1. An Unfair Burden
Cook County’s property-tax system struggles to accurately assess the value of houses, and tips the system against the poor and in favor of the rich. The Tribune investigates.
2. Woman on Fire
In the midst of the state’s devastating budget impasse, Susana Mendoza’s star is rising. Chicago magazine profiles the state comptroller.
3. Inside the Algorithm that Tries to Predict Gun Violence in Chicago
It’s been in use for a few years, but how well does it work? The New York Times tries it out.
4. Goodbye, Chicago
Scott Darling went from rehab to a custodian in a Chicago suburb to a log cabin in West Virginia to a Stanley Cup champion with his beloved Blackhawks. He tells the tale in The Players Tribune.
5. Russian Cyber Hacks on U.S. Electoral System Far Wider Than Previously Known
The evidence includes attempts to "delete or alter voter data" in Illinois. Bloomberg digs it up.
6. Crooked Chicago Cops May Get Off the Hook Thanks to Trump
Attorney General Jeff Sessions doesn’t like consent decrees. The mayor says he wants a memorandum of agreement instead. What does it mean for the city? Vice examines the options.
7. Give It Up for DJ Blackface!
Why would a white DJ create a black alter ego? To tie into the history of house music, which originated in black communities in the Midwest. NPR’s Code Switch explores the tangled web.
8. How Illinois Became America’s Failed State
It’s broke. But its gubernatorial candidates are far from it. Politico details the crisis.
9. What’s with That Odd Closet? What Chicago’s Architectural Clues Reveal About How We Live
The city’s cultural history can be told through the details of its buildings. WBEZ looks around us.
10. Can Kyle Schwarber Kick His Slump?
After a heroic return for the World Series, the young slugger has had a rough 2017. But it might be a form of progress. Chicago magazine breaks it down.