City of Letters
Design Taxi highlights the work of Audra Hubbell, who projects letters onto buildings across Chicago, adding interesting dimensions to the typography and highlighting the city's architecture.
Gapers Block has ceased publication.
Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
✶ Thank you for your readership and contributions. ✶
TODAY
Sunday, November 16
Merge
Monthly Archive
December 2013
Smiling Skipper Signs Off
CTA train operator Michael Powell, loved by Red Line commuters for his friendly comments, announced his retirement over the train's intercom today.
Drunk History
In 1927, Chicago scientist W.D. McNally had a hand in the development of the breathalyzer. Here's hoping you don't meet the state of the art tonight. Be safe, and happy new year!
Lesser Known Great Wall
Archeologists with the Field Museum are tracing the course of the First Great Wall in China, a predecessor that may have been the inspiration for the Great Wall.
"Black Twitter" IS Twitter
African Americans in Chicago are 54 precent more likely to tweet than other adults, according to a new study.
This Holmes is for You
A federal judge in Chicago ruled the copyright protecting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes has expired, essentially making the iconic figure public property.
Charter not Good Enough for Rauner's Daughter
Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner touts his support for charter schools and the need for CPS reform -- but took advantage of clout to get his daughter into Walter Payton College Prep.
The Competition is No Picnic
Cook County parks officials say anyone who wants to reserve a prime spot for a picnic or event in one of the County's forest preserves this summer should do so this week because they fill up fast.
RIP SROs?
The city's single room occupancy hotels are disappearing, leaving their longtime residents with few options.
What to Do Tonight
Wait, you still don't have New Year's Eve plans figured out? Assuming you want any, check out the Reader's guide, or take a look at our hand-picked selection.
The Lindsey Buckingham Fountain
Want to screw with visitors? Time Out has some lies about Chicago you can tell them.
Conte Catch a Break
Bears fans directing their ire at safety Chris Conte for failing to prevent Green Bay's game-ending touchdown Sunday night tweeted their insults to @ChrisConte -- which is actually the account of Nashville TV reporter Chris Conte.
Take a Penny, Leave Your Car Behind
The CTA is continuing its tradition of offering penny rides on New Year's Eve. Also: there will be no cabs, so don't even try. [via]
Off the Map
Reading Chicago's ward maps is confusing enough, and local alderman are trying to find ways to serve people who live in their new and old wards.
Inspiring Smiles
An oral surgeon made it his personal mission over the past 12 years to provide food and blankets to the homeless who call Lower Wacker Drive home.
No Free Rides for Ventra
CTA officials said Ventra's equipment issues gave free rides to over 930,000 people, costing more than $1.2 million in free fares, and the City is seeking reimbursement from Ventra's parent company.
Financial Fitness
Ms.Fit magazine, a "body-positive, LGBTQ-friendly, unapologetically feminist women's health and fitness webzine," is just shy of making its fundraising goal to continue publishing in 2014. Pitch in here.
Home History
Nearly one-third of the single-family homes in Chicago are bungalows, and WBEZ's Robin Amer looks back at the popularity of the cozy houses over the past 100 years.
Fresh On the Books
A new year means a slew of new laws will go into effect on January 1, including legalization of medical marijuana, new speed limits, and a statewide ban on talking into a cell phone while driving.
One Story at a Time
Lifeline Theatre's 17th annual Fillet of Solo festival of solo performances and storytelling kicks off this Friday. Tickets are $10 per show or $30 for a festival pass.
The Murder Rate is Down
Chicago's murder rate is on track to be the lowest level since 1965, a 17 percent drop from 2012. The rate was similarly low in 2011.
Fish Fences Don't Work
A new study by the Army Corps of Engineers due out Jan. 7 finds that the electric fence on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal supposedly keeping Asian carp and other invasive species from moving between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin isn't working -- but stops short of making recommendations. The news renews calls to permanently close the canal.
Bears Lose, Ditka Snoozed
As the Bears failed to make it to the playoffs, former coach Mike Ditka dozed off on "Sunday NFL Countdown."
Fire in Pine Yard
A fire in the Pine Yard Chinese restaurant in Evanston destroyed three businesses early Sunday morning.
A Last Laugh at Dominick's Turns Sour
Steve Yamamoto showed up for his last shift at a Glen Ellyn Dominick's yesterday, only to be told that he had been suspended over a brilliantly sarcastic YouTube video he produced commemorating the closing of the supermarket chain.
Kiss Kiss
Kiss FM is the most popular radio station in Chicago according to the latest figures, with over 2.2 million people tuning in each week.
Second Screen Surgery
A University of Chicago plastic surgeon wore Google Glass during an operation, allowing him to look at X-Ray and MRI images without looking away from his patient.
Sipping the City
The New York Times' Steve Radcliffe explores the cocktail scene in Logan Square and beyond, but falls short of an authentic Chicago experience by passing on malört. He tried malört at Scofflaw.
Get Your Graters Ready
The Bears must win this Sunday to move on to the playoffs, and Chicago fans are getting ready to razz their rivals with anti-Cheesehead grater heads.
New Life for Yule Trees
Sooner or later those Christmas trees will have to go, and recycling them is a better option than tossing them to the curb.
Protest on FIlm
Cicero March, a short documentary of a 1966 civil rights protest in Cicero, was accepted into the National Film Registry.
Dealing with Trolls
Emily Graslie, the Field Museum's "chief curiosity correspondent," recently took on workplace sexism and Internet trolls in a video that went viral. Chicago magazine's Whet Moser delved deeper into the topic with Graslie and others.
