The Other Land of Lincoln: Nevada and the Politics of Statehood

People say that Chicagoans have more in common with people in Milwaukee than those in Springfield, and the states are relics of the past. But a look at Nevada’s history tells us otherwise. Without the worry over Lincoln’s re-election, Nevada would never have become a state. Without Lincoln, there is no Las Vegas Strip, no Oceans 11, and, indeed, no Nevada.

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Is the Midwest Beautiful?

Should you ever find yourself motoring down I-80, or any middle American interstate, try not to dismiss what is around you as nothing but endless corn and soy. Pull off onto one of the country roads, find a little stream or stretch of wildflowers, sit at its feet, and see if can’t teach you something.

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The Monthly Memo — May Edition

If you are big into politics, the odds are you've heard of RealClearPolitics. Around election years they come up in the news about their polling aggregation method, which usually turns out to be a more accurate predictor of an election's outcome than any one poll would be individually. But RealClear is also well known for it's homepage, which collections news and opinion from a variety of sources, regardless of partisan bent. 

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The Monthly Memo — April Edition

Part of my goal in rebooting The Monthly Memo has always been to launch an interview series. On the website I put up a brief article laying out what this series will entail: interviews with prominent Chicagoans about Chicago. I have noticed over time that a lot of very famous and well known people get their starts here, even if they move out eventually. My goal with this series is to shine the spotlight on Chicago by talking to the people the city has put out into the world. 

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The Monthly Memo — March Edition

I realize that it is now April and I am sending out March's Memo. When Loyola made the NCAA tournament earlier in March I figured I would send this out once they lost and March's Memo would be a good recap of things. But then they won. And they won again, and again, and again. They made the Final Four for the first time since 1963, where they finally, heartbreakingly, lost to Michigan. 

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