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Why I’ve Stayed in Chicago for 20 Years

It’s not easy or pretty, but life isn’t without challenge anywhere else in America either. We stay because so many things about this place make us care enough to stay. And that’s something I think outside observers always miss about Chicago.

Why New Yorkers Don’t Understand Chicago Pizza

New Yorkers always seem to completely misunderstand Chicago pizza. There’s a reason for that.

Why Is Streetsblog So Bitchy?

You can’t get people on your side when you’re constantly chasing them away. So why does Streetsblog spend so much time telling people they suck?

Preckwinkle’s Pop-Tax Political Faceplant

Preckwinkle should have learned from the foie-gras controversy of a decade ago: in the Chicago region, standing between locals and their favorite foods is a dangerous place to be.

Donald Trump Is So Dumb. (How Dumb Is He?)

Yes, we’d all love Donald Trump, the president, to be presidential. But Donald Trump, the human being, is a bullying, ignorant child.

Why Chicago Has No Jane Jacobs

On Sunday, Ai Weiwei said people who live censored lives in China eventually become complicit in their own subjugation. Little did he know he was talking about Chicago, too.

Watch Me Discussing the Marina City Gary Kimmel Scandal Tonight on CNBC’s American Greed

I’ve been asked to talk about the Marina City Gary Kimmel pimp-dentist scandal over the years, and usually say no. This time I said yes.

Mark Lilla’s Care and Feeding of the White Man

Why you shouldn’t believe Mark Lilla’s axe-grinding screed against the politics of civil rights.

17 Dead in 15 Seconds in Chicago

So many are shot every week in Chicago, we’re starting not to notice anymore. When a death is worth less than a second of news coverage, what are we becoming?

Are You a Peeping Tom on Your Balcony or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

The totally true tale of the unexpected technique I used to catch our across-the-street peeping Tom, toilet humor included.