1. Why the State Couldn’t Save Laquan McDonald and 10 Other Slain Youths

11 teen wards of the state were killed in a two-year span. Lead poisoning, poor schooling, and a lack of stable homes contributed to the tragedy. The Tribune explores their fates.

2. Ikram Goldman Rules the World

She’s a top player in the fashion world, outside the fashion capitals of the world. How’d she do it? She started with her doll collection. Chicago magazine profiles the mind behind Ikram.

3. Chicago Cubs and the Last Days of Old, Weird Wrigleyville

It’s stereotyped as a frat house the size of a neighborhood, but remnants of its punk past remain. Rolling Stone pays a visit.

4. In Times of Emergency, Exactly Who Is That Voice on the Other End of the Line?

Night after night 911 operators listen to the beginnings of tragedies, but rarely if ever do they find out what happened—a lack of closure that takes a mental toll. Pacific Standard talks to an OEMC veteran.

5. Life on a Ledge

Pulitzer-winning reporter Frank Main has covered countless Chicago tragedies. When a woman jumped off a West Loop building, he just happened to be there, in his neighborhood. And it became personal. He reports out the repercussions in the Sun-Times.

6. The Heavy Hand of Early 20th-Century Zoning Codes

In 1922, most of the city was covered in commerce. The city’s first zoning law changed that forever. CityLab maps it out.

7. How Did Chicago Get So Violent?

Did it paradoxically come from the city’s success in breaking down large, hierarchical gangs? If so, what’s next? Slate takes a look.

8. The Rise and Fall of Community Policing in Chicago

The city pioneered the strategy. Budget cuts and restructuring all but eliminated it, even though there’s evidence it worked during some of Chicago’s most violent years. The Reader explains.

9. Which Chicago Neighborhood Had the Most Block Parties?

Low-density neighborhoods on the northwest and southwest sides dominate the 4,000+ events in Chicago this year. WBEZ runs the numbers.

10. How Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade Could Make the Bulls a Must-Watch Team

What they lack in the long-range shooting that’s defined the NBA they make up for in prideful vengeance and compelling quirkiness. Chicago gives fans some hope.