1. Betrayed
Hundreds of CPS students have been sexually abused, assaulted, or harrassed in the past seven years. Behind that number are failures throughout the process meant to protect children. The Tribune investigates.
2. Trapped: Neglected Elevators Put Chicago’s Public Housing Residents at Risk
Many of the agency’s residents require elevators, and a broken one can mean an hours-long wait to get home. And the agency’s elevators are broken a lot. The BGA and WBEZ team up for a story.
3. How Jackie Spinner’s Sons Inspired Her Documentary About Autism in Morocco
The former Baghdad bureau chief of the Washington Post returned to their homeland to explore how their condition is dealt with. Chicago magazine talks to her and her collaborators.
4. The Art of the Schmooze
Studs Terkel was “an amiable, nonrancorous radical. He would listen to anyone, quietly.” Garry Wills celebrates him and his new archive for the New York Review of Books.
5. Queen Key Is Chicago’s Hilarious New Rap Star
She made her first mixtape at the age of seven using a tape deck and radio recordings. Even getting fired from the American Girl store couldn’t stop her. The Fader profiles the rising artist.
6. The Hidden Queer History Behind A League of Their Own
Owner William Wrigley insisted the league’s players present themselves as feminine, in a mostly successful effort to hide the reality of lesbian ballplayers. Narratively uncovers the story.
7. “He Was Supposed to Be the Savior”: How Kris Bryant Made Living Up to the Hype So Easy
His professional career began with a five-strikeout game for the Class A Boise Hawks. He stayed calm, even if the front office didn’t—and stayed calm when he was called up to be the team’s star. The Athletic profiles the franchise’s cornerstone.
8. How Matt Davidson Became the Most Improved Hitter in Baseball
He was worse than a replacement-level player last year. But changing timing and positioning—and watching all 1,014 pitches he saw last year—have led to a breakout campaign. Fangraphs explains how it worked.
9. Does Chicago Have Too Many Music Festivals?
Indicators suggest the market is weakening, but staying small(ish) and catering to locals is a survival strategy. The Reader examines the possibility.
10. The Great Breakup: The First Arrivals to the Americas Split into Two Groups
And they stayed that way for thousands of years, as research emerging from the University of Illinois shows. But why is a mystery. The New York Times looks at the history.