Stacy Davis Gates Won’t Back Down
The Chicago Teachers Union’s heir apparent sees herself as a righteous champion of not just educators but of students. And she’s not about to let anyone stand in her way. Including the mayor.
Custom Placements: News Lead 1
Bring Back the Big House
The Illinois General Assembly once used a system called cumulative voting — and it’s worth reviving.
In Praise of Jesse White’s Lack of Ambition
The Secretary of State’s office has traditionally been a stepping stone to something bigger, but White focused his energies on making the place less of a hassle.
Oh, How the Mighty Three Eddies Have Fallen
The tales of Vrdolyak, Burke, and Kelly are a lesson in what happens to politicians who outlive their power.
Will Lori Lightfoot Be One and Done?
Can the mayor overcome rising crime and her own political inexperience to win a second term?
R. Kelly May Not Be So Lucky in Brooklyn
Unlike his 2008 trial in Chicago, R. Kelly’s alleged victims are willing to testify in Brooklyn — including one young groupie who attended the Cook County proceedings before being targeted herself.
How the Remap Could Impact Chicago’s Three Black Congressional Districts
A day of reckoning is here: After the 2020 census, the city can no longer maintain all its Black legislative districts.
Worst Things Chicago Politicians Have Said on a Wiretap, Ranked
News that Alderman Ed Burke was caught on a federal wiretap making an anti-Semitic remark got us thinking: Where does it rank among the most cringe-inducing things local politicians have said under surveillance?
What Does “Defund the Police” Really Mean?
Calls to abolish the police have been renewed with the shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo. But beneath that simple slogan is a lot of nuance.