The [Thursday] Papers

The Tribune calls it "A $100 Million Mystery" atop its front page today: A graduate of the University of Chicago has donated $100 million to the school "to eliminate student loans for hundreds of undergraduates," the paper reports.

The donor has asked to remain anonymous. Various news reports call the gift the largest ever to a university in Illinois.

"The cash gift . . . will provide full scholarships each year for about 800 students whose family incomes are less than $60,000," the Tribune account says. "Another 400 of the college's 4,400 undergraduates, whose family incomes are less than $75,000, will have roughly half their loans replaced with grants."

Facts On The Ground
This sounds fantastic:

"Chicago's public housing high rises were internationally infamous. Now they are almost all gone. Where did the residents go? What are the consequences of the demolition for Chicago and beyond? Explore these issues with We The People Media, publishers of Residents' Journal, a national award-winning news magazine written by low-income people.

"Sign up today for a We The People Media Bus Tour.

"Slots are available beginning June 1, 2007. Each journey of the The Bus Tour is hosted by Residents' Journal Assistant Editor Beauty Turner, a former resident of the Robert Taylor Homes, in its day the largest public housing development in the world. Beauty will take you to historic sites around the city, provide you with data and details about low-income families in Chicago, and introduce you to former tenants of public housing as well as families who live in the mixed-income communities which replaced the high-rises.

"Learn from the experts about the communities in which they live. At the end of the tour, Beauty will bring you to the Ghetto - Greatest History Ever Told - Gallery, which holds a unique display of photos, memories and artifacts. Schedule Your Tour Today!

"Contact Ms. Beauty Turner Call: (312) 745-2686 or write: beauty@wethepeoplemedia.org."

Betting Your Life
"I wish lawmakers would quit taking the easy way out and actually restructure the state's tax system," the Daily Southtown's Kristen McQueary writes this morning.

"I wish you, taxpayers and constituents, would give elected officials the cover to approve a moderate tax increase without running to the ballot box.

"Because if you think expanded gambling isn't going to impact your life or raise your taxes through more crime, more addiction, more foreclosures and higher interest rates, you're wrong.

"If you think the education of kids in Harvey or Dixmoor doesn't impact you, you're wrong.

"If you think you can just keep moving west to new subdivisions with rising property tax bills to escape faltering public schools, you're wrong.

"Illinois doesn't need more gambling. It needs elected officials who will listen to their conscience and voters who will keep them around."

Character Test I
"Imagine that the top presidential candidates are all at an airport, trying to get on a flight. There is one seat left on the plane, and there are six people ahead of them in line. What does each of the candidates do?"

Suggestions welcome for Illinois public figures.

Character Test II
"The Illinois House signed off on $150 million in school construction dollars late Wednesday, money intended to once and for fulfill the state's commitment to nearly two dozen school districts that were promised state building aid nearly six years ago but never received it because the state ran out of cash," the Daily Herald's John Patterson reports.

"However, as is often the case in Illinois government, there's a catch.

"The school construction money is part of a plan that also includes bigger paychecks for state lawmakers, among other goodies."

Bullpen Blues
Greg Couch explains how the Sox and Cubs took different approaches to their bullpens - and how both got it wrong.

Upside Down
Cubs fans like to say that despite their team's woes they are still just six games out of first place. They neglect to mention that they are just 2 1/2 games out of last place.

Brendan Natarus
What is Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) waiting for?

If the suspicion that he's going to allow the demolition of the Lake Shore Athletic Club, whose first floor has been boarded up and is rimmed with scaffolding, couldn't be "further from the truth," (third item) he might want to let us know.

The Reader's Ben Joravsky is the latest to be rebuffed by Reilly. Perhaps if Joravsky would have pretended that he was Rich Miller, who is a friend of Reilly's, he would have had his phone calls returned.

As Joravsky notes, Preservation Chicago has scheduled a rally for 1 p.m. this Sunday at 850 N. Lake Shore Drive.

Juvy
Would you put your child under the care of Todd Stroger's administration?

Dealt Out
Country Club Hills is the biggest loser in Emil Jones's latest casino shenanigans, says the Daily Southtown's Phil Kadner.

Downsizing Defender
The paper might become a weekly.

Thriller
The Internet is a Bounty of Goodness.

I-Man
Lee Iacocca really takes it to George W. Bush - and says you're not a patriot if you're not outraged.

Mighty Ducks
In case you missed it, there is a Stanley Cup Final underway. Our preview not looking so bad.

Rating Rod
Well, maybe Blago is the second-worst governor in the nation.

The Beachwood Tip Line: Looking for leaders.