Pick Up a Calendar
The 2014 Chicago Cabbie Calendar was put together by local taxi drivers to help fund Cab Drivers for Justice's lawsuit against the City calling for fairer regulation.
Booming from Behind
Dennis Rodkin points out that despite a much-hyped spike in the retail market, home prices in high-foreclosure neighborhoods where the biggest gains are taking place are still where they were in 1997.
Biking Bills
With the City continuing to roll out Divvys, protected lanes, and other bike-friendly measures, a fair question remains: who is going to pay for this stuff?
Best Gift Ever
The Sun-Times' Tina Sfondeles shares the story of a local man who lost 40 pounds in two months so he could donate part of his liver to his five-month-old daughter.
Nothing Is the Same
The Drake hotel's signature bright pink neon sign was replaced with a more reliable, energy-efficient LED version, but the color is more purple than its predecessor. Does it matter?
Check Your Old Jacket Pockets
Sold in Chicago almost a year ago, a lottery ticket worth $250,000 and another worth $100,000 still haven't been claimed, and will expire if the prizes are not collected in the next couple of weeks.
Just for One Day
Berlin is hosting the Bowie Ball Jan. 2, featuring Chris Connelly and Robert Byrne as David Bowie, "Bowiesque" DJ sets, Bowie Burlesque and more.
Reading 2013
The Reader's year-end issue reviews the year in politics, favorite restaurants (plus Key Ingredient and Cocktail Challenge entries), movie top tens and more.
You're a Mean One, Mr. Snarf
All of the employees at local sandwich place Snarf's Sub Shop (600 W. Chicago Ave.) were laid off last night. By email.
Trib Adds to its Database
The Tribune Co. is buying Gracenote, the company that provides data on music, movies and more for iTunes and other services.
Clout is a Concept
CPS wouldn't let Concept Schools Inc. open additional charter schools in Chicago because their Chicago Math & Science Academy wasn't meeting expectations -- but a state commission controlled by Speaker Madigan overruled and let them open two new schools, with more on the way. And somehow Turkish interests are involved, the Sun-Times' Dan Mihalopoulos reports.
You Talk Funny
Do you talk like a Chicagoan? The NYTimes is running a version of the Harvard Dialectical Survey that shows you which parts of the country your personal dialect is most similar to. Keep your eye out for a question that helped name this very site.
Arts & Architecture
Theaster Gates was profiled in the NYTimes Magazine for his innovative combination of art and building restoration.
Incubating with the Board of Trade
The CBOT Building is undergoing a renovation and adding a startup incubator.
Time for a Movie
If you're finding you have a little extra time on your hands, spend a couple hours at the Music Box, which is running a weeklong series of epic films beginning on Christmas Day with The Great Escape.
Kindle Your Holiday Spirit
Have you been down to Christkindlmarket yet? We know it's touristy, but there's something special about drinking mulled wine and eating strudel beneath the skyscrapers downtown; you have until Thursday.
Make That Giant Snowwoman
The entry to the Snowman Bouncer at Navy Pier's Winter Wonderfest is decidedly vaginal, notes Jezebel.
Something Borrowed, Something New
From a Target in the Sullivan Center downtown to a Walgreens in an elaborate Wicker Park bank, Curious City looks at how -- and why -- corporations are occupying historic buildings around the city.
Lincoln Lodge Loses its Home
The Lincoln restaurant in North Center is closing at the end of the year, which means the Lincoln Lodge is looking for a new home. The long-running standup showcase begins its final performances tonight.
Bullshit Money for Classrooms
Cards Against Humanity used more than $100,000 in profits from its 12 Days of Holiday Bullshit project to go on a "classroom shopping spree" with DonorsChoose.org, a site where you can fund projects in classrooms across the country. Maybe you should give a little, too.
Ah, Memories
Remember the "goddess of the train," human heads at O'Hare, and alleged ninja attacks? TimeOut Chicago revisits some of the craziest local news stories of 2013.
Scenes of Christmas Past
Catch a glimpse of Christmas in 1978 Chicago through an artist report by Franklin McMahon digitized by the Chicago Film Archives.
Bear Down and Network
The RedEye found the LinkedIn profiles of former Bears quarterbacks looking to advance their post-NFL careers.
As My Guitar Weeps
Bluesman Eric 'Guitar' Davis was the latest victim of Chicago's gun violence, killed while sitting in a car in the South Shore neighborhood.
Dhoom Goes the Dynamite
The Chicago-based Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom 3 is out in theaters around the world today -- including a showing at AMC River East.
"Chicago will never be Silicon Valley. That is a good thing."
The Economist sizes up the local startup scene.
Make it a Fortnight
Reservations for Chicago Restaurant Week Jan. 24 to Feb. 6 are now available -- book one of more than 200 restaurants in the city and suburbs.
Why Did That Happen?
On Wednesday night, Kanye West sang a song apparently titled "We should've never ever let Michael Jordan play for the Wizards." Bret Wallin transcribed it for you.
Horse on the Loose!
On her morning bike commute today, reader Kathleen King was passed by a horse on Wells Street, presumably on the loose from Noble Horse Theatre. Horses escaped from the theater's stable exactly one year ago, too.
King says the horse was "heading north on Wells, before turning right on North Ave. I hope all (including horse) are safe."
UPDATE: The Sun-Times' George Siefo fills in more of the story.
Protecting the Corner
"Excuse me you need to take your cameras off this corner. It's Safe Passage." Te-Nehisi Coates visited the West Side with videographers for the Atlantic, and had an interesting interaction with police.
