Rep. Joe Walsh Steps Up in Budget Debate

Illinois’s unlikeliest House rep has put himself front and center in the high-pressure debate over the debt ceiling and budget cuts. But by pulling his colleagues to the right, is he guaranteeing that a less conservative solution will pass?

Les Coney, Top Obama Bundler and Networker Extraordinaire

When President Obama’s re-election team released the list of his top campaign fundraisers last week—about 20 were from the Chicago area—I noticed that Mesirow Financial Vice President Les Coney was back on this year’s roster of big bundlers. Here, an edited transcript of our conversation, where he talks about meeting Obama, fundraising for the president…

Why People Die During Heat Waves

Heat waves kill more people in American than any other form of natural disaster, but it’s rarely remarked upon or realized. Why don’t we take the heat as seriously as we do tornadoes and earthquakes?