1. Chicago’s Forgotten Pro-Choice Warriors
Fifty years ago, women who wanted abortions didn’t have many choices — until an underground network of women gave them another one. Chicago mag has the history of the Janes.
2. On the Corner
Neighborhood change is a constant in Chicago, but the kind that's headed for Woodlawn is less common — and given the neighborhood’s history, a lot more complex. South Side Weekly takes a look at the neighborhood’s future in this multi-part series.
3. Marijuana Supper Clubs
As legalization looms large and the stigma around cannabis wanes, marijuana-infused food is breaking out of the brownie pan and onto the (increasingly posh) dinner table. The Tribune sneaks a peek at the growing popularity of cannabis cuisine.
4. Bad Police Fingerprint Work Undermines Chicago Property Crime Cases
Best practices for forensics inevitably change with times and technology. But recent review by the Chicago Public Defender reveals that Chicago Police aren't working with outdated ideas, but rather with their own set of rules. The Better Government Association investigates.
5. Fooditor’s 19 Best New Places to Eat in Chinatown
Plenty of food-focused Chicagoans have their favorite Chinatown spot, but a new crop of bakeries, tea shops, and restaurants are gunning to be your new favorite. Fooditor rounds up the must-try spots.
6. Community Gardens Beautify Urban Space, but Some Seek to Transform Urban Society
In Chicago, even gardening can be a tool for political change. The Reader digs in.
7. The Man Who Ran the College Admissions Scam Used His Charity to Donate $150,000 to His Own Son’s University
The college admissions scandal that's as rich with schadenfreude as it is corruption has an unexpected local tie. BuzzFeed News spotlights the Chicago connection to the FBI’s “Operation Varsity Blues.”
8. Former Sears Complex Returns as a Beacon in a Chicago Neighborhood
Residents on Chicago’s West Side were lamenting the departure of Sears decades before the retail giants more recent woes. In the years since, the old headquarters has transformed from symbol of heartache to sign of resurgence. The New York Times looks at new beginnings in North Lawndale.
9. Will Obama’s Presidential Center Invigorate or Gentrify Chicago’s South Side?
There’s no shortage of updates to follow on the uncertain future of the not-really-a-library Obama Presidential Center, but a new long read has the history and the latest score on the contentious development. Next City has the impressive big-picture view.
10. More Businesses Buy Mass-Shooting Insurance
Last month’s tragedy at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora is just the latest instance of a workplace mass shooting that’s sadly prompting businesses to widen their view of what constitutes a potential workplace liability. Crain’s Chicago Business looks at the depressing trend.