Chicago

Shootings in Chicago are up 50 per cent this year as the city grapples with a surge in violence. A criminologist explains what’s behind the increase.

More on the man Thomas Mulcair met last weekend

Why did the NDP leader meet with a man convicted of shooting a police officer?

After QP, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney was asked if he wished to correct the record on Gary Freeman.

NDP MP Brian Masse wants the government to get aboard the high-speed bandwagon.

Obama’s tough-talking former chief of staff sets out to transform Chicago

The party is ready to propose language law reforms. And Brian Masse, potentially the industry critic in the next NDP shadow cabinet, sees an opportunity for high(er) speed rail.

Schools everywhere are stripping away the freedom of students and parents to make their own lunchtime decisions

Schools everywhere are stripping away the freedom of students, and parents, to make their own lunchtime decisions

Top 10 non-Canadian athletes to watch

Conservative pundits have a real hate on for the Windy City

Last Friday, the International Olympic Committee selected Rio de Janiero for the 2016 Summer Olympics, a wise choice by the Olympic movement as these will be the first games ever held in South America. Anyone who knows anything about Olympic decision-making knows the IOC is among the most mysterious and byzantine organizations in the world. Like the Vatican, it operates in a virtual vacuum and is nearly immune to outside pressures. Given this, Barack Obama’s appearance in Copenhagen to push Chicago’s bid was hardly guaranteed to make it a fait accompli. If anything, it may have been counterproductive. That said, it would have been difficult for Obama to turn down the opportunity when other heads of state, like Brazil’s Lula and Spain’s King Juan Carlos, were scheduled to attend.