The 50 Most Powerful Chicagoans, Ranked Rankings by Chicago editorsText by Edward Robert McClelland Who’s in charge here? The heavy hitters in our Power 50 know how to use their influence to make things happen in Chicago and beyond. Read more
Why Is the City Council Passing Resolutions About Foreign Affairs? By Edward Robert McClelland The Chicago City Council has a long history of offering its opinion on matters beyond its jurisdiction. Read more
Did the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Spur Calls for Gun Control? Answered by Edward Robert McClelland A shocked public demanded action — but did it lead to change? Read more
Lincoln Owes His Presidency to Illinois By Edward Robert McClelland A brief history of how our state made Abe the right man from the right place to guide the nation through the Civil War. Read more
The Illinois-Indiana Border Separates Two Worlds By Edward Robert McClelland It's Individualistic political culture versus a Moralistic culture — and maybe that's complementary. Read more
Someone Has to Wear the Jacket By Edward Robert McClelland The old Chicago phrase, “wear the jacket,” means to take the fall. We have a short list of some of the town's great jacket-wearers. Read more
Illinois Route 1 Is a Must-Drive Trek to See the State By Edward Robert McClelland From inner-city Chicago, past steel mills, through cornfields, and down the river. Read more
The White Sox Need a New, Old-School Park By Edward Robert McClelland Guaranteed Rate Field was built right before the retro ballpark movement, and it lacks the cozy atmosphere that could make it a destination. Read more
History Would Be Different if a Tire Held Out By Edward Robert McClelland How would our modern political landscape been shaped had a certain Chicago salesman survived his car accident? Read more
The 10 Pols Who Could Replace Dick Durbin By Edward Robert McClelland Dick Durbin’s potential retirement is already stirring speculation about who might replace him. Here’s a guide to the front-runners. Read more