1. As Killings Surge, Chicago Police Solve Fewer Homicides

In 1991, Chicago’s clearance rate was 80 percent, well above the national average. Now it’s 26 percent, less than half. The number of detectives has fallen by more than a third. Even cases with leads and cooperation are falling through the cracks. Three Washington Post reporters team up to investigate.

2. The Reckoning of Marc Winner

He grew up in affluence in Winnetka, driving a sports car with the vanity plate PARTYR. He was 19 when he was first arrested. His brother went to prison for Medicare fraud. He’s now on trial for four rapes. What happened? Chicago tells his story—and those of two of his alleged victims.

3. Residents on Crime-Plagued Blocks: ‘People Ain’t Neighbors No More’

Social bonds are fraying on Chicago’s streets, and longtime homeowners, the anchors of their communities, are struggling to pass their homes on to future generations. The Tribune goes to Englewood and West Garfield Park.

4. The Curious Have Won

Theo & Co. rebuilt the Cubs by the numbers, winning the World Series and ending the analytics war. The Ringer demonstrates.

5. Taking the Temperature

Why don’t families talk climate change? Maybe it’s “pre-traumatic stress”: it’s just too big and scary. WBEZ sits around the dining table.

6. Race for Obscure Illinois Political Office Pulls in Millions in Donations

The candidates for state comptroller have raised over ten million dollars combined. It’s an expensive proxy war between politicians (and the money behind them). The Wall Street Journal explains.

7. Why Republicans Don’t Even Try to Win Cities Anymore

Density and Democratic vote correlate heavily, but they haven’t always. At the heart of the change are race and housing policy. The New York Times goes back into history.

8. Reign Men: The Storm, The Speech, and the Inside Story of the Cubs’ Game 7 Triumph

Jayson Heyward struggled at the plate all season—but he came up big in the locker room with the season on the line. Sports Illustrated goes inside.

9. Why Congresswomen Are More Effective Than Their Male Colleagues

Women are less likely to run than men, accurately perceiving sexism at the polls. So the ones that do are better at their jobs. Chicago magazine examines their record.

10. The Team That Will Run the Winter

As the Cubs got the headlines, the White Sox had a drab season. Their offseason promises to be anything but. Fangraphs previews the hot-stove league.