What Is the Oldest Town in Illinois? Answered by Edward McClelland We need to head back to the year 1703, when the French controlled the Illinois Country. Read more
Hear Us Out: 5 Ways to Close Chicago’s $1.5 Billion Deficit By Edward McClelland A designated, double-fare smoking car on the CTA?? Read more
Chicago Is Organizing for All By Edward McClelland Everyday Chicagoans are proving to be the first line of defense against the federal incursion into their city. Read more
We’re the Great Pumpkin State, Charlie Brown By Edward McClelland Not only are we No. 1 in production, but we're about three times as big as other producing states. Read more
The Push for Fairer Illinois Legislative Maps By Edward McClelland Illinois Democrats have long worked state legislative lines to their advantage. Now comes an effort for a fairer process. Read more
Has Chicago Ever Had a Republican Mayor? Answered by Edward McClelland We have: The GOP was the party of Lincoln, after all — but it’s been nearly a century since the last. Read more
Is Pipe Smoking Making a Comeback? By Edward McClelland Maybe it’s the young people, maybe it’s the need to de-stress, but Chicago’s (and America’s) oldest tobacconist is doing more business in pipes these days. Read more
The Trump Trap Has Doomed Illinois Republicans By Edward Robert McClelland “I really don’t follow the party too closely, because it’s become so irrelevant,” says Jim Nowlan, a former Republican state representative. Read more
Make Some Noise for Your Illinois Bears By Edward McClelland If the Bears want to leave the city, they should have to drop Chicago's name. Read more
The Birth and Death of Chicago’s Machine By Edward McClelland Clout City, a new book by historian Dominic A. Pacyga, traces the rise and fall of Chicago-style politics. Here’s what we learned. Read more
