Welcome to 'The Jungle' Pt. 2: From Stockyard to Sausage
From mile-long pig viaducts, to the shackling pen, to the pig wheel, and on to the scraper and the hog barbers: on the pork production line in Chicago’s turn-of-the-century stockyards.
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The DNC: Barack Obama in an Age of Modest Expectations
Bill Clinton puts on a master class in public speaking, Joe Biden is ice cold, and the president echoes his 2008 acceptance speech, only his inspiration is Lincoln instead of MLK.
The Chicago Teachers Union Strike Has Been Building For Awhile
A crucial negotiating point between the CTU and CPS involves teacher rehiring and tenure. In the abstract, loosening restrictions might sound appealing, but a series of controversies over the firing of seemingly effective teachers has made negotiations much harder than they might look.
Chicago Stars at the DNC
Chicago’s starring role at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte was the opposite of its role at the GOP convention in Tampa. At the latter, the city was a symbol of everything corrupt and thuggish about urban politics. Through the DNC lens, Chicago was once again was the shining city on the lake that the world adored on Election Night 2008…
A Bleak Portrait of Racial Economic Mobility
As DNC speakers celebrate the economic mobility that brought them to the political stage, middle-class jobs are eroding during the recession, and are being replaced by low-wage jobs. The implications for the economic mobility of the next generation are worrisome.
Chicago-Style Politics Night at the Democratic National Convention
Chicago pols—and expat Deval Patrick—dominated the second night of the DNC. Pat Quinn and Rahm Emanuel got the undercard, while Patrick and Michelle Obama stole the show.
In Illinois, Child Deaths By Firearms Exceed Those In Car Crashes
Ten years ago, more children died in Illinois in vehicle crashes than by firearms, according to DCFS reports. With fewer people on the road in the wake of the recession, and more children dying from gunfire, that’s no longer the case.
More Problems, More Cuts at Illinois DCFS
Illinois’s often-troubled Department of Children and Family Services has seen its budget decline over the past decade—and a new round of cuts will reduce staffing even further, to 1980s levels.
Obama and His Daughters: The Role of Sasha and Malia in Election 2012
The Obamas mostly have always maintained a strict zone of privacy when it comes to their daughters, but the president has occasionally shifted the zone to gain political advantage…
This Week in Transportation: Jaywalking While Black in Champaign
Using jaywalking arrests to look at police-citizen relations downstate; why Elston doesn’t have its own bus and how the CTA decides these things; and a timelapse installation of a huge railroad bridge.