Today the Tribune reported that the Teachers Retirement System, the pension fund that encompasses the state’s public school teachers outside of Chicago, is facing its “deepest financial hole in 20 years.” But when it comes to pensions, there’s no simple measure for “deep” and no good definition of “hole.” Here’s a look at the TRS and its long history of crisis.
"’The First Lady looked stunning, as always, as she stepped down the jet in a textured frock along with her husband and her two daughters,’ her mother, and the nanny," Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday on his radio show, reading from an article he called "pathetic." The words "her mother, and the nanny," were added by the talk-show host—they were not in the story from which he quoted…
Practically any mention of bikes versus cars on the internet incites a flamewar. It’s a curious phenomenon, particularly given the minor threat bikes pose to cars. Nonetheless, I’m convinced that drivers are more afraid of bicyclists than vice versa.
A prehistory of Chicago hipsters, in which we meet Harry “The Hipster” Gibson and Lord Buckley, discuss the important difference between “beat” and “beatnik,” and scare the cool kids away from our less-than-fair city with Aristotle and crappy weather.
IN APRIL’S LETTERS: Searching for answers in Lost Chicago
APRIL 2011: Jonathan Eig, Catey Sullivan, Taylor Castle, Noah Isackson
NPR is the latest outlet to focus on “what some call an epidemic of youth violence in Chicago.” It’s likely to be an issue as Rahm Emanuel selects new heads for CPS and the CPD. But research suggests that youth violence is as much a matter of public health as anything else.
In a face-to-face interview Thursday afternoon, Hermene Hartman, publisher and editor in chief of died last year at 89]. CF: Give me an example of your work for candidate Obama in 2008? HH: Al Sharpton… was with Hillary. I got Sharpton to support Obama before Hillary dropped out. I called him every day for a … Read more
Compared to our Great Lakes neighbors, things have been pretty quiet in city and state politics, probably because Daley’s on his way out and power didn’t shift too much after the midterms. But our politics will heat up with the weather.
The mayor heads to China (again) to pitch investors on his Block 37-airport express train (again). Could Chicago get its own version of London’s Heathrow Express?
