In some ways, the three families profiled here—one well off, one middle class, one working poor—couldn’t be more different. In income, in possessions, in prospects, they stand on separate economic rungs. Yet each in its own way feels uneasy about money. Do they have enough? Will they have enough? Will there ever be a time when they no longer worry? Rich or poor, their answers are surprisingly similar. Read more
When the architect Rodrigo del Canto built a new house in Old Town, he linked two transparent towers and let sun-yellow curtains fly—magical realism in motion Read more
Every time ABC runs an episode of its hit TV series Lost, Evanston's Jeffrey Lieber gets an onscreen credit and his bank account gets a nice pop. But the twisting tale of his Hollywood triumph has left Lieber feeling a bit ... well, lost. Read more
Sit back and listen in on a Range Rover ride to the West Side with breakout rapper and Renaissance nerd Lupe Fiasco. You’ll get an earful on history, sociology, anthropology, and the artist’s muses, from Tchaikovsky to Noam Chomsky to Ice Cube Read more
Since 1837, the city of Chicago and the art of photography have come of age together. Here, in a timeline that stretches across parts of three centuries, a look at several important local photographers, as well as some significant dates in the history of Chicago (in red) and photography (in blue) Read more
How much money does Barack Obama make as a U.S. senator? Find out salary information about him and others in various fields. Read more
From Lake Superior's Pictured Rocks to the Hoosier National Forest in southern Indiana, outdoor adventures abound in the Midwest. Spread across five states, these wilderness desitinations will satisfy hikers and bikers, climbers and anglers—as well as laid-back lovers of awesome scenery and rustic B&B's. Read more
When Irv Kupcinet, the legendary gossip columnist of the Chicago Sun-Times, died last year, it marked the end of a remarkable era of glamour and intrigue. Read more