then, in the 1960s, it stopped.
Todd Ricketts Is Not the Future for Illinois Republicans
The Cubs co-owner and Trump ally is mulling a run for governor. In this state, that's probably a losing battle.
Illinois Needs a New State Song
The aptly titled "Illinois" was written by a Civil War vet to promote Chicago's bid for the 1893 World's Fair. Surely we've earned an upgrade.
The New King of the Opposition
There’s only one man in Illinois with the money and political influence to rout Pritzker’s agenda — and that man, Ken Griffin, had a very good Election Day.