A Familiar Concept
When hundreds of charter school supporters came to a hearing at CPS headquarters - but some didn't seem to know why they were there- WBEZ reporter Linda Lutton was reminded of the 2012 rent-a-protester scandal.
Holidays on Film
Bryan Smith confesses his love for cheesy holiday movies in Chicago magazine. Not necessarily cheesy, but there are a few Christmas movie opportunities coming up.
The Patio Theater shows It's a Wonderful Life for free on Saturday, the Northwest Chicago Film Society presents Preston Sturges' 1944 film The Miracle of Morgan's Creek at the Gene Siskel Film Center Sunday, and Double Door screens Bad Santa and Die Hard on Monday night.
Art vs. PR
Organizers removed an artist's work from an exhibit at the West Chicago City Museum after he sent out fake, official-looking news releases for a minstrel show at West Chicago Community High School as part of the piece, intending to spark a conversation about racism.
Cheeseborger, Cheeseborger, Salad
The latest Billy Goat Tavern in the Loop is courting the downtown lunch crowd, offering more than two types of beer and a salad bar.
Seeing Chicago, Inside and Out
The City Self exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art brings together insider and outsider views of Chicago.
Dot Whatever
With Internet domains set to expand beyond the usual .com, entrepreneurs are swiping up everything from .chicago to .xyz, writes Sandra Guy.
Reagan's Welfare Queen
"In Chicago, they found a woman who holds the record," claimed Ronald Reagan in a 1976 campaign rally. The real story of Linda Taylor, Reagan's notorious Cadillac-driving "welfare queen" is more nuanced.
Long Lines on the Blue Line
Two consecutive Blue Line trains had mechanical problems this morning, leading to huge crowds on platforms during the morning commute.
Public Radio People, United
The workers of Chicago Public Media, which includes WBEZ and Vocalo, voted to form a union that will be represented by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG AFTRA).
Petcoke Progress
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is unveiling new regulations today that will require large storage terminals in the city to store petroleum coke, coal and other bulk materials indoors to prevent pollution.
Wait Less at an ER
ProPublica has created the ER Wait Watcher app, which gives users the average wait times at nearby emergency rooms. The app has data on Chicago hospitals and includes how many patients are likely to recommend the hospital.
Help Them Roll Again
Four Windy City Rollers were injured in a car accident last weekend. Fans are encouraged to pitch in to help defray medical bills for Senorita Slam, Janicide Joplin, Baberaham Lincoln and Moby Nipps.
Laughs Leave Town
The Just for Laughs Festival won't be back in Chicago next year. The Montreal-based festival cited financial constraints, and said it would retool the show for a possible future return.
RIP Larry Lujack
Larry Lujack, legendary radio DJ on WCFL and WLS, passed away Wednesday after a yearlong battle with esophageal cancer. He was 73.
Where Everybody Knows Your Game
The founders of the Kickstarter-backed Geek Bar found a fitting location in Lincoln Park, and plan to start serving Chicago's nerds in the spring of next year.
Office Ollies
Red Bull turned the vacant 23rd floor of an unnamed local high rise into an office- and then let pro skateboarders loose in it for a skate video with extra high "stoke factor." [via]
America's Most Lesbionic Cities
Chicago's number six on Autostraddle's list of the most lesbian-friendly cities in the US. [via]
Cash for Digital Gold
A South Loop man wants to open the Midwest's first ATM offering cash for bitcoins, a digital, unregulated currency.
Your Other Office Party
The Hideout Office Party is tonight, featuring bits from Funny Ha-Ha, the Interview Show, Schadenfreude, Shame That Tune -- and Aldermen Arena, Fioretti and Waguespack as the Progressive Aldermanic Choir. Don't miss it.
Key Change for CSO
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is launching its own online magazine with recordings of performances, profiles, and other updates from the orchestra. [via]
What Are We Looking For?
Chicago's top trending searches of the year were "Paul Walker" and "Blackhawks" according to Google. When it came to Chicagoans asking "what is" and "how to," both "What is twerking" and "How to twerk" were the most popular.
How Old is That Building?
The Chicago Building Age Map shows you the oldest parts of the city, as well as what's new.
Rock Around the Clock- on TV
JBTV's Don't Drink or Text and Drive Live Music Marathon is returning for its 26th year, bringing performances from over 100 local and national acts to cable TV and JBTV's website.
GB Gift Guide: Recycled Sketchbooks
Resketch, Shawn "Shawnimals Smith's recycled paper sketchbooks, are now available for purchase outside the original Kickstarter (previously).
GB Gift Guide: Samantha Irby
Chicago author/blogger/funny lady Samantha Irby is known for her hilarious blog Bitches Gotta Eat. Meaty, her collection of essays will have you laughing through tears. You can find it on Amazon or any local book shop...and you should.
Opera in a Pool
The Chicago Opera Theater is performing Orpheus & Euridice in the Welles Park Natatorium this week, Dec. 19-22. The performances are sold out, but a limited number of walk-up tickets will be available.
Mental Health Crisis in the Making
WBEZ's Shannon Heffernan reports on the rise in "psychiatric lockouts" of mentally ill teens due to the State of Illinois' growing resistance to providing services to families with children with severe mental illness.
Letters About Ventra
Last week, the Tribune ran a letter to the editor about Ventra customer service. This week the call center worker who took the call in question wrote a letter, sharing that she'd been fired for giving correct information and garnering the service "bad press." [via]
Humping in Chicago
The HUMP! Film Festival, Seattle's annual amateur porno film festival founded by Dan Savage, is coming to the Music Box in February. Tickets are on sale now.
