By Steve Rhodes
First, I’ve got more on the G8 fiasco or snafu or whatever we should call it, in The [G8] Papers. Good stuff!
Second, the day’s news. There is no third.
Deposing Daley
“A federal judge has set a trial date in the case of a Burge torture victim who is suing former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, among others,” WBEZ reports. “The trial date is an indication that settlement negotiations during the last month have broken down between lawyers for the city of Chicago and attorneys for Michael Tillman, a man who says he was tortured by police working under former Commander Jon Burge, tortured until he confessed to a crime he didn’t commit.”
Good. I know Tillman’s lawyers have a duty to represent their client and that may mean accepting a settlement instead of going to trial, but that would deny the citizens of Chicago the opportunity to hear from Daley and others under oath. We deserve that.
Hacker News
“Arrested Monday night in an FBI raid on his Bridgeport home, [Jeremy] Hammond is accused of stealing confidential data from hundreds of thousands of people, including a former vice president of the United States and a former CIA director,” the Sun-Times reports.
“From a tiny apartment in the 2900 block of South Quinn, he allegedly helped steal the personal details of 860,000 Stratfor clients, including a former vice president and a former CIA director, whose names are redacted from the complaint. He also published the information for 60,000 credit cards users and used stolen credit card data to make charges of $700,000, the complaint alleges.”
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“When the Chicago Sun-Times called a phone listed in Hammond’s twin brother’s name Tuesday, a man who answered demanded to know ‘where did you get this number? My name is Mickey Mouse and I don’t know who Jeremy or Jason Hammond are.'”
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“His mother, Rose Collins, offered a heavy sigh when informed that the FBI had arrested her 27-year-old son,” the Tribune reports.
“Again?” she asked. “I love my son, but he is a genius with no brain. He has a 168 IQ, but he has no wisdom.”
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The Reader profiled Hammond in 2005.
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Chicago magazine profiled Hammond in 2007.
Dishonorable Code
Yeah, codes of silence are never acceptable when people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake – and particularly have no place in a newsroom. So not exactly convinced the Tribune’s Matt Bowen isn’t holding back.
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I wonder if Bowen would have spoken up had he been a cop working for Jon Burge.
Let Them Eat Cake
Yeah, the city’s 175th birthday has been pretty low-key. Maybe crowded out by G8 planning?
Partisan Photo Shop
If this was Mitt Romney, Democrats would be having a field day.
New G-8 Prep
“To Thurmont officials, concerns about possible protests and commotion during the upcoming G-8 summit at Camp David seem to be outweighed by excitement over the event,” the Frederick News-Post in Maryland reports.
“‘Who cares?’ Commissioner Bill Buehrer said Tuesday to the suggestion of demonstrators in town.
“The White House announced Monday it would move the May 18-19 economic summit from Chicago to the presidential retreat in the mountains of northern Frederick County.”
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“‘I’m trying to figure out how we can take advantage of it, businesswise,’ Buehrer said, joking that he might open a hot dog stand where journalists are expected to gather.”
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“About half an hour after Monday’s summit announcement, Thurmont’s Cozy Inn was completely booked by members of the press corps, according to general manager Vickie Grinder. The hotel is turning people away, telling them to look outside of town for lodging.
“‘Maybe I’ll hurry and finish up my second floor,’ joked Virginia LaRoche, owner of the Timeless Trends Boutique. ‘That will be fantastic for us. We do a lot to get visitors to come to Thurmont, and I’m sure Thurmont will welcome them.’
“With more than 10 weeks to go, it’s too early to stock up on inventory, 7-Eleven manager Kamal Shah said.”
Oh, come on Kamal! It’ll keep.
Global City
Our reputation is intact.
Just One Letter Awayr
If only he was being indicted into the Irish-American Hall of Fame as well.
Ewwww of Chicago
“The University of Chicago has a dirty problem,” some far-flung ABC affiliate reports. “The toilets in one of the building on campus keep on exploding.”
Maybe I missed this story the first time around, but I’m oddly not curious enough to follow up.
Cubs Win World Series
And it doesn’t look like this.
Chicago’s Best Librarian Couple
And how they bind their journals.
Good Food Grown At Home
Chicagoan Fred Daniels explains.
Catching Hell
A thin, vexing position.
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Cozy.
Posted on March 7, 2012