The [Thursday] Papers

"In the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, the Tribune tested 255 pharmacies to see how often stores would dispense dangerous drug pairs without warning patients. Fifty-two percent of the pharmacies sold the medications without mentioning the potential interaction, striking evidence of an industrywide failure that places millions of consumers at risk.

"CVS, the nation's largest pharmacy retailer by store count, had the highest failure rate of any chain in the Tribune tests, dispensing the medications with no warning 63 percent of the time. Walgreens, one of CVS' main competitors, had the lowest failure rate at 30 percent - but that's still missing nearly 1 in 3 interactions."

Illish
"Illinois boasts more primary care physicians and fewer smokers than most states - but it also has higher levels of air pollution, chlamydia and excessive drinking, according to a new report ranking states on a number of health measures," the Tribune reports.

"Overall, Illinois ranked smack in the middle of the country - 26th in the nation - for total health, according to the United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings annual report, released Thursday. That's up two spots from the year before."

School Fudge
"Officials at one Chicago public school falsified records to boost graduation rates over a seven year period, the school system's inspector general confirmed in a report released Wednesday," Sarah Karp reports for WBEZ.

"The school reclassified dropouts as homeschooled or transfers because dropouts are counted against graduation rates, CPS Inspector General Nick Schuler said in his annual report, which summarizes all investigations this fiscal year.

"The report does not name the school but WBEZ has identified it as Curie Metropolitan High School on the Southwest Side.

"A former principal there told the inspector general's office that he instructed staff to label students that stopped coming to class as being homeschooled.

"He told the inspector general that he was pressured by his supervisors 'to come up with stuff' to raise school attendance. The inspector general alleges that records were falsified from at least 2007 to 2014."

Curie High: Comin' Up With Stuff Since 2007!

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"A Chicago Board of Education report shows that some wealthy families scammed to get their children into selective-enrollment schools and that some school administrators concealed dropouts to boost attendance and graduation rates," AP reports.

"The annual report by the board's inspector general comes after Chicago Public Schools has increased consequences for anyone cheating to get into selective-enrollment programs and has tightened criteria for counting transfers.

"Inspector General Nicholas Schuler said there were 181 complaints over residency issues. In one case, a family living in a large home in an affluent Chicago suburb rented a small apartment in the Rogers Park neighborhood so their child could attend a school despite test scores that didn't make the cut."

Huh, I wonder where they got that idea from?

Exclusive!
Will Sneed get a commission for running this ad for Sandi Jackson if she gets a job out of it?

Slick Willie
"The 22-page indictment handed down Tuesday accuses [Ald. Willie] Cochran of looting a 20th Ward fund meant to help children and senior citizens, using $5,000 to pay his daughter's college tuition and withdrawing $25,000 from ATMs near his preferred casinos. The former Chicago police officer is also accused of accepting bribes from businessmen who needed favors from him," the Sun-Times reports.

"Mayor Rahm Emanuel urged reporters Wednesday not to kick the council when it's down or paint aldermen with the same broad brush, saying, 'I know that it's easy to just kick the council and then, make everybody who ever worked in it carry a badge of dishonor. [But] I wouldn't do that.'"

Good point. Cochran only stands to become the 36th Chicago alderman convicted since 1973. (Three others died after indictment but before trial.)

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"Cochran, who is paid $116,208 a year as alderman and also collects $60,280 annually from his police pension, suggested in late 2014 that aldermen should be paid more, saying he often works 60 hours a week or more," the Tribune reports.

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Previously: Willie Cochran not sharpest tool in Rahm's shed.

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'As a White Nationalist, What Do You Do?
"A pretty dreary place to be in a democracy."

The Chinese Admissions Hook-Up
The game elite colleges play, Including the University of Chicago.

Kool-Aid Report: Yo, You Holding?
House, mouse, box, Fox.

Hoverboard Amusement Park Here
Grand opening this weekend.

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BeachBook

Loop Workers Mistake 'Shooter' Drill For Real Thing, Send Messages To Loved Ones.

This is really messed up. Feel like it's been underplayed.

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Turkey's Crackdown Propels Number Of Journalists In Jail Worldwide To Record High.

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The Trump-Putin Paradigm: It's Time To Raise The Stakes From Fact To Truth.

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Lock Him Up.

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Another Conspiracy Theorist Named To High-Level Trump Post.

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TweetWood
A sampling.

Do you think the Russians interfered with the outcome of the U.S. election or was it God?

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) December 14, 2016

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5. Dem introspection fine, but self-absorption unnecessary. Craziest, fact-free KKK candidate winning is not fault of not enough lawn signs.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 14, 2016

When a country elects a neo-Nazi fascist pathological liar w/a record of fraud, it's not b/c the (mainstream) opponent made a few mistakes.

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 15, 2016

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Through the looking glass backwards, in reverse, upside-down. pic.twitter.com/oK1w8Km24y

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 15, 2016

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'Trump endorsed Duterte's campaign against drug users & dealers that has left 4,500 dead in 5 mos, saying he was doing it the 'right way'.' https://t.co/WIMl0oGKsi

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 15, 2016

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Lupe Fiasco quits music after accusations of antisemitism https://t.co/Vnq3GU5GAJ

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) December 14, 2016

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The Beachwood Tronc Line: Keep off my lawn sign.

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