Government Grinches
Federal agents are confiscating thousands of packages coming through Chicago from abroad this holiday season as they hunt for fakes and forgeries, including everything from Blackhawks jerseys to Ferrari hair dryers.
Curated Photos for Your Wall
The newly launched CoEdit Collection produces limited edition prints by photographers around the globe, including Chicago-based co-founder Tim Klein. It's a little like 20x200, actually.
Ignore the Weather
Chicago magazine offers 101 ways to enjoy winter in spite of it getting started early this year -- and wants to hear from you as well.
GB Gift Guide: Hot Dogs
You've got just a little time left to send Vienna Beef hot dogs to friends across the country. Maybe this commercial will convince you. [via]
30 Plays in 60 Minutes for 25 Years
The Neo-Futurists' Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind just turned 25. The Reader has an oral history of the long-running show. (Get tickets now for the New Year's Eve performance.)
CPD Controversy
Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Shields is alleging that at least two arbitrated police contracts were "fixed." On the other hand, some in the police community don't believe Shields is so trustworthy himself.
Battle of the Hoods
Curbed Chicago opened its annual Curbed Cup for voting today. Does your neighborhood neighborhood have what it takes to rise to the top?
No More Free Grub
GrubHub is getting rid of Yummy Rummy, the rewards game that gave frequent users a chance to win free food.
EveryBlock Returns
Comcast is going to revive the hyperlocal news and information site EveryBlock, which was shut down ten months ago after it was bought by MSNBC.
Make Up the Stage
One Night Only, an improvised musical by Second City veterans Michael Girts, TJ Shanoff and Mike Descoteaux, is running at Stage 773 just this week and next -- starting tomorrow night.
A Dome on the North Side
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club plans to convert a vacant factory at Talman and Addison into a two-field indoor soccer dome.
No Tears After Onion Cuts Print
The Onion's last print edition is on newsstands now, with headlines appropriately mocking the demise of newspapers, including, "Onion Print Revenues Up 5,000%." [via]
Chicago to Go
The Chicago Commercial Collective is trying to extend the run of locally-produced plays by encouraging nearby universities to produce some of the most successful, small-scale shows.
They're Up All Night to Raise Money
The Second City is hosting 24 straight hours of music and comedy, including appearances by Jeff Tweedy, Fred Armisen and others, for "The Second City That Never Sleeps" benefit for Letters to Santa.
Home for Hard Drinkers
The Sun-Times' Dave Hoekstra takes a few nostalgic sips at the Loop Tavern & Tap Room- a "slashie" found a few miles away from the Loop in West Town.
Dueling Worsts
Interesting to see the similarities and differences between the "worst films of 2013" lists between the AV Club and the Dissolve.
DeRo on R.Kelly the Monster
Jessica Hopper talks with Jim DeRogatis about his coverage of R.Kelly's rape lawsuits and why they haven't been reported on more.
Gift Guide: Meat, Beer and Rock N' Roll
If there's someone on your Christmas list that loves everything meat, beer and rock and roll, the first-ever cookbook coming this spring from Chicago's own ManBQue, the local grilling club that is to meat, beer and brotherhood what the Red Hat Society is to red hats and middle aged women, might be right up their alley. Filled with 120 recipes from fresh-ground burgers to pickled pig tongue, the book, now available for preorder, also includes beer pairings, a music list and the obligatory food porn.
Local Reads
Works by two local authors are among Chicago Public Library's ten most checked-out books of 2013, with Gone Girl by author and Ukrainian Village resident Gillian Flynn at #1.
Studying the Dark Taxa
Researchers from Argonne National Lab are working to find out what's in the Chicago River.
Q: Where Does the Tuition of 79 U of C Students Go?
A: To pay U of C President Robert J. Zimmer, who earned more than any other private college president in 2011. His salary also topped that of the highest public university leaders.
Patent Holders Beware
Attorney Anthony Brown, one of the guys for whom the term "patent troll" was coined, is back in business -- now running Northbrook-based Cascades Ventures, suing Motorola Mobility and other smartphone companies for patent infringement.
Never too Late to Look
A stark black-and-white mural in Pilsen bears a message from Chicago poet Malcolm London: "Never too late to love." You can hear the rest of the poem in a short video by Heart of the City TV. [via]
Victory After a Half Century
After 50 years of trying, local author Richard Baran will see his work on bookshelves for the very first time, after a small publisher bought "The Jacket," a Christmas-themed story about a man who finds a magical Army coat.
GB Gift Guide: A Flagon of Mead
Well, not a flagon per se, but Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery makes some delicious honey-based brews. You can purchase them online via Bev-Art.com.
The GOP Strikes Back
The Chicago Republican Party is backing a slate of 18 candidates for the Illinois General Assembly, following an open vetting process described by party officials as similar to "American Idol."
Funny People of Color
Amid recent criticism of Saturday Night Live's lack of diversity (including on the show itself), programs at Second City and other comedy hubs are working to provide more support to minority comedians.
Eat This List
Time Out's 100 Best Things We Ate & Drank This Year features special oysters, doughnut ice cream sandwiches, Russian style vodka shots and more.
Privatized Transit Woes, Then and Now
The Nation's Rick Perlstein sums up the Ventra debacle in part 1 of a series on privatization perils. But as Robert Loerzel pointed out in the Reader back in 2010, the city's struggle with private transit operators is nearly as old as Chicago itself.
