Poll: Where's the Best Place to Watch the Bears/Packers Game? The infamous football rivalry heats up yet again this weekend. Where would you prefer to be for it? Read more
The Timeline of Chicagoland's Housing Boom and Bust By Whet Moser The housing boom and bust moved like a wave across the area, leaving some neighborhoods exposed as the wave broke. Read more
Even the Cops at Riot Fest Think the Smoking Ban Is 'Stupid' By Matt Pollock No one at Riot Fest, including the cops, understands why the park district banned smoking in parks. Read more
Chicago's New Crosswalk Signs are Working Pretty Well By Whet Moser How likely cars are to stop for you to cross the street has a lot to do with the infrastructure—which is slowly improving. Read more
What a Minimum Wage Increase Means in Chicago By Alec Moran Who's affected, how, and what Rahm's plan to up the minimum wage to $13 an hour really means. Read more
Q&A: Rick Perlstein on Ronald Reagan and His New Book, ‘The Invisible Bridge’ By Whet Moser The historian talks about the myths and gifts of Ronald Reagan, his influence on Obama, and the infantilization of American politics. Read more
Poll: What's the Most Irritating Fall Activity? By Staff It's the last unofficial weekend of summer. Here are some of the fun fall activities we have to look forward to. Read more
Why You Should Root for the Lucas Museum By Jeffrey Brown The director's lakefront museum could be a much-needed spark to the creative imagination. Read more
San Antonio Reduced Its Jail Population by Treating the Mentally Ill By Whet Moser Over 15 years, Bexar County built a complex system to divert people from jail and into a spectrum of mental-health and social service programs. They're still building, and other locales are paying attention. Read more
Can Barbara Byrd-Bennett Save Chicago’s Schools? By Jennifer Tanaka The CPS chief must fix the district’s dire finances—and that’s just task one. Read more
