1. When Is Chicago-Area Traffic the Worst?

Odds are, it’s probably on a Thursday in July. Here’s why. WBEZ’s Curious City runs the numbers.

2. Did Cook County Prosecutors Overlook Evidence and Help Send an Innocent Man to Prison?

The case of Anthony Porter and Alstory Simon has long been a mess. Did it have to be that way? The Chicago Reader tells the tale.

3. Reforms Target Job Barriers for Ex-Offenders

Having paid their debt to society, many come out of prison with financial debts as well, and no way to pay. The Chicago Reporter looks at potential solutions.

4. Why Chicago Businesses Love Milwaukee Now

They’re big fish in a small pond, and the pond is getting nicer. Crain’s follows them across the border.

5. How to Slow Down Shootings in a City Plagued By Gun Violence

“The idea that [street shootings] are truly random is oversold.” Huffington Post Chicago analyzes a new study.

6. Forget the Goat: A Letter to Cubs Fans

Any respectable business would turn away a goat at the door. Let’s stop holding it against the team. Grantland asks for some sense.

7. How I Came to Love Winter Biking—and Tolerate Chicago Winters

One seasonal strategy is living with and in the cold rather than combating it. Chicago magazine goes outside.

8. Cabbie Killing Shows Job’s Vulnerability

Sometimes all a driver has is a glass shield, and even those are disappearing in the ride-sharing age. The Tribune talks to hacks about the risks.

9. Satire in the Muslim World: A Centuries-Long Tradition

Why Chicago stand-up Azhar Usman is inspired by the 13th-century Sufi saint Mullah Nasreddin and his “Andy Kaufman type of personality.” NPR goes back in time.

10. There’s a Reason the New Green Condos in West Town Are So Pricey

Building green requires a different—and more expensive—approach. Chicago magazine looks at the bill.