Tales from the Bottle
Got a story to tell about the Empty Bottle? Curbside Splendor wants to hear it for a new book. [via]
Preparing for Hurricane TBOX
Wrigleyville businesses and residents are bracing for the hordes of Christmas sweater-clad bar hoppers set to stumble through the streets during this weekend's Twelve Bars of Xmas pub crawl.
Donor Due Diligence
Over $1 million was donated back in 2000 to build the Bobby L. Rush Center for Community Technology and help Englewood residents gain high-tech skills. The center was never built, so where did all that money go?
Bari's Lunch Secret
I have a feeling Bari has a lot more people asking for Italian beef after Serious Eats discovered how well they make it. They make their own giardiniera, after all.
GB Gift Guide: Handmade Soaps
Local soap-making company Big City Suds uses natural oils, butters, clay, and botanicals to craft their Chicago-inspired soaps (Chicago Frostbite Bar and Chicago Sleet and Snow Bar). They also make felted soaps, lotion bars, and lip balm. Order online or visit a local shop.
Mayor Fasting for Action
Mayor Emanuel is currently a little past halfway through a 24-hour fast he began last night at 7, along with some members of the Latino aldermanic caucus, in support of immigration reform.
Rolling on Broadway
The Windy City Rollers open their home season Saturday in an usual spot: the Broadway Armory, which in fact started life in 1916 as an indoor ice skating rink. Capacity is only 875, so get there early.
The Hills Are Alive
Music is popping up in unexpected places around the city, from a "magical" piano in Union Station, to a surprise performance by Yo-Yo Ma at a downtown shopping center.
People of Chicago
The Reader's annual People Issue is out today, and the online version is really slick.
GB Gift Guide: 2014 Live Lit Calendar
The live lit series That's All She Wrote has 2014 live lit calendars for sale featuring over 40 listings for Chicago live lit events each month, and post-it note portraits of everyone who read at TASW during its inaugural year. They also have note cards. Calendars are $12, sets of cards are $10, and can be shipped.
Snowy Cycling
The blog Nerd Stew talked to local bike store workers for their tips on how to stay safe and warm while biking in the winter.
He Made Downtown Brighter
Electrician Chris Gillott pioneered lighting up rooms in the Blue Cross-Blue Shield building to write things like "34" for Walter Payton or "Go Hawks," so when he passed away unexpectedly, coworkers honored him with his own message: "Thanks Chris."
Empty Spaghetti Bowl
One cold night in 1968, the Circle Interchange was so busy it looked almost quiet in a long exposure. National Geographic was there. [via]
Staying United
The United Center will keep its name for the next 20 years, after the Bulls, Blackhawks, arena, and United Airlines reached an agreement for an undisclosed amount.
GB Gift Guide: Anything CTA
Get that public transportation lover practically anything from the CTA in its online auction [click "Chicago Transit Authority"]. The bizarre range of items includes train speedometers, fare counters, clocks, train driveshafts, a bus stop and even whole L cars.
Mega Money
The Mega Millions jackpot is up to $400 million dollars-the second-highest total ever- for the drawing on Friday.
Enemy in Our Midst
During WWII, Chicagoland played host to several POW camps. WBEZ's Curious City dove into the history of the camps, talking with both prisoners and workers.
Murdered Lottery Winner's Estate Settled
The family and widow of Urooj Khan, who was poisoned last year right after winning the lottery, have reached a settlement to split his estate. Part of the agreement is that neither side may sue the other for wrongful death unless new evidence as to who did it comes forward.
Few Better
Whisky Advocate named FEW Spirits Rye its craft whiskey of the year. Which means it's going to be even harder to find.
GB Gift Guide: Terrariums
Ravenswood shop Alapash Home & Terrariums crafts vibrant little homes for air plants and cacti within small and large glass structures, making for gorgeous and low-maintenance gifts.
Chicago Safari
Camera traps hidden throughout the city are capturing snapshots of the other animals living in the concrete jungle, from raccoons and opposums, to deer, red foxes, and coyotes.
Discounts Whistling Through the Air
Not content with delivery drones, Groupon is going with catapults.
A Symbolic Upgrade
Chicago/LA-based The Noun Project just added premium accounts, among other improvements.
GB Gift Guide: Snarky Pendants, Prints & Whimsical Crochet
If going by the name of Madame Platypus isn't enough to get you intrigued, the pendants prints and all things platypus from this local crafter and musician (with copy that reads "Mommy drinks because you're bad" and "Bitches be craftin") should be enough to fill a stocking for that special someone who like things a little edgy. Catch her this Saturday at Empty Bottle's Handmade Market and Sunday at the Urban Folk Circuit for gifts for that person who just doesn't like lotion from Bath & Body Works. You can also find some of her work on her Etsy page.
GB Gift Guide: Local Delivery
Startup WeDeliver just launched a 12 Days of Christmas promotion: each day from Dec. 13 to the 24th, the service will deliver from a different local business for just $6.
Behind the Lens
Photojournalist Alex Garcia shares how photographers capture big moments and unique views of newsworthy events, arguing it's nearly impossible for a reporter with an iPhone to do the same.
Out with the Old, in with the New
While bargain hunters flock to "going out of business" sales at Dominick's across the city, job-seekers hope to find work at the Mariano's stores replacing the closing grocer.
Dribbling Chicago
Harlem Globetrotter Dizzy Grant showcases his ball handling skills across Chicago in a new video. [via]
Four-Star Facts
Out of the Loop delivers a random assortment of "simple facts about the greatest city on Earth."
Ohm'Hare
A small yoga room at O'Hare will give travelers a place to downward dog while they're waiting for a flight.
