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Crain's Chicago Business •

Chicago winters reset the thermostat on what is normal

To be a Chicagoan is to know how to be cold. How to trudge through snow. How to grit your teeth and carry on as bone-chilling winds gust through the Loop.But these days, that defining regional characteristic is changing, because the climate is changing. What once was frigid is now merely chilly, and perhaps only occasionally so.The ankle-length coat that Eleanor Gorski used to wear for winter-weather protection as she walked from the Metra station to her office downtown is no longer in regular r...
Crain's Chicago Business •

Crime is down, data shows. Here's why it doesn't feel that way.

Chicagoan Lisa Stringer sees the improving crime stats coming out this year — a decline in car thefts, homicides returning to pre-pandemic levels — and she wants to believe. She wants to relax.But Stringer can’t square the data’s rosy picture with what she sees outside her window in the city’s North Mayfair neighborhood. In the last couple of years, she’s witnessed a break-in at a neighborhood business, seen the dismantling of a stolen car, and heard shooting in the alley behind her home. Late o...
Crain's Chicago Business •

As Chicago steps into the DNC's spotlight, here's what we have to gain — and lose

A national spotlight will shine on Chicago in August when 50,000 visitors, including 15,000 members of the media, come to town for the Democratic National Convention. The question is whether Chicago’s four-day star turn will prove to be a good thing. “What's at stake for us is being able to have a dramatic impact on our reputation and in reshaping our narrative,” says Rich Gamble, interim president and CEO of Choose Chicago. Hosting a convention can indeed boost perception of a city, as well as
WBEZ Chicago •

The new frontier for Chicago brewers? ‘Mellow’ weed drinks that don’t resemble beer.

Last March, a few months after Minnesota legislators gave brewers the green light to begin making beverages with the active marijuana ingredient THC, a Chicago delegation went to the North Star State to investigate.

The team from Chicago’s Hopewell Brewing visited Fair State Brewing in Minneapolis, which early in the pandemic became America’s first unionized microbrewery. Fair State had released a THC seltzer called “Chill State” and had since built a side business packaging and distributing he

A Few Callouts

Undisputed Street Fighter •

Book: "Undisputed Street Fighter"

NAMED ONE OF THE "BEST VIDEO GAME BOOKS MONEY CAN BUY" BY NINTENDO LIFE — I went a little crazy for my first book project, conducting more than 70 interviews and traveling to Japan for the first translator-brokered interviews of my career. The result was the deepest of deep dives into the video game series Street Fighter, one that delves into every nook and cranny of the series' 30-year run. From its quirky origins to its domination of the 1990s arcade scene, I covered it all—plus extended detours into anime, action figures, and modern tournaments.
WBEZ Chicago •

Amid layoffs and reshuffling, anxious Chicago tech workers seek solace in pinball

Distractions are the natural enemies of flow state — that blissed-out, locked-in mode revered by tech people as the space where the best work happens.

Yet tech folks love pinball. The cacophony is part of the charm, because the challenge is to overcome it. Area pinball leagues are full of tech workers on teams with names such as “Tilty as Charged.”

“It’s really a game about control,” says Jane Verwys, a user experience designer in Chicago and, according to one ratings system, the top-ranked wo
Chicago magazine •

It Will Take a Stoner Savant to Lead the Craft Beer Revolution

THE ASSIGNMENT: I wrote this profile about Tony Magee, the founder of Lagunitas Brewing, just before Lagunitas opened its HQ2 in Chicago. THE LEAD: Tony Magee is singing, but on a recent weeknight the crowd at Riverview Tavern in Roscoe Village hardly notices. They are talking, drinking, watching an NBA playoff game—anything but paying attention to the disheveled middle-aged white guy who is finger-picking old blues tunes on a classic Martin. Once he finishes his last song, he puts the guitar down and stands there alone. A few uncomfortable ...
Crain's Chicago Business •

All big cities have a violence problem. Chicago's is different.

All big cities have a violence problem. Chicago's is different. How safe is Chicago? The answer depends on where you're standing. The North Side is as safe as it's been in a generation, with a homicide rate that has declined steadily throughout this century, barely ticking up during the especially violent years of 2016 and 2020, then falling again in 2021, even as the city as a whole experienced its bloodiest year since the mid-1990s, according to Chicago Police Department data. The homicide rat
WBEZ Chicago •

Rivian superfans awaiting delivery resort to drones, stakeouts and surveillance

Elizabeth and Brian Hace followed the electric vehicle upstart Rivian for years before the Minnesota couple finally placed two orders in late 2020: one for the R1T pickup truck, and the other for an R1S SUV. The Haces are environmentally conscious and also like big vehicles, so they were content to wait for Rivian to produce the country’s first electric pickup, driving 20-year-old cars rather than opting for, say, a Tesla.
Chalkbeat •

Can a program designed for British diplomats fix Chicago's schools?

