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August 2012
Last Night's Mass Shootings and Chicago Gang Territory
By Whet Moser
A study of gang violence in Los Angeles finds a fascinating if obvious pattern: gang territory mirrors species territory in competing for resources, and violence is most common along the boundaries. Last night's shootings—six incidents, 19 victims—appear to follow that pattern. Read more
Joe Ricketts and the New Anti-Barack Film, '2016: Obama's America'
By Carol Felsenthal
Rahm Emanuel threw a hissy fit in May when he learned of the involvement of Joe Ricketts, whose children own the Cubs, in a proposed harshly anti-Obama ad that revisited the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy of the 2008 election. Ricketts is back, this time as an investor in a new Barack-bashing film called 2016: Obama's America. Read more
The Early History and Politics of Chicago Bike Culture
By Whet Moser
In the 1960s, bicycle commuters were considered to be weird freaks; by 1970, the city had a vibrant bike movement, even before OPEC blew gas prices up. What happened over those short years might explain a lot why some writers get so angry about the idea of bicycle infrastructure. Read more
Race, Poverty, and Sleep
By Whet Moser
A new study of Chicagoans finds substantial racial disparities in sleep quality and sleep patterns... which researchers suggest could be tied to the city's intense segregation. Read more
More Reads on Poverty and Segregation
By Whet Moser
Measuring the toll of homicide not just in numbers, but in years of life lost in some of Chicago's most violent neighborhoods; George Romney's history of desegregation; and more Read more