Lakefront Subsidy
Is it really necessary to give TIF money to a developer building on lakefront property on the North Side? Apparently it is if it's the abandoned Cuneo Hospital (previously) in Buena Park, Ben Joravsky reports. On the other hand, it's just a little more than the City gave the owners of the Wrigley Building to modernize it.
Take a Seat, Bacon
This morning, Do-Rite Donuts added a $20, special order Truffle Donut to their menu.
CSO to JFK
Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is taking the top job at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC. She doesn't leave till Sept. 1 of next year, leaving the CSO plenty of time to find a replacement.
GB Gift Guide: Fitness Boxing Classes
New Year's resolutions are right around the corner, which means putting up with listening to your friends ask themselves repeatedly which gym they should join. Give them the gift of punching power this holiday season with a membership at the Franklin Street Boxing Club. If anything, after six to eight weeks, they'll get your back in a barroom brawl.
Giving Half Away
Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky and his wife took the Giving Pledge to donate half their wealth to charity, though they haven't said exactly when that will happen.
Here's the Lefkofskys' pledge letter, via The Giving Pledge website.
Ominous Owls
While snow owls don't typically venture too far away from their Arctic territory, an unusually large number are being spotted around Chicago and other areas of North America.
Digital Kids
CPS wants to make computer science a core part of its high school curriculum, while also providing computer courses for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Late-Breaking Outtakes
RedEye put together a collection of Chicago's biggest TV news gaffes of the year.
Never on Sunday
Some aldermen and businesses say the deal Mayor Emanuel made to make parking meters free on Sundays is hurting local businesses because people are leaving their cars in one place longer.
Puff, Puff, Not Passed
A proposal to regulate e-cigarettes the same way as tobacco products in Chicago went nowhere in City Council.
Less Minty-Fresh L
After CTA cuts eliminated morning and afternoon cleaning positions often held by ex-offenders, L train cars will now only be cleaned during the midnight shifts.
Behind the Black Unicorn
ESPN's Rick Reilly calls cartoonist, fashion designer, and Bears tight end Martellus Bennett, "the most interesting man in the NFL."
GB Gift Guide: Rusty Books
Ted McClelland offers some Rust Belt book recommendations for the regional history buff on your holiday shopping list, including Rusted Dreams: Hard Times in a Steel Community and Blue Collar Community (Studies of Urban Society), both about Chicago's steelworks.
Crowdsourced Bike Sources
Divvy is taking your suggestions for where to put the next 175 bike stations they're adding in 2014.
Connecting the Violence
Whet Moser points to the research of Andrew Papachristos and others who are examining the social network theory of gang violence.
Pass the Plate Virtually
The Greater Chicago Food Depository has launched the Donation Plate, a simple site that makes it easy to create a fundraising campaign to fight hunger. Here's Gapers Block's plate; pitch in if you can.
89 Forever
During halftime of their polar-temped game against the Cowboys last night, the Bears retired Mike Ditka's jersey number from his days as a tight end in the 1960s. It will supposedly be the last number the team will retire.
Love at Center Court
A man emerged from a Benny the Bull costume and proposed to one of the Luvabull dancers during last week's Bulls-Heat game.
Playing with the Pros
Former Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer now runs Overdog, a startup that lets fans play video games with pro athletes. (Thanks, Daniel!)
The Peoples' Groceries
Chicagoans looking to start food co-ops are setting their sights on Dominick's locations that will soon be empty across the city.
Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty or Nice...
Chicago Teachers Union members and allies will converge on City Hall today at 4:15pm to give lumps of petcoke coal to several "Chicago Grinches" and demonstrate what CPS schoolchildren need for the holidays. The event is part of AFT's National Day of Action to save public schools.
An Unsound System
Chicago's public pension system was built with serious structural flaws, making a crisis inevitable, according to experts interviewed by WBEZ's Alex Keefe.
GB Gift Guide: Fashionable Charging Station
Everpurse charges your smartphone for you, and looks stylish doing it.
Don't Glass and Drive
Proposed legislation would make it illegal to wear Google Glass while driving in Illinois.
Ate All of the Things
After people lined up around the block last week for Eataly's grand opening, the Italian food mecca had to close today to re-stock and prepare for more crowds of hungry Chicagoans.
New Media, Old Media
Hyperlocal news site DNAinfo.com debuted a weekly print edition for Lincoln Park that's delivered to every household in the neighborhood.
Gift Guide: Bicycle Tire Fire
A Malört water bottle for your bike; fill it with yellow Gatorade for the full effect.
Forget the Ledge, Here's the Tilt
The owners of the Hancock Observatory are considering adding a feature that doesn't just put a glass floor beneath your feet 94 stories up, but actually tilts you downward while you're strapped in.
Drink to Never Forget?
Murphy's Bleachers received national scorn for an offensive sign advertising "bombs and Kamikazes" on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The bar apologized on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on the sign itself.
Another Missed Opportunity
The least boring building proposed for the site of the Goldberg Prentice hospital has been selected by Northwestern. Unfortunately, its interesting façade is going to be the one no one sees; instead, we all get to enjoy this gargantuan glass wall.
Long Walk to Chicago
From rugby boycotts to divestment, the Tribune sheds some light on Nelson Mandela's legacy locally.
Bars for His Windows
Former Republic Windows CEO Richard Gillman was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing more than $500,000 from the company.
UIC Profs Eye the Picket Line
UIC's faculty union voted to authorize a walkout, although the group is still in negotiations for a new labor agreement with the university.
Kiss Something Cam
The Bulls' "Bandwagon Cam" called out Heat fans in the stands during Thursday's game at the United Center.
