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Writers

Ben Austen

And So Jedidiah Brown Gave All of Himself to the City He Loved

A profile of a young activist in Chicago who almost committed suicide on Facebook Live.

Ben Austen Huffington Post Sep 2017 35min Permalink

Crime Politics

Chicago After Laquan McDonald

The activists fighting for police reform in the wake of a video that showed a black teenager shot 16 times by a white cop.

Ben Austen New York Times Magazine Apr 2016 15min Permalink

Arts Business Food

The Company Man

The rise and fall of former McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson.

Ben Austen Chicago Mar 2015 20min Permalink

Public Enemies

How social media is fueling gang activity in Chicago.

Ben Austen Wired Sep 2013 Permalink

Politics

The Death and Life of Chicago

How the foreclosure crisis ignited a new form of activism in Chicago’s vacant homes.

Ben Austen New York Times Magazine May 2013 Permalink

Business Sports

Show Yourself the Money

Aside from the wealthiest players, nine out of 10 NFL athletes are likely to be insolvent within 10 years of retirement. A new executive MBA program aims to change that.

Ben Austen GQ Apr 2013 20min Permalink

Sports

The Glorious Plight of the Buffalo Bills

The relationship between Buffalo and its team.

Ben Austen Grantland Nov 2012 35min Permalink

The Last Tower

The decline and fall of Cabrini-Green, Chicago’s infamous public housing development.

Ben Austen Harper's May 2012 Permalink

Arts

The End of Borders and the Future of Books

The demise of America’s favorite mega-bookstore and the factors beyond the e-book boom that fueled the book retail meltdown.

Ben Austen Businessweek Nov 2011 10min Permalink