1. To Make Other People Feel What You Feel: The Truth of B.B. King
“If you really want to know something about B.B. King, consider this: He saw a boy lynched when he was a teenager.” Pitchfork tells his story.
2. This Ad’s For You
How Tom Burrell, the first black man in Chicago advertising, taught the industry to target black audiences—and how to target advertising. NPR profiles a giant in his field.
3. Blame Games: The End for Thibs and the Bulls
Why firing one of the best coaches in the NBA was the right move, while feeling so wrong. Grantland makes the case for (and against) the Bulls.
4. With Byrd-Bennett Officially Out, Should Rahm Give Paul Vallas Another Crack at Running CPS?
He’s back home, working for a government-agency turnaround firm. So why not turn around a school district that’s in trouble again? Chicago magazine games it out.
5. David Booth’s University of Chicago Lessons
The University of Chicago’s business school is named after him; his investment firm is known as the “applied think tank from the University of Chicago.” What did he learn there? Bloomberg View sits down with the chairman of Dimensional Funds Advisors.
6. White Sox’s John Danks at Center of Drama Involving Friend Paralyzed at Condo
A friend fell 10 feet from the roof of Danks’s condo—and spent the rest of the night laying on the porch without medical attention. His spine was fractured. What happened? The Tribune digs through the court documents.
7. The Venture to Bring Helicopters Back to Downtown Chicago
Is there an audience for a $13 million heliport in the city? The New York Times tries to find out.
8. Chicago Is Hoping to Retire the Word “Waste”
The largest wastewater treatment plant in the world will soon have the largest phosporous recovery facility in the world, as the city tries to get smarter about an ongoing problem. NextCity previews its future.
9. Future of Former Finkl Steel Site Puts Heat on New Alderman
What happens to the old waterfront industrial site will help determine what happens to Lincoln Park—and the direction of the North Side. WBEZ surveys the players.
10. George Saunders Jammed to Wilco While Writing ‘Tenth of December’
The legendary literary weirdo and South Chicago native comes come for a 24-hour marathon reading of his work. Chicago magazine talks to the novelist, short-story writer, and essayist.