1. In the Shadow of Lincoln Yards
The Hideout is the kind of bar that’s become an endangered species in Chicago: historic, rooted in the community, unassuming, and fiercely independent. And its existence is in peril as the Lincoln Yards developments threatens to beige-ify the last undeveloped slice straddling Bucktown and Lincoln Park. Writer Martha Bayne examines the Hideout’s legacy and tenuous future for BELT magazine.
2. Revelations About Ald. Daniel Solis Wearing Wire for FBI Have Created ‘a Toxic Atmosphere’ at Chicago City Hall
Secret recordings, FBI probes, and accusations of betrayal — even for a City Hall accustomed to drama, the Solis bombshell has managed to knock the city council sideways. The Chicago Tribune brings the latest update from City Council.
3. The Bicycle Thief
How do you go from Olympic cycling hopeful to bank robber? For Tom Justice, it involved disappointment, hope, amusement, thrill, and an ability to pedal like the wind. Chicago, in partnership with Epic Magazine, has the story.
4. Officers Accused of Abuses Are Leading Chicago Police’s “Implicit Bias” Training Program
The CPD is attempting to reform some of its practices via implicit bias training, but who they’ve put in charge reveals a deeper bias within the department itself. The Intercept looks at the CPD’s troubling pattern.
5. Without Representation
Chicago’s local voting districts take some pretty ridiculous shapes thanks to political gerrymandering, but a history of politicians choosing their voters has had another consequence: robbing Englewood residents of their political voice. South Side Weekly digs into the history.
6. Saving Manufacturing Jobs and Boosting Entrepreneurial Opportunity in Chicagoland
As scores of small manufacturing owners eye retirement, putting old business in new hands could help revitalize Chicago’s sector. One Forbes columnist considers a different way forward.
7. Chicago Aldermen Might Be Even More Powerful Than You Think
Chicago’s 50 aldermen run their wards like mini fiefdoms when it comes to all things zoning and real estate. Turns out, that’s an awful lot of power when it comes to shaping the average Chicagoan’s experience in their neighborhood. Crain’s Chicago Business looks at the phenomenon of aldermanic privilege.
8. Angel Bat Dawid Taps Into the Root of All Black Music
The composer and performer, who cofounded Chicago’s Participatory Music Coalition, is a modern embodiment of Chicago’s legacy of experimental and jazz music. The Reader sits down with Dawid to talk inspiration and her new album.
9. What Can Chicago Do About the Racist Effects of Segregation? Look to Other Cities
For all its diversity, Chicago has remained stubbornly and disastrously segregated for generations. Cities like Baltimore, Seattle, and Austin may have answers to mitigate the city’s most pernicious problem. WBEZ investigates how smaller metro areas have moved forward.
10. Candice Payne Got 30 Hotel Rooms for Homeless People in Chicago During Severe Cold Snap
If you don’t know the name Candice Payne after the 2019 Polar Vortex by now, it’s safe to assume you’re still frozen under ice. The New York Times checks in with the heroic Chicagoan after her act of kindness went viral.