Louis Susman, Our Man in WikiLeaks (and London)

In the wake of the WikiLeaks document dump and the ensuing media frenzy, I wondered what I would find on Obama’s diplomatic appointees from Chicago. Of the four local Obama campaign donors who were rewarded with cushy ambassadorships—banker Louis Susman to England, lawyer David Jacobson to Canada, TV producer Charles Rivkin to France…

Rev. James Meeks: the Closest Thing to a Republican in the Mayor's Race?

When Rahm Emanuel, Carol Moseley Braun, and Danny Davis officially announced their candidacies earlier this month, there was something of letdown about it all—nothing much new in what they said or whom they introduced as members of their teams. The one surprise was Democratic state Sen. James Meeks. He was introduced by Andy McKenna, Jr., the former head of the Republican Party in Illinois and a failed candidate in…

Because we still realize the American dream

Pilsen filmmaker Esaú Meléndez   When 15-year-old Esaú Meléndez joined his family in Chicago two decades ago, thoughts of a life beyond the borders of his Bucktown neighborhood were as far off as the city—Mexico City—he had left behind. “I basically was in survival mode,” Meléndez, now 35, recalls. “I didn’t really think about opportunities … Read more

Because we find inspiration in rugged thoroughfares

For more of our favorite shots of Elston Avenue from our local photographers, launch the gallery »   Related: PHOTO GALLERY » Local photographers Chris Strong, Carlos Javier Ortiz, and Jeremy Bolen spent a few days this fall capturing Elston Avenue. There’s a stretch of Elston Avenue between Chicago and Armitage that makes me swoon … Read more