THE ASSIGNMENT: Last fall, when Chicago Public Schools signaled its plans to double down on the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum as a means of boosting the quality of neighborhood schools, I looked into IB's global origins and its track record and potential in Chicago. THE LEAD: Senn High senior Shrda Shrestha is attending her neighborhood high school in Edgewater against pretty much everybody’s advice. ...

One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?

Winner of a 2023 Lisagor Award for excellence in Chicago journalism (Society of Professional Journalists), as well as a 2024 Gold Award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. This series looks at the structure and function of Chicago's City Council, and how the Council might improve. Each month for five months, I wrote a long-form piece, followed by a Q&A. The series ran in Crain's Chicago Business and was sponsored by the University of Chicago. I'm linking to the U of C versions here (where available) because they're not paywalled—but for the full effect, including some great interactive content, check out the Crain's versions at chicagobusiness.com.

This series really had everything. It is deeply reported and engagingly written. Rich in description, human connection, data and historical context, it succeeds in making a series about aldermanic wards both interesting and eye-opening. This is truly impactful journalism.

— Alliance of Area Business Publishers (2024 Gold Award winner for best feature series)

Crain's Chicago Business •

Chicago City Council: Is the structure working? - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. This is the first part of the series.

Chicago’s famed political machine is at least mostly dead, City Council insiders agree. More than half a century after the first of a series of federal court orders aimed at rid
Center for Effective Government •

Former Chicago Alderman Says People Have to Decide What Kind of City Council They Want - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

Ameya Pawar served two terms as alderman of Chicago’s 47th Ward from 2011 to 2019. While on the City Council, he spearheaded the creation of the City
Crain's Chicago Business •

Chicago's Budget Process Minimizes Input From Aldermen - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

As Chicago’s second Daley dynasty ended in May 2011, the departing regime left a gift for the new one: a pension-debt problem that had been quietly sn
Center for Effective Government •

San Diego's Budget Analyst Gives Advice on City Finances - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

Charles Modica is the city of San Diego's independent budget analyst, an office created in 2006 when the city moved to a “strong mayor” form of govern
Crain's Chicago Business •

A strange fixture in Chicago's budget process: Crain's Daily Gist podcast

Click here to subscribe to Crain's Daily Gist on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher! Want to listen on your smart speaker? Click here to learn how.

Crain’s contributor Steve Hendershot talks with host Amy Guth about the latest installation of the “One City, 50 Wards” project, a joint series from Crain’s and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government that explores how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions and how it performs.

Plus: Chicago mayoral candidates visit Cra
Crain's Chicago Business •

City Council Corruption Arises From Unchecked Aldermanic Power - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

The Burger King at 41st and Pulaski is a sort of perverse monument to government gone wrong in Chicago. Its security camera captured the scene in 2014
Crain's Chicago Business •

What a Chief Administrative Officer Could Do for Chicago - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg last month criticized Chicago’s lack of a chief administrative officer, a position that’s mandated in the c
Crain's Chicago Business •

Here's How the City Council Can Lead the Response to Chicago's Most Urgent Challenges - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

From shuttered Walmarts in grocery store-starved communities to late-night Loop chaos and fears of another violent summer, Chicago’s most pressing soc
Crain's Chicago Business •

Economic, Neighborhood Development Projects Need Support - Center for Effective Government

“One City, 50 Wards: Does the City That Works Really Work?“, a joint series from Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government, explores the connections between how Chicago’s city government is designed, how it functions, and how it performs. You can learn more and read other articles from the series here.

One function of Chicago’s City Council is to provide legislative continuity amidst the shifting priorities of different mayoral administrations. That’
Crain's Chicago Business •

A few key steps to a stronger, more independent City Council

Second, the lack of a charter creates a directionless void in which quirky customs and practices take hold because, well, there’s nothing that says they can’t. It also means that mayors can often act with impetuous impunity, such as 20 years ago when former Mayor Richard M. Daley ordered city workers to destroy Chicago’s downtown airport in the middle of the night. In contrast, a charter could outline a process for evaluating proposals to decommission a city service, and a mayor could be sued fo
Crain's Chicago Business •

How a charter would help Chicago, and how to get one

CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS: How would Chicago benefit from a charter?

FERGUSON: A charter is constitutional, which means it is a higher law that has to be obeyed. Without a charter, a city like Chicago conducts its business according to a municipal code. The problem with a municipal code is that in many respects it’s unenforceable — especially in the absence of a city council with coequal powers that provide for checks and balances on the mayor. There's almost no capacity for an individual citize