1. McPier Bets Financial Future on Optimistic Plan for Hotel, DePaul Arena
“It was a dumb idea when it was proposed, it was a dumb idea when they approved it, and it will be a dumb idea in the future.” The Tribune runs the numbers.
2. Blame HUD for America’s Lead Epidemic
The department’s regulations only kick in at blood-lead levels that cause severe brain damage. A Chicago law prof explains in The New York Times.
3. Building Up and Tearing Down: Even as Demand Grows, Some Chicago Neighborhoods Don’t
Wealthy neighborhoods with good public schools are seeing a wave of new single-family homes. Once density is gone, it’s hard to get it back. WBEZ explores the trend.
4. The Comfort Food Diaries: In Praise of the Chicago Hot Dog
There’s only one way to make one (unless you use a green pickled tomato). Serious Eats spreads the love.
5. The Intentional Failure of Illinois’s Medical Marijuana Program
The laws are restrictive; the paperwork is confusing; the penalties are harsh. And time is running out on it to work. The Kind breaks down the legislation’s problems.
6. Dr. Quentin Young, Doctor to Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama, Dies at 93
And Harold Washington, and Studs Terkel, and Mike Royko… DNAInfo tells his legendary story.
7. Police Accountability Takes Center Stage in Cook County State’s Attorney Race
Under pressure, Anita Alvarez took action on the Laquan McDonald case. But the failed prosecution of Dante Servin still looms large. The Chicago Reporter goes inside the upcoming primary contest.
8. A Healing Space
The Chicago Peace Corps is exploring alternatives to prisons and punishment. South Side Weekly examines the concept of restorative justice.
9. Why Wicker Park Needs Double Door
The heavily gentrified neighborhood remains culturally rich—inside the venue’s doors. Chicago magazine makes a plea for the institution.
10. Ethereal Photos of Patrons at a Chicago Bar in the ’70s
Harvey native John Banasiak bartended while studying at the Art Institute, shooting at a South Side bar that drew from the Polish and Ukrainian community he grew up in. Slate presents his work.