June 25th, the Progressive Community Church, 56 East 48th Street. It is hot in here, and all of us are waving our complimentary Golden Gate Funeral Home fans, which feature bright photographs of mortician E. Edwards and his secretary, Vera. All of them fluttering together make it look as though a flock of butterflies had … Read more
At a certain point in the conversation, Rich Daley tugs loose his big red tie, rolls up his sleeves, and lays out his theory on crime. “To me,” Daley says, “a narcotics dealer is the most dangerous person out there. He makes your murderers, your rapists, your home invaders, destroys your kids, your kids will … Read more
Chicago’s regular Democrats are tough. They stop through life. They stomp through Mike Royko’s columns. They produce good, solid Democratic blue-collar, occasionally dead, voters, election after election. They call out the tow trucks, and they command the street sweepers; they have, after all, packed the at Streets and San with their nephews. They’re hearty, bulb-nosed, … Read more
Most Chicagoans remember April 13, 1992, as the day the Loop flooded from the bottom up. For Mayor Richard Daley, it was merely a bad start to a year that only got worse. A record murder rate threatened, the governor sank Daley’s plans for floating casinos, and the Michigan Avenue Bridge suddenly got stuck in … Read more
Some folks in these parts are getting together for simulacra of their high-school years, or just as excuse to dress up, drink, and dance. Clearly, this is unacceptable (if you’re from flyover country).
The EPA doubles down on its push to get Chicago to clean up the river, as well as the Cal-Sag and Little Calumet. But reducing pollution would obviously put our children at risk.
A longtime fan, first-time guest reflects on being the man behind the curtain, at least for a few minutes, and the deeper questions of what we say when we talk.
As Rich Daley counts down his last days as mayor—awash in news coverage, mostly nostalgic—I thought it would be interesting to take a look at his brother, Michael, about whom surprisingly little has been written. While working on a profile of Bill Daley in 2004, I was told repeatedly that Michael was the most intelligent of the four Daley boys…
Why are people up in arms about WalMart coming to Chicago, when other big-box retailers with comparable labor practices are welcomed with open arms? Plus: labor opposition to Walmart isn’t a zero-sum game, even if it looks like it.
The Chicago-based coupon giant makes two high-profile moves, partnering with music borg Live Nation and sponsoring the Oscars of the food world, as it wades through the coupon-site blowback.
