Mob turncoat, Chicago’s elite brothel, $55 million Jewish institute, healthy school lunches, Decemberists rock the park

Photo: James Collins/Medill Reports 

Latest from Medill Reports:

• Mob turncoat calls himself a rat for giving up family secrets - "Mob turncoat Nicholas Calabrese called himself a "rat" in court on Thursday, but objected to the defense labeling him a "serial killer." He continued to relate details of unsolved murders while his brother and co-defendants watched, seemingly unfazed." By Ashley Johnson
• The naked truth about the Everleigh Club - Karen Abbott, author of a new book about Chicago's infamous high-class brothel, the Everleigh Club, unveils the hidden life of elite Chicago escorts to a packed crowd at Maxim's. By Holly Lieber
• Journey to citizenship not without its bumps - "Citizenship application fees will more than double at the end of the month and the system is backlogged by security checks on applicants. Despite this, record numbers of immigrants are applying to become United States citizens." By Ambreen Ali
• New facillity on Michigan Ave. spurs debate - "Tension is mounting around the new $55 million Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies, which is being built in the historic district of South Michigan Avenue." By Brittany Kaplan
• Happy Meals: A visit to Ceres Food Group (video slideshow) - "How do we feed our schoolchildren nutritious and inexpensive meals? It's a question that brought delegates from five different countries together in Chicago this week for the 10th annual Global Child Nutrition Forum. However, it's also a question that Chicago's schools face. Ceres Food Group is a central kitchen that cooks 100,000 meals during the school year for Chicago's Catholic schools. For the 16 delegates from Africa, Asia and Central America, visiting Ceres provided a glimpse at how to cook nutritious food on a large scale." By Elisabeth Kilpatrick
• Decemberists rock in Millennium Park - "Indie rock darlings, The Decemberists, joined the Grant Park Orchestra for a free show Wednesday in Millennium Park's Jay Pritzker Pavillion. Thousands of people packed the park, with some dedicated fans claiming their spots more than four hours before the show." By James Collins