The [Thursday] Papers

Here's how our very own Tim Willette won that game for the Blackhawks last night.

I can't explain right now but I'm totally summoning Hawks goals by playing certain parts of Bastard Noise's "Denied Psychotic Human Pt. 2" at key moments!

Good game, Tim.

Daft Town
"Those who attended the 2015 NFL Draft and outdoor fan festival in downtown Chicago nearly four weeks ago aren't the only ones who got to take advantage of the action for free," the Tribune reports.

"The NFL did too. After a request from the NFL and tourism booster Choose Chicago, the Chicago Park District waived a $937,500 rental fee to use Grant Park and nearby parkland, according to documents released to the Tribune under a public records request."

The NFL's projected revenue this year: $12 billion.

The Chicago Park District: Junk.

Rahm Emanuel, financial sophisticate.

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"The district also waived a security deposit."

Noooooooo! Who's gonna pay for the holes in the walls?

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"Costs associated with the draft remain murky because Choose Chicago, the nonprofit tourism agency that organized the event with the league, is not subject to public records laws. Three years ago, Emanuel closed the city's tourism department and transferred duties to the tourism bureau, whose budget now comes mostly from government grants.

"Emanuel has said the NFL and Choose Chicago were responsible for covering the cost of any city services and that there would be no cost to taxpayers. The city has said it would invoice Choose Chicago for city services used but those figures have not been released yet."

So the city is going to invoice Choose Chicago, whose budget comes mostly from government grants - and yet, no taxpayer money will be involved. And where do government grants come from, the Government Grant Fairy?

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"The Park District declined to make CEO Michael Kelly available for an interview."

The park district didn't "decline" to "make Kelly available." Kelly refused to answer questions about the involvement of the public, taxpayer-funded agency which he leads and from which he makes a comfortable living on the taxpayer dime. Let's be clear.

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"A spokeswoman said in a statement that the agency entered into a special agreement with the draft's organizers and that the NFL didn't pay fees because the event was free . . . "

Free? It cost us $937,500 in waived rental fees alone!

" . . . and provided a public benefit."

To a private organization.

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"The spokeswoman said the agency has struck similar partnerships with organizers of Taste of Chicago, Blues Fest, the Air and Water Show, the Bud Billiken Parade and the Puerto Rican festival."

Name that spokeswoman, please. Because that's bullshit.

"Two of those events - the Bud Billiken Parade and the Puerto Rican Festival - are hosted by a nonprofit organization. The rest are run by the city."

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The city doesn't make itself pay rent to itself! See, it's the same thing!

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"Choose Chicago officials declined to answer questions related to the rental fee waiver. Instead, a spokeswoman issued a statement that said, 'As we have shared . . . many times, no taxpayer money was used to host the 2015 NFL Draft.'"

Just government "grants."

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"Officials have previously said they honored so-called basic requests such as covering the cost for the NFL to rent the Auditorium Theatre, which is owned by Roosevelt University. Choose Chicago CEO Don Welsh said sponsors and donations will cover the cost, estimating that Choose Chicago needs to raise about $3 million to $4 million. Welsh was not made available for comment."

Nobody was "made available" for comment! Everybody is in hiding!

That should be part of the lead:

"City and tourism officials refused Wednesday to answer questions about why the Chicago Park District, which just had its credit rating downgraded to junk, waived its $937,500 rental fee when it turned over a portion of Grant Park to the NFL, a $12 billion concern, for its draft last month."

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"City officials have said the draft was a boon for the city's economy, a claim that economists have said is misleading because events such as the draft draw dollars that would otherwise be spent elsewhere locally."

This, too, is a bit soft. Better, and even more true:

"City officials have said the draft was a boon for the city's economy, a claim that economists find laughable because reams of research shows that, at best, an event like this merely diverts dollars from other entertainment options instead of spurring new economic activity.

"On top of that, the secretive behavior of city officials leaves the amount of money spent and resources expended by the city unknown, so any claims of economic benefit cannot be properly evaluated."

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If this was such a win for the city, you'd think officials would be busting down the media's door to show them the numbers instead of hiding behind spokespeople and statements.

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Mentally Ill Media
How The Media Went Along With A Fake Terror Threat Used To Justify Bombing Syria.

They never learn. Ever.

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Also:

Anonymity journalism from the NYT marries hilarious fear-mongering from the White House: http://t.co/PZzuUwAHWd pic.twitter.com/k761vnkMnn

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 28, 2015

NYT: let's grant WH officials anonymity to accuse Patriot Act critics of playing "nat'l security Russian Roulette" https://t.co/T1UABRmbof

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 28, 2015

Even their Public Editor repeatedly documents they violate their own post-Iraq guidelines, but they keep doing it https://t.co/1qtCoFsPKx

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 28, 2015

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Chicago's Ponzi
Plus, the Tweedy tale not told and Mamrie Hart's worst hangovers. In Local Book Notes.

Fantasy Fix: Value Among The Viagra Set
Not dead yet.

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BeachBook
* Bankers From Major Institutions Still Have Not Been Held Responsible For Financial Crash.

Holder deadline passes . . .

* New Parking Rules Are Ice Cream Headache For Wilmette Dairy Queen Fans.

* Jimmy Butler Took A 75% Pay Cut Switching From Adidas To Jordan Brand.

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TweetWood
A sampling.

No Doubt? Riot Fest at Douglas Park sucks already.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) May 28, 2015

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Just saw Kimmo Timonen buying Doritos at the 7-11.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) May 28, 2015

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OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) backwards is NWO (New World Order).

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) May 27, 2015

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