A downstate representative from Murphysboro gets mad, and his rant on teacher-pension funding goes viral, thanks to some paper-throwing and barnyard epithets. What's bothering him: Michael Madigan, or something more? Read more
NATO wanted to have the summit here for geopolitical messaging. The city wanted it as an "open for business" sign to the international community. Does that make up for the as-yet-unknown tab? Read more
The American Planning Association put its journalism awards on hiatus because not enough people cared. Has urban-planning journalism disappeared, or just migrated online? Read more
As the city looks to reduce its budget and its pension obligations, it's inevitable that public-safety employees would come under the green eyeshades. For all the fuss about clouted folks taking big pensions, the real problem is much more powerful: math. Read more
In the first few months of the year, homicides are up by half over last year, though shootings are up only 14 percent. It sounds odd, but it happens. Beneath the basic crime data there's a lot of underlying complexity, but it's not well-researched or understood. Read more
The Cubs are tied for the worst record in baseball after their 12-game losing streak, the fifth-worst in team history. But they're easily the worst—if by worst you mean hardest to watch—team in baseball through the first third of the season. Read more
After the USOC settled its score with the IOC and paved the way for a future U.S. Olympic games, there's inevitable random chatter about another Chicago bid. If you thought the NATO summit was irritating and/or a police state.... Read more
A Trib poll finds that a majority of residents are opposed to speed cameras, with a weird difference: women are split, men are way against them. Is it because men are the ones who usually get ticketed? Plus: a look at the city's eight-year plan to improve bike lanes. Read more
The Medill grad, former foreign service officer in Pakistan, and recent political advisor to ISAF task forces in Afghanistan discusses her career, and the situation in the places where she first and most recently served as a diplomat. Read more
Why NATO was just as flummoxing as the protesters outside; "Obama's debacle" and other post-NATO reads; how the almost-redundantly named Operation Active Endeavour might represent the future of NATO; and more. Read more
