Marijuana Legalization: Moving Towards a Tipping Point

State representative Lou Lang thinks his years-long battle to legalize medical marijuana in Illinois is finally within reach in the House. Meanwhile, a similar bill is likely to be proposed in the Indiana legislature, with the support of the head of that state’s police force.

Where Chicagoans Live, By Their Jobs

A look at where Chicagoans live, based on the industries they work in, reveals some patterns: managers cluster from the Loop up through Lincoln Park; public administrators group in Mt. Greenwood and Ashburn; and construction and manufacturing workers can be found on the northwest and southwest sides.

How Did Jesse Jackson Jr. Keep Getting Elected?

His incumbency was a huge advantage (and as with many incumbents, may have played a role in his ethical lapses), and his focus on building a Chicago machine while bringing federal aid was a cornerstone. But Jackson was also one of the most reliably progressive votes in the House—to an extent that cost him on the national level.

Harold Washington in His Own Words

The late mayor on “a crisis of leadership in Chicago”; reflecting on the first half of his first term; and discussing the legacy of Richard J. Daley, whose long reign overshadowed Washington’s brief but critical tenure.

"What's Love Got to Do With Politics?": The Funeral of Harold Washington

“The media estimated that somewhere between 200,000 and 500,000 mourners passed by Washington’s open casket in the days leading up to Washington’s funeral. Only 25,000 amassed in Memphis to view Elvis Presley’s. It may be crass to compare two famous men by counting heads at their funerals, but how better to make the point that the reaction to Washington’s death resembled the death of a celebrity more than that of a local politician?” An excerpt from the new edition of Gary Rivlin’s classic Fire on the Prairie.

Leftovers: Food and Thanks

How Morton, Illinois, the world canned pumpkin capital, subsidizes a tiny town in Mexico; the rich life and quick death of mince pie as America’s pie; why Black Friday doesn’t tell us anything about the Christmas economy; and more

A Short History of Black Friday, Long Before It Was Black Friday

In 1906, the Chicago Tribune encouraged Christmas shoppers to begin the shopping season early, so that “the condition of the tired and overworked shopgirl should be taken into account.” Over the next 50 years, “early shopping” became “Black Friday,” years before that phrase came into use.