In the last few weeks, Mayor Lightfoot has revealed several important details about the casino she’s pushing so hard to develop, including . . . Where it will go—near Chicago and Halsted on the city’s near north side. Who will run it—Bally’s Corporation. And why we need it—to raise money to pay police and firefighter […]
Author Archives: Ben Joravsky
Posted inOn Politics
Whole Foods flight
In the aftermath of Whole Foods closing its taxpayer-subsidized store in Englewood, it’s as good a time as ever for me to once again remind you that it was only four years ago that the city and state were begging Jeff Bezos to please, please, please take billions of our tax dollars and build a […]
Posted inOn Politics
Happy birthday, Harold
It was just unofficially Harold Washington week in Chicago as the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth. That’s right—had Harold lived, he’d have been 100 years old on April 15. Everywhere I look I see articles proclaiming Harold’s greatness. Oh, if only he had so much support when he was mayor. Look, I […]
Posted inOn Politics
MAGA delusion
Republican strategists think they can win over the Black vote by trashing Justice Jackson.
Posted inOn Politics
Thinking like us
In a year in which Republicans are trying to scare white people into voting Republican, Richard Irvin has taken things one step further. He’s running a commercial intended to win over the “right” (think MAGA) kind of white people by assuring them he’s scaring the shit out of the wrong kind of white people (think […]
Posted inOn Politics
A bad hand
Now that Mayor Lightfoot has officially revealed the three finalists for Chicago’s casino, the bamboozling of the city will begin. Oh, Chicago, you know you’re getting bamboozled. I think you sorta like it—a little attention from the boss. It’s like you matter as they try to win you over into supporting something you don’t really […]
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Enemies of enemies
State Senator Martwick must be doing something right if John Catanzara and Mayor Lightfoot dislike him so much.
Posted inOn Politics
Jussie justice
Let’s start with an apology to readers tired of reading about Jussie Smollett—because having watched last week’s sentencing, I just got to get something off my chest . . . 150 days! Are you kidding me? My Smollett-hating readers, I realize, have a point—there are far more compelling matters to discuss, what with the species […]
Posted inOn Politics
The goalie
Despite his many flaws, Michael Madigan was one of the few Democrats in Illinois with the guts to stand up to the Rauners & Griffins.
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best tribute to my favorite team, from Van Lier to DeRozan
It’s an hour or so before game time, and I’m up in the nosebleed section, waiting for my beloved Bulls to start playing, and wondering what, oh what, to write about for the Best of Chicago issue. And all of a sudden it hits me—right there in front of my face. Up on the huge, […]
Posted inOn Politics
No más
With word just breaking that Kenneth Griffin kicked in $20 million to Richard Irvin’s gubernatorial campaign, I guess you can say he passed the audition. Irvin, that is, not Griffin. No, Griffin’s running the audition. It’s his play, and he’s casting it. I thought Griffin might abandon Irvin after his inability to answer a straightforward […]
Posted inOn Politics
Race and football
After watching Brian Flores parade before the cameras to talk about his racial-discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, I immediately realized who the Bears should have hired as their coach . . . Brian Flores! The man comes off as fearless, strong, cool under pressure, and classy. In short, just about everything any team would want […]
Posted inOn Politics
Profiles in cautiousness
It’s been over two weeks since Aurora mayor Richard Irvin announced he’s running for governor, making him a front-runner for the Republican nomination. And yet he still hasn’t mentioned the T word. That’s T as in Trump. Donald Trump to be exact—the man MAGA loves to love. Though, come to think of it, I haven’t […]
Posted inOn Politics
Fighting the man
I can’t remember where I was when my old friend Adolfo Mondragón first told me he was thinking of suing former Alderman Danny Solis for using campaign funds to pay criminal defense fees. A White Sox game? A restaurant? Doesn’t matter, the point is—it was the summer of 2019, which seems like eons ago. Just […]
Posted inOn Politics
Listen to Olin
With another disappointing Bears season having finally, mercifully, come to an end, the time has once again come for me to once again ask the burning question . . . No, not who the McCaskeys will hire as coach now that they’ve fired Matt Nagy, about a year after it was obvious he was the […]