Author: WBEZ Chicago

Combine gangster-era liquor laws with a twist of modern creativity, add a dash of laid-back spirit, and you’ve got a cocktail that makes Chicago the BYOB capital of the country. 

Each migratory season leaves a flurry of birds dead at the feet of skyscrapers. But does that make a dent in the bird population?

Each migratory season leaves a flurry of birds dead at the feet of skyscrapers. But does that make a dent in the bird population?

Yes, tornadoes can hit Chicago. Why do so many people think otherwise?

Yes, tornadoes can hit Chicago. Why do so many people think otherwise?

The answers are crazy. We’ll have fun looking. But you’ll probably be pretty mad by the end. Things are worse than you thought.

The bad news: We’re paying out billions more than we take in. Just without setting priorities.
The state comptroller — who makes the payments — calls it “ad hoc” and “ridiculous.”

The worse news: We’re still letting billions of dollars in services go totally unfunded.

And: We’re breaking the non-profits that provide those services.

Full story, complete with charts.

The answers are crazy. We’ll have fun looking. But you’ll probably be pretty mad by the end. Things are worse than you thought.

The bad news: We’re paying out billions more than we take in. Just without setting priorities.
The state comptroller — who makes the payments — calls it “ad hoc” and “ridiculous.”

The worse news: We’re still letting billions of dollars in services go totally unfunded.

And: We’re breaking the non-profits that provide those services.

Full story, complete with charts.

Decades ago, Chicago’s  Union Stockyards were the source of meat for the country, jobs for the city and ... field trips for Chicago Public School children. Really. (Related to a Curious City story about meatpacking in Chicago.)

Decades ago, Chicago’s  Union Stockyards were the source of meat for the country, jobs for the city and ... field trips for Chicago Public School children. Really. (Related to a Curious City story about meatpacking in Chicago.)

The village insists a decades-old rule to fight blockbusting continues to protect a precious suburban commodity: diversity.