Does Chicago's new city sticker depict the signs and symbols of the Maniac Latin Disciples? Or is it an annunciation of the city's public safety officials? It's as much in the eye of the beholder as anything. Read more
Thanks to Clint Eastwood and a positive jobs report, there's some very cautious optimism about the economy. But behind the scenes, there's a lot of math and yelling about who's employed, who's not, who wants a job, and who's done with working. Read more
The best Italian beef in Chicago is right around the corner from where you are; an Italian beef gallery; why white bread comes from Rockford; 366 days of kindness; and more. Read more
The conference makes a push to add a real, if small and short, playoff to the BCS system, as low TV ratings have the powers that be considering what fans have wanted for years. Read more
The organization that helped inspire the new Kinzie bike lane stops by Chicago for one of its "Cities for Cycling" roadshows, as the city attempts to expand its cycling infrastructure... and protect bikers and drivers from each other. Read more
Chicago's youth violence numbers remain terrible, both in comparison to broader homicide trends and in comparison to our peer cities. One cause may stem not from the failure of the city's approach to gangs, but its arguable success. Read more
A Chicago law prof, long on the frontlines of technology and the law, foresees a disturbing future in which we've ceded our privacy to the social networks that define us. It actually looks a lot like our present, and our past. Read more
The possibility that a lawsuit could be filed over the recent ward remapping of the city is still in play. But not everyone's dissatisfied: a small, active Polish coalition made significant gains on the northwest side. Read more
The CME Group, fresh off its tax-break legislative victory, declined a TIF deal that originated in the Daley administration and would have given them $15 million. And with that, another round of tax increment finance talk kicks off. Read more
The creator of television's longest-running nationally-syndicated show is a Chicago broadcasting legend, but he had to head for Hollywood for "Soul Train" to become what it was. Plus: James Brown, David Bowie, and Gladys Knight on the Soul Train stage. Read more
