Stories by Michael Lipkin

WIll State Sen. Kwame Raoul challenge Gov. Pat Quinn in the Democratic primary? Columnists Eric Zorn, of the Chicago Tribune, and Laura Washington, of the Chicago Sun-Times, share their takes on the impact a Raoul candidacy would have on the race.

Bake and Destroy blogger Natalie Slater joins us with tips to make vegan food with a punk twist. Read an interview and recipe.

Could patients complaining of early signs of dementia be right -- even if tests say they're perfectly normal? We have some of the latest Alzheimer's research, including "subjective cognitive decline," when people sense that their memory is failing, even when no one else can notice a difference. Read an article.

In the second mass killing of protesters in three weeks, Egyptian authorities attacked protesters in Cairo Saturday, killing 72. M. Cherif Bassiouni, a war crimes expert and law professor at DePaul University, joins us with insight into the conflict.

Are leaders born or bred? Loyola University business ethics professor Al Gini joins us to discuss his book, 10 Virtues of Outstanding Leaders. Read an excerpt. 

Jeanne Nolan left Winnetka as a teenager in 1987, frustrated with what she saw as an unhealthy materialism in everyday life. She joined a commune in California to learn organic farming, but eventually realized the commune, with cult-like leaders, was a dangerous place to be. Moving back in with her family 17 years later, without traditional job training, she turned her parents' backyard into an organic garden. She joins us. Read an interview with Nolan.

Think of Chicago in 1893, and the World's Columbian Exposition comes to mind--with millions of visitors flooding the Midway to visit the White City. But 1893 was a seminal year for Chicago for at least a dozen other reasons, including something as seemingly insignificant as the debut of a new brand of chewing gum. Author Joseph Gustaitis joins us with stories from the year that changed Chicago forever. Read an article.

Concealed carry is legal in Illinois, as the legislature deals another blow to Gov. Pat Quinn. Chicago Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief Dave McKinney has the details. View interactive graphics to see how Senate and House members voted.

The Illinois House voted against Gov. Pat Quinn's amendatory veto of concealed carry legislation, 77-31. See how House members voted in our interactive graphic.

Fifty-two million years ago, after the extinction of dinosaurs, a tropical lake basin surrounded by volcanoes was home to thousands of diverse species. Now that basin is known as Wyoming's Fossil Lake, with some of the most well-preserved fossils in the world. The Field Museum's Lance Grande brings us some of his fantastic finds from The Lost World of Fossil Lake. Read an interview with Grande and view photos.

Players and executives from the White Sox and Bulls are part of a new series of PSAs to promote Becoming a Man, the school-based anti-violence program. Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams, and University of Chicago Crime Lab co-director Harold Pollack join us with more on their collaboration. Watch the video and read an article.