1. Suffering in Secret
Reporters found thousands more cases of abuse or neglect in state-licensed group homes than the state reported, and a system that discourages transparency. The Tribune investigates.
2. Homicides in ’90s May Have Led to Population Loss a Decade Later
Census tracts in Chicago with 20 or more homicides from 1991 to 2000 lost almost 20 percent of their population in the 2000s. The Metropolitan Planning Council runs the numbers.
3. School Librarians, Shelved
CPS librarians are down to 157 budgeted positions from 454 in 2012, and cuts have hit the South and West Sides hardest. South Side Weekly maps the changes.
4. Could Trump Bring Manufacturing Jobs Back to Chicago?
A trade war might save cookie-line jobs—but could threaten titans like Boeing and Caterpillar. Chicago magazine looks at the possibilities.
5. Stranded by the State: Episode 1
A new documentary series explores the ramifications of the state’s budget stalemate. In These Times teams up with Kartemquin Films.
6. YOU GET A CAR!
Oprah Winfrey ended her run by going out on top (but not quite before they made it to outer space). WBEZ continues its history of her show.
7. Chicago Muslims: “We’ve Been Yelling, But No One’s Been Listening”
The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is strengthing its legal network (and encouraging self-defense training, especially for hijabi women). The Reader talks with communications coordinator Hoda Katebi.
8. The Electric Company
A private, all-electric bus fleet is springing up in Chicago to ferry workers from train stations to the Aon Center and Prudential Plaza—a national first. Slate introduces the idea.
9. What’s a Limb Worth? Well, Not Much in Indiana.
Lose a thumb in Illinois? You can get over $100,000 in worker’s comp. Across the border, just over $45,000. And there’s a political skirmish over it. Crain’s breaks it down.
10. There Were Clues to Trump’s Strength, Even in Illinois
He lost the state by a huge margin, as expected. But that doesn’t mean it can’t tell us about his victory. Chicago magazine runs the numbers.