1. Same Lake, Unequal Rates
With water rates surging, those who can least afford the increase—largely black and poor suburbs around Chicago—are paying the highest price. The Tribune examines the numbers.
2. For Some Youths, ‘Minor’ Offenses Lead to Major Sentences in Adult Prison
Disproportionately harsh penalties levied on Illinois’s youngest prisoners are undermining the state’s attempts at juvenile justice reform. ProPublica Illinois investigates.
3. Why Chicago’s Chinatown Is Invisible in the Online Apartment Market
As their incresingly desirable neighborhood attracts gentrifiers, Chinatown’s residents face balancing fair housing law with preserving their community—itself a product of housing discrimination. WBEZ’s Curious City explores the neighborhood.
4. They Owned the Night
Twenty-five years after Medusa’s closed its doors, we stitch together an oral history of Chicago’s iconic nightclub. Chicago takes a peek into the past.
5. A Quarter of Chicago’s Crime Guns Were Sold by Just 10 Dealers
A staggering number of guns recovered by Chicago police share common—and nearby—origins. The Trace zeroes in.
6. Amazon Headquarters Could Make Chicago’s Housing Crisis Worse
Cities are clamoring to be the home of Amazon’s HQ2, but a look at how the retail giant has affected housing in its Seatte base offers a sobering warning for Chicago. The Chicago Reporter lays out the argument.
7. A Look Inside the Kitchen at Tru, on the Last Night of Its 18-Year Run
Take a peek into the innovative restaurant that helped define Chicago as a fine-dining city during its last service. Chicagoist has the final dispatch.
8. Are There Alternatives to Calling 911?
Advocates of police abolition are challenging residents to rethink their concepts of punishment and justice. Chicago Reader explores argument.
9. Here’s How an Inexperienced Campaign Aide from Illinois Could Impact the Mueller Investigation
The bombshell news following the first wave of indictments in the probe of Russian influence in U.S. politics wasn’t about Paul Manafort—it was about a young Niles West/DePaul graduate eager to make his mark in politics. Chicago breaks down what it means for the Mueller probe.
10. Lawmakers Unchecked Without Legislative Watchdog, $1.8 Million Appropriated for Empty Office
There’s only office with the authority to investigate the new crop of sexual harassment claims in the state capitol—and it’s been empty for four years. The Daily Line learns more about the absentee watchdog.