By Steve Rhodes

“A person familiar with the police investigation of Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane tells The Associated Press that it involves something that happened between the player and a woman in her 20s.
“The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because authorities have not revealed any details of the investigation being conducted by Hamburg police.”
How is this even news.
Why is the source leaking this particular factoid.
The source wouldn’t say anything more substantive?
#Journalism.

Read More

Posted on August 11, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

Matt Spiegel on The Score this morning eviscerated the Buffalo News for this story about the Patrick Kane investigation for much the same reasons I did on The Beachwood Radio Hour #65: Why I Hate Reporting On Investigations. In fact, Spiegel (rightly) went further than I did in explaining why the noxious owner of Skybar in fact has “skin in the game” – both financially and legally – when it comes to defending Kane. That aspect escaped me; I hadn’t read enough of the coverage to understand that.
To the Buffalo News, then, I ask: No one in the newsroom saw the problems with that article during editing? For the zillionth time I will proffer to you: There is a huge quality problem in the journalism profession.

Read More

Posted on August 10, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

Everything will return Monday!

Read More

Posted on August 9, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

Programming Note: Working on some Homan Square coverage and a few other things. Not sure when I’ll be done – this afternoon, tonight or tomorrow. A bunch of things happening at once.
But some really great stuff elsewhere on the site:

Read More

Posted on August 6, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

“Spending nearly $60 million for land and construction of a new two-rink ice center on the Near West Side will help the Chicago Blackhawks bolster participation and interest in hockey citywide,” Danny Ecker reports for Crain’s.
“But the new 125,000-square-foot facility also stands to become the next big moneymaker for team owner Rocky Wirtz’s expanding empire.”
You mean it’s not all about the children?

Read More

Posted on August 5, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

“The city of Chicago expects to net about $16 million from the sale of the Malcolm X College site to the Blackhawks and Rush University after paying roughly $8 million to tear down the building, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration said Monday,” the Tribune reports.
Well, if that’s what they say . . .

Read More

Posted on August 4, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

Coming soon:
* The Weekend In Chicago Rock.
Including Lollapalooza highlights Featuring: Charli XCX, Florence + The Machine, Tove Lo, Twenty One Pilots, Metallica, Travi$ Scott, Delta Spirit, Borns, Brand New, Twin Peaks, Logic, Elle King, Young Thug, Paul McCartney, Halsey, Floetry, Marina and the Diamonds, Angus and Julia Stone, Gogol Bordello, Of Monsters and Men, Moon Taxi, NGHTMRE, Ryn Weaver, Coasts, TV On The Radio, Sturgill Simpson, Bassnectar, A$AP Rocky, Pentatonix, The Ike Reilly Assassination, David Duchovny, Walk The Moon, Max Plankton, Brandi Carlile, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Kelly Clarkson.
* The Cub Factor: Pope Theo.
I’m pinch-hitting today for Marty Gangler, who is on a double-secret national security mission.

Read More

Posted on August 3, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

“The United States ought to give up trying to keep secrets. We sure are no good at it. Between the Walkers, the Pollards and the U.S. Marines, the only person in the world the government can deceive is Ronald Reagan,” Aaron Freeman wrote in the Tribune in 1987.

It is at least gratifying that most of the spying is done by noncommunists for nonideological reasons. These are capitalist scoundrels. They may sell out the country, but they still love the system. I think it is unfair and inaccurate to call them traitors. What they have done is wholly consistent with our national character. Nothing is more American than an assiduous commitment to money and sex – although I wish they would have held out for more substantial payments.
The largest payment Navy spy John Walker got was $40,000. That ain`t exactly chump change, but it barely pays for a week’s worth of lawyers once you get caught. In exchange for “four or five” sexual encounters with Violetta Seina, Sgt. Clayton Lonetree allegedly gave her “Uncle Sasha” the run of the U.S. Embassy and got only $3,500. He should have had Jessica Hahn’s lawyer.
But the real lollapalooza of unintelligence is the new U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Some geniuses in the Nixon administration decided it could be assembled of pre-fabricated pieces built by the Soviets. But now the thing apparently has more bugs than a Chicago housing project. It is refreshing, however, to have a national security catastrophe that can’t be blamed on the liberals.

Read More

Posted on August 1, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

“Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday would not provide a full financial picture of