A Guide to Old Town: Where to Eat, Shop, and Play
INSIDER’S GUIDE: From bars to boutiques, a flurry of recent additions keeps this hood feeling as new as ever
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The Cost of Phone Calls In Cook County Jail To Drop
Thanks to reporting by Rob Wildeboer, the county is set to reduce the high fees jail inmates are charged to make phone calls. It sounds very Chicago, but we’re hardly alone: the FCC might tackle the cost of prison phone calls in coming months.
Who Goes to Jail in Cook County and Why
The number one reason people go to jail in Cook County? If you guessed drug possession, you’re right. But violent crimes actually make up a bigger proportion than drug charges, and the number one violent crime—and the second-most likely charge for people who go to jail in Cook County—is domestic battery.
The Slow Grind of Cook County Justice
Cook County’s court system has long lagged behind the city in its use of data, frustrating journalists and open-data advocates. It’s finally adopting an electronic case-management system, which may help with the court’s problem with timely dispositions.
Mel Reynolds Got Out of Jail In 2001, Compliments of Bill Clinton. Why?
Was it arranged by God, as Reynolds claimed at the time? Not quite, though a Reverend was involved: Jesse Jackson urged Clinton to do it, with the support of Richard Durbin, Bobby Rush, and Danny Davis.
This Week in Chicago Maps: Segregation and Hyperspectrum
A look at segregation patterns in Chicago in recent years actually suggests some good news, as cultural and legal barriers to desegregation have fallen. Plus: Cook County wetlands in hyperspectral glory.
The Geography of Chicago City Employees, and City Layoffs
Chicago, like the national government and governments throughout the country, has been cutting back on headcount throughout the Great Recession. Which neighborhoods is that hitting the hardest?
Dick Durbin and the Fiscal Cliff: Two Ways of Looking at the Same Speech
What did Illinois’s senator and the Senate Majority Whip say about Social Security, Medicare, and entitlement cuts with regards to a grand bargain? It depends on who you ask.
A Talk with Ald. Will Burns: Looks Like He's Running for JJJ's Seat
“I personally think that in terms of hands-on work, dealing with everyday people, nothing beats being an alderman. It’s close up and personal. But the Congress lets you shape the national discourse, have a say in where we’re headed as a country. John Stuart Mill called legislatures, ‘national talking houses.’ The Congress is a forum for moving the country forward.”
Chicago Crime Trends: Murder Victims Increasingly Likely to Be Found Outside
Finding trends in Chicago crime is always tricky, but one thing seems clear over the past couple decades: murder victims are much more likely to be found outdoors instead of indoors, and in the public way instead of in a residence.