Coffee, Crime, and Chicago

By Whet Moser

Do more coffee shops equal less crime? In Chicago, during a critical period in the city's violent history, the answer is yes: for homicides, at least. The results for robbery, however, are interestingly dependent on race. Read more

The Rosenwald Apartments: A Bronzeville Legacy in Limbo

By Whet Moser

The 420-some unit complex, built by Julius Rosenwald as affordable housing for middle-class blacks in a segregated city, was once managed by Quincy Jones's mother and provided elegant apartments at reasonable rates. After years of neglect and then abandonment, it's now an expensive problem. Read more

Adam Dunn's Historic Strikeout Rate and the Longest Home Run in Baseball History (Allegedly)

By Whet Moser

The slugger has his power stroke back and is hitting home runs at his usual clip, but is also on pace to easily surpass the major-league record for strikeouts. The only White Sox player ever to compare was a fellow power hitter, whose blast out of Comiskey is, rightfully or not, often mentioned as the longest ever hit. Read more

The Geography of Chicago Schools, Homicides, and Poverty

By Whet Moser

A look at how CPS school performance, socioeconomic data—compiled by CPS to help determine selective-school placement—and 2012 homicides are distributed across the city. Read more

Americans Like the U.S. Postal Service More than McDonald's

By Whet Moser

Which isn't to say they don't like McDonald's: Americans' satisfaction with fast food restaurants of all kinds is increasing, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, despite the criticism directed at them. Read more

The Wonderful Physics of R.A. Dickey's Knuckleball

By Whet Moser

The Mets' unlikely star is putting up the best numbers in baseball, and is coming off back-to-back one-hitters, the first time that's been done in 23 years. The research of a University of Illinois professor explains how he's mastered his mysterious pitch. Read more

Cubs Sign Mysterious Cuban Prospect Jorge Soler

By Whet Moser

For nine years and $30 million, Epstein lands a 20-year-old with nonexistent stats but a lot of praise from scouts. Why spend so much? Because after July, they wouldn't have been able to spend a tenth of that. Read more

Politics Roundup: CTA Red Line Shutdown, CTU Strike Vote

By Whet Moser

Plus: private prisons and immigration in Crete and beyond; negative equity in the Chicagoland area; the ongoing costs of NATO to the Metra and the CPD; and more Read more

TIF Money For Chicago Public Schools: Like TIFs in Miniature

By Whet Moser

A new report by a Roosevelt prof highlights where TIF money spent on schools has gone, and to what kind of schools it's gone too—and how it mirrors the dilemma of tax increment finance generally. Read more

The Politics of Mike Bost's Pension Rant: Upstate, Downstate

By Whet Moser

A downstate representative from Murphysboro gets mad, and his rant on teacher-pension funding goes viral, thanks to some paper-throwing and barnyard epithets. What's bothering him: Michael Madigan, or something more? Read more

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