Events Newsletters Subscribe

Carol Felsenthal
The Graying of Obama: A Scientific Explanation
By Carol Felsenthal
The graying of Obama has become a theme of this presidency: to his supporters each patch of gray reflects another piece of the mess that George W. Bush left his successor to clean up; to his detractors the gray reflects the anxious condition of a man in way over his head. I sought the opinion of Dr. Charles Zugerman, associate professor of clinical dermatology at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University... Read more
Roger Ebert: A Life in the Movies
By Carol Felsenthal
FROM DECEMBER 2005: He was an eager young man fresh from Urbana when he started reviewing movies for the Chicago Sun-Times more than three decades ago. His intervening years have featured unimagined success, abiding friendships, too much booze (for a time), the death of a colleague, bouts with cancer, and (rather late) lasting love. His passion for film has made Ebert a bigger star than many of the people he writes about. Read more
Joe Walsh on Abortion, Name-Calling, and His Family Life
By Carol Felsenthal
Skipping President Obama’s speech last night, Rep. Joe Walsh hosted a small-business forum at Schaumburg’s Prairie Center for the Arts. Yesterday, I posted part one of my Q&A with the 8th District congressman. Here, part two of our conversation, in which he talks about growing up in an Irish Catholic family, why he switched his stance on abortion, who his closest friends are in Congress, and ... Read more
Joe Walsh on Why He's Skipping Obama's Jobs Speech Tonight
By Carol Felsenthal
When President Obama takes the mic tonight for a jobs speech before a joint session of Congress tonight, Congressman Joe Walsh will not be in attendance. Instead, he’ll be flying home to host a “small business job forum” in Schaumburg, part of his suburban Chicago 8th District... Read more
Obama/Boehner Jobs Speech Mess: The Buck Stops with Bill Daley
By Carol Felsenthal
When Bill Daley took over Rahm Emanuel’s job as President Obama’s chief of staff, the conventional wisdom had it that, finally, an adult was in the room. It may be too soon to judge Daley’s performance in the job, but he certainly earns a low grade for the dustup over the scheduling of Obama’s upcoming jobs speech... Read more
Jan Schakowsky: 'I Grew Up in a Different America'
By Carol Felsenthal
On Friday, I posted part one of my interview with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, in which she promoted her new jobs bill and slammed the Republicans. Here's part two, in which she discusses why she broke down during a recent meeting with constituents, how middle-class America is disappearing, and more... Read more
Tim Johnson on the Redistricting Map, the Debt Ceiling, Ron Paul, and More
By Carol Felsenthal
The issue of redistricting congressional maps is back in the news, with the League of Women Voters of Illinois filing a lawsuit on Tuesday claiming that the new maps are unconstitutional. In July, 11 of 12 members of Illinois’s GOP delegation filed a federal suit challenging the new map. Congressman Tim Johnson, of the 15th District, was the sole Republican lawmaker not to join in the lawsuit. “I’m too busy serving my constituents... Read more
Post Office Closings in Chicago—Will Low-Income Neighborhoods Bear the Brunt?
By Carol Felsenthal
With the United States Postal Service losing $8.5 billion last year, some 3,653 post offices nationwide (out of 31,871) are being reviewed for possible closing. Illinois carries the dubious distinction of having the most potential closures—176. Chicago gets whacked with the possible closing of 12 stations, and all of them sit in the congressional districts of either Danny Davis or Bobby Rush... Read more