1. Is Chicago’s Dining Boom Over?
Rents in Fulton Market are five times what they were five years ago. Want ads turn up a handful of qualified staff. The bubble is about to burst. Chicago magazine shows why.
2. How Tough Is It to Change a Culture of Harassment? Ask Women at Ford
25 years ago, the government cracked down hard on two Chicago car plants. They had to do it again after little changed. The New York Times follows the lack of progress.
3. A Conservative Nonprofit That Seeks to Transform College Campuses Faces Allegations of Racial Bias and Illegal Campaign Activity
Turning Point USA, based in the Chicago area, has chapters all over the country. As it gains influence, it’s getting more scrutiny. The New Yorker looks at its practices.
4. How the Last Place Bulls Became the Hottest Team in the East
The tanking team ran into a long winning streak, becoming the first team ever to lose ten straight, then turn around and win five straight. But don’t get your hopes ups (for anything but a high draft pick). FiveThirtyEight appraises their odds.
5. The Shots Heard Round the City
ShotSpotter sensors automatically detect the sound of gunfire, to the tune of $1.5 million per district. Do they work well enough to justify the cost? South Side Weekly investigates.
6. Thousands of Black Students Leave Chicago for Other Segregated Districts
Population loss and school closures have caused a mass exodus of CPS students. But often they end up in similar situations. The Chicago Reporter traces their experiences.
7. Urban Killings Rise in Clusters as Many Areas Grow Safer
Large Midwestern cities are, for the most part, less violent than they have been in decades–except for specific areas, which are more so. The Associated Press runs the numbers.
8. What Will It Take?
Shootings are down in Chicago this year after last year’s increase. What could we do to further lower them? WBEZ looks at the options.
9. Pier Review
Navy Pier has been treated with disdain by locals for years, but recent renovations have turned it into a worthy landscape. Landscape Architecture reappraises it.
10. Without Grace, Chicago’s Restaurant Scene Is Forever Changed
Its sudden closing means the loss of an institution that was a classic from day one, serving some of the city’s most joyous food. Chicago magazine mourns its loss.