Documenting the Damage
The NYTimes covers Carlos Javier Ortiz's photography documenting how violence affects families. He's is kickstarting a book, which happens to be on our curated Kickstarter page.
City Calendar Set
The City announced its festival calendar for next year, including the dates of the concert series at Millennium Park, the Taste (July 9-13), and the new Great Chicago Fire Festival (October 3-4).
No, Mr. Decembond, I Expect You to Draw
Illustrator Sean Dove is watching all of the James Bond movies in December, in order, and drawing an image for each one.
Rangel Out at UNO
Juan Rangel, the CEO of the United Neighborhood Organization, is stepping down today, months after it surfaced that UNO had awarded millions in charter school construction contracts to companies owned by family of board members.
GB Gift Guide: Wine of the Month Club
There are the standard wine-of-the-month clubs, and then there's the one offered by Fine Wine Brokers in Lincoln Square. Each bottle is carefully chosen for the utmost quality for your fancy, and hopefully sharing, friends.
Adopt Your New Best Friend
Starting at 11am today, PAWS Chicago is running a 36-hour adoption drive.
Frontier Photographer
Miner-turned-photographer J.C.H. Grabill captured iconic images of the American frontier in the 1880's before settling in Chicago- and vanishing from the historical record.
GB Gift Guide: Kid Posters
New parents need cool stuff to put on their walls. The newly launched Pwints has great ones by local artists Jay Ryan, Delicious Design League and Anne Benjamin, among many others.
Last Stand for a Neighborhood School
After CPS successfully closed dozens of schools, activists in Bronzeville are focusing their efforts on keeping just one neighborhood high school open.
Ready Your Layers
A winter storm pushing through the Midwest is heading our way -- and could mean single-digit temperatures this week. It's official, folks: winter is here.
More Green for Blue
The Blue Line is next in line for a major upgrade. Mayor Emanuel announced a four-year, $492 million renovation project that will cut the time it takes to get to O'Hare and add 4G Internet service along the entire route.
Venting About Ventra
WTTW's Chicago Tonight is planning a live town hall where commuters can weigh in on their experience with the CTA's new payment system. [via]
That Dangerous B&B Clientele
Speaking of Frank Lloyd Wright homes, Ald. Will Burns shut down Jennifer Pritzker's proposal to buy and rehab two Wright houses in South Kenmore and make them B&Bs after neighbors objected that they'd bring "transients" to the residential block. At least one resident took notice of the tone.
Heroin is the Business
The Reader and WBEZ begin an investigative series today on the effects of the heroin trade in Chicagoland, with a look at the business structure of dealers on the West Side and the how heroin has evolved in this market. Catch Mick Dumke and Natalie Moore on WBEZ's "Afternoon Shift" discussing the article later today.
A British Kells
As part of R. Kelly's appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last night, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch recited lyrics to his song "Genius."
Tree Delivery Today
Need a Christmas tree? Uber and Home Depot are delivering them on demand today, from 11am to 8pm. The price is $135, but hey, you don't have to shlep out and get it.
Putting Force Behind After School Matters
George Lucas and Mellody Hobson donated $25 million to After School Matters.
Hacking the City
Urban explorer Bradley Garrett captured some unique views of the city while climbing to the tops of Chicago skyscrapers.
Live in a Frank Lloyd Wright
The William Winslow house, Frank Lloyd Wright's first project after going out on his own, is for sale for the first time since 1955. Asking price? $2.4 million.
RIP Lorna Donley
After what has been described as a brief and unexpected illness, Lorna Donley, the vocalist and bassist of the Chicago punk/post-punk band DA! passed away on Sunday. Arrangements are forthcoming, and will likely be posted on the DA! Facebok page.
Moving is the Worst
When one woman moved from New York from Chicago the moving company held her belongings hostage and demanded thousands of dollars in additional payment.
GB Gift Guide: GlossyGram
Captured the perfect baby pic on Instagram? Or the quintessential selfie? Make it permanent with GlossyGram, which moves your square photos into real life, mounted between plywood and clear resin for a permanent bit of ephemera.
Hot Pockets
Undercover officers are taking to the streets Downtown to watch out for pickpockets and other thieves as people head to the shops to do their holiday shopping.
Life in the First Lane
The bike lane on Dearborn tops one ranking of the country's Best Protected Bike Lanes of 2013, while Milwaukee Ave. came in at #7 on the list. [via]
Remembering Fred Hampton
More than 100 Black Panther party supporters commemorated International Revolutionary Day in Chicago by gathering at 2337 W. Monroe St., the place where Fred Hampton died, to honor the life of late party leader and film a re-enactment of his slaying. Party supporters will also celebrate this evening with a screening of Black Power! In Tribute to Fred Hampton from 8-10pm at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.
Good Tidings
Two Chicago servers received thousands of dollars in tips from TipsforJesus, an anonymous group that has left quite a bit extra to others around the country.
Pension Reform Passes
The Illinois legislature approved a pension reform proposal that saves the state an estimated $160 billion dollars. Labor groups are planning to challenge the law in court.
Catty Map of the City
Urbane released a map of Chicago that only covers the city from Foster to about 21st, and west to around Central Park, and fills it in with place descriptions that range from witty to condescending to somewhat clueless. But hey, what do you expect from a bunch of San Franciscans?
