Fast and Furious, False Flags, and the Second Amendment
Tracing mass-shooting conspiracy theories back to their source in the lush garden of irrational explanation that the Web plays host to, but one that rarely surfaces aboveground.
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Richard Speck, the Sikh Temple Shooting, and Measures of Mass Murder
Mass public shootings, like all forms of violent crime in America, rose during the end of the 20th century, peaked in the 1990s, and have been in decline since.
The Illinois Drought Plateaus, But the Forecast Isn't Good
Drought conditions didn’t worsen much in the last period, but the outlook for August is scary, and for the next three months as well, as drought and heat push a vicious cycle.
The Crouton Theory of Political Gaffes
Journalists want gaffes; politicians want to avoid them; which makes journalists want them all the more. It’s a vicious cycle, but one that long predates 24/7 coverage and social media… as Mitt Romney’s dad could have told you.
Rahm 'Super Hot for This'—the Mayor's Role in Solyndra
A House report released Thursday reveals Rahm Emanuel’s role in the Obama administration’s support of Solyndra, the solar panel maker that received a $535 million loan guarantee before going bankrupt last September…
Elmer Ellsworth: America's First Pin-Up and the First Martyr of the Civil War
In an extraordinary two years, a young Chicago volunteer fireman became a national drill-team star, a friend and employee of Abraham Lincoln, a sex symbol, and finally the first officer killed in the Civil War.
Income Segregation in Chicago and the Gentrification of America
How segregated is Chicago by wealth? Chicagoland is actually not very segregated compared to other metros, but if you zoom in and take a different look, other patterns emerge that parallel those across the country.
Where Do Chicago's Guns Come From?
Mostly from Illinois and Indiana—and a surprising percentage come north from Mississippi. As far as how people get them, straw buyers are frequent, but friends, family members, addicts, and burglaries are all available means of illegally obtaining a weapon.
The Geography of Persistent Poverty, Life Expectancy, and Food Access in Chicago
A new study looks at life expectancy, poverty, population density, and food deserts in Chicago—and finds evidence that, even controlling for many factors, access to grocery stores has an impact on expected lifespan.
Can Pat Quinn Ban Assault Weapons in Illinois?
Illinois has long been a key battleground in the debate over the Second Amendment, from the banning of labor militias in the 1870s, to the tommy guns that curtailed Americans’ rights to certain types of guns, to Morton Grove’s handgun ban, the first in the nation. And that past history, stretching back to the Civil War, determines what the state can and can’t do.