1. How Twins From Little Village Rose to Win Trust of Drug Kingpin El Chapo
Their tight bond allowed them to fly under the radar, building a multimillion-dollar empire out of a used-car dealership. The Tribune uncovers the Flores brothers.
2. The Children of ISIS
What made three teen siblings from Bolingbrook volunteer their services for a terrorist army overseas? Rolling Stone traces their evolution.
3. Some Advice for the Bears About Ray McDonald: Talk Straight with Fans
Their new defensive end has been arrested twice for alleged violence against women; no charges have been filed, though an investigation is ongoing. In a charged context, they shouldn’t try to spin it. ESPNW breaks it down.
4. The Stuntman
From ‘Groundhog Day’ to ‘Risky Business’ to ‘Chicago Fire,’ Rick LeFevour has taken the fall (sometimes while on fire). Chicago magazine profiles the West-Side native.
5. How Chicago’s Press Corps Is Dealing with ‘Washington Rahm’
The longtime Clinton and Obama staffer holds the same tight-fisted control of his mayoral image that he helped his bosses maintain in the Oval Office. The Columbia Journalism Review talks to local reporters about Emanuel’s City Hall.
6. A Tale of Two Cities: Why Chuy Garcia Won’t Turn Chicago Into Detroit
When Harold Washington ran for mayor, the same fear was trotted out. But it’s even less likely now than it was then. Belt looks back, and ahead.
7. As Silence Falls on Chicago Trading Pits, a Working-Class Portal Also Closes
Open-outcry trading was an opportunity for smart blue-collar kids to move quickly up the economic ladder. Now, like the rest of the economy, degrees and computer skills dominate the industry. The New York Times charts its demise.
8. Traveling Taxidermy Teacher to Open Art-Meets-Science Lab and Studio
A 24-year-old Chicagoan is in demand for her unusual skills, so she’s setting up a permanent hub to teach them. RedEye profiles Mickey Alice Kwapis.
9. How Integration Worked—and Failed—In Evanston
The city tried hard, with some success, to desegregate its schools. But things broke down at the lunchtable. Chicago talks with historian and native Mary Barr.
10. How Chicago Has Used Financial Engineering to Paper Over Its Massive Budget Gap
For over a decade, Chicago has been spending more than it can pay for. How’s that possible? A bond market geek explains in Medium.