Jake and Elwood LEGO
Bricktease recreated the shopping mall chase from The Blues Brothers in LEGO. [via]
Here's how it was made:
A Gr8 Mystery
A strange, text-speak message on the side of a school in Woodlawn has teachers and parents scratching their heads. See if you can decipher it: "Lol :) liv / do u kno y? / gr8 com cr8s gr8 ppl / a ______ jrny sts w/1 stp/ me2+u2=we2."
Radio's Not Dead
HearHere Radio hopes to reinvigorate radio through its Rivet iPhone app, which will deliver radio content based on where you are in the Chicagoland area -- leaving out traffic reports from two counties away, for instance.
Disney's Hermosa Home
Walt Disney was born in Chicago in 1901, and his boyhood home at 2156 N. Tripp may soon become a museum dedicated to his early life.
RIP Vinny Garcia
Vinny Garcia, former co-owner of Bleeding Heart Bakery (which closed in 2012), passed away over the weekend from leukemia.
All Aboard
Undocumented immigrants can take the driver's license test and get a temporary license anywhere in Illinois starting today.
Back At It
A former alderman and a former Streets and Sanitation commissioner, both of whom were convicted on felony corruption charges, are running for the same spot on the Cook County Board (which was vacated by a politician who's now doing jail time).
Happy Ordinary Days
An "A is for Atheists" display marking the pagan holiday of the winter solstice is joining the menorah and Nativity scene on Daley Plaza for the first time.
Jot No More
The board of the Neighborhood Writing Alliance, a nonprofit which encouraged literacy and writing skills in under-served neighborhoods, announced it is closing down the organization due to lack of funding.
Teach Me How to Ditka
Double Door is hosting a Mike Ditka look-alike contest, and some former Bears will be among the judges.
2nd Chance
Chicagoan Chance the Rapper's "Acid Rap" is #2 on SPIN Magazine's ranking of the 50 best albums of 2013.
Do #GivingTuesday
Today is Giving Tuesday, and you should take part! DonorsChoose has more than 600 projects in city schools looking for funding, and ChicagoNonProfit.org is a great place to find local organizations addressing issues you care about.
Pension Overhaul?
State lawmakers are expected to vote on a major overhaul to Illinois government worker pensions after a special legislative conference committee advanced the bill today.
Sales Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity cost $5 on Black Friday. Interestingly, they sold slightly more copies of the game on Amazon than last year -- and even more the day after.
Dye the River Red
There will be even more of the walking dead on the streets during St. Patrick's Day weekend next year when the Walker Stalker Con for fans of all things zombie comes to Chicago.
Glorifying a Gangster
Yolanda Perdomo compares Capone tourism here with the potential for Pablo Escobar tourism in Colombia.
More Than a One-Off
Plate magazine's Project: Blackbird gets the oral history of the founding of the iconic West Loop restaurant 16 years ago.
11 Dominick's Stores Sold, More Deals Coming
Eleven of the Chicagoland Dominick's stores slated to close by the end of the year, including three in the city, will become Mariano's after a brief closure for rehab and rebranding. Meanwhile, Whole Foods is eying seven stores, including four in Chicago and one in Evanston.
Little Black History Books
Mother's and other bars along the eastern edge of Division St. are seeking "historic" status, even if much of the history made there is of hookups that people may want to forget.
Filling the Air
That sound isn't a 747, it's AIR Chicago Radio, the new station bringing smooth jazz, weather, and airport updates to O'Hare and Midway.
Find Health Services Close By
Healthnear.me is a tool for finding public health resources -- from warming centers to community service centers -- near a location in the city. It's accessible by SMS as well as the web.
A Confusing Statistic
Despite increasing national attention to gun violence and killings here, Chicago is on pace to have have fewer murders this year than any other since 1965.
Interrupting from a Different Place
CeaseFire (now Cure Violence) isn't the only group trying to stop youth violence. The Chicago Reporter interviews Eddie Bocanegra, one of the stars of The Interrupters who is now co-executive director of YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago's Youth Safety and Violence Prevention initiative.
Top of the Marquee
TimeOut Chicago shares the best-reviewed plays running in Chicago, making it a bit easier to navigate the city's theater scene.
A Big Hairy Deal
In another step towards Peace on Earth, a referendum by the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas may end the ages-old feud between Santas with real beards and those with artificial ones.
The Baby Turns 25
Happy 25th anniversary to The Neo-Futurists, who celebrate the 1988 premiere of their flagship show Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind with a performance tonight at the old Stage Left Theatre space (now occupied by Chicago Comics).
The Grid: Stickney Water Reclamation Plant
Want to know where your Thanksgiving meal went? If you stayed in the Chicago area, it probably ended up at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. Stickney is the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world and the subject of our newest episode of The Grid.
Tronsgiving
Chicago's South Shore Drill Team joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time ever this year, performing to an EDM song while wearing Tron-style costumes.
Remembering the Our Lady of the Angels School Fire
On Dec. 1, 1958, 92 students and nuns died in a tragic fire at Our Lady of the Angels School. On the 55th anniversary, the Sun-Times' Mitch Dudek spoke with some of the survivors. GB's Robyn Nisi wrote about the 50th anniversary in 2008.
Orange Crocs Descending
Eataly Chicago, the food store brainchild of celebchef Mario Batali, opens today at 4pm.
The Next 40
The 2013 edition of the Crain's Chicago Business 40 Under 40 includes a rapper, a cartoonist and coffee roaster among the usual mix of financial and tech super stars.
For the Bacon Lover in You
Cyber Monday gets porky: VIP tickets for next year's Baconfest go on sale at 10am.
State Pension Overhaul
The NYTimes went over the proposed Illinois pension plan bailout on Friday; you can look at it yourself here.
