The [Monday] Papers

"The White House has drafted documents revoking the security clearances of current and former officials whom President Trump has demanded be punished for criticizing him or playing a role in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to senior administration officials," the Washington Post reports.

"Trump wants to sign 'most if not all' of them, said one senior White House official, who indicated that communications aides, including press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Bill Shine, the newly named deputy chief of staff, have discussed the optimum times to release them as a distraction during unfavorable news cycles."

Rauner Just Lost The EMT Vote
"Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday vetoed legislation to expand benefit rights for paramedics and emergency medical technicians by defining them as firefighters in municipal collective bargaining agreements," the Tribune reports.

Rauner's veto of the two measures, which were passed with overwhelming, veto-proof bipartisan majorities, was in line with his previous pronouncements that Springfield shouldn't dictate "unfunded state mandates on local governments."

But Rauner went further, castigating the legislation as perpetuating "the decades of political corruption that has plagued the state of Illinois for too long."

"Time and again, elected officials have granted sweeping benefits and power to the unions in exchange for campaign contributions and political support, creating a system of entrenchment, waste and bad government," Rauner wrote in his veto message of one of the measures.

While Rauner wrote he had the "utmost respect" for paramedics, he said the legislation granting them firefighter status "widens the already bloated union population in the public sector - increasing the union's entrenchment and wealth - and puts a significant financial and administrative burden on local governments."

Privatized Public Art
"Crain's Chicago Business, taking note of the disappearance of Communication X9, a tall, multicolored sentinel of a sculpture that stood in front of the building at 150 N. Michigan that houses its office, reports that the family of the artist, Yaacov Agam, a 90-year-old Israeli living in Paris, is upset about it," the Reader's Deanna Isaacs notes, while adding some interesting background.

"Like the whitewashing of Bill Walker's All of Mankind mural a few years ago, its disappearance is a reminder that the public doesn't own or control the fate of some of the city's most public art."

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New on the Beachwood today . . .

The White Sox Report: Why Kopech Now?
"You have to wonder what Rick Hahn's philosophy is in terms of the ripe moment to promote these youngsters," our very own Roger Wallenstein writes. "Consistency seems to be absent."

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SportsMonday: Are The Cubs Okay?
"The standings don't lie and the standings say the Cubs are a losing streak away from not just falling out of the division lead but falling out of a projected playoff spot," our very own Jim "Coach" Coffman writes.

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ChicagoReddit

I keep hearing there is a lot to do in Chicago, but honestly I'm not getting that experience. from r/chicago

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ChicagoGram

1980's reptile sale #chicago #streetphotography #street #blackandwhite

A post shared by @ gboozell on Aug 19, 2018 at 10:36am PDT

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ChicagoTube

Time Lapse Of Driving Through Heavy Traffic On Interstate Highways Around Chicago While Listening To Frank Zappa's The Adventures of Greggery Peccary.

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TweetWood
A sampling.

Either I don't understand what "bicentennial" means or I don't understand what "annual" means, because ... https://t.co/AJz5CYFN2O

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 19, 2018

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"Love salt and social media? Then check out this role." https://t.co/YNylB3gcdn

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 19, 2018

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Online blotter feeds 'hysteria' https://t.co/zNoWiTj4ge via @tdjnews

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) August 19, 2018

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The Beachwood Tronc Line: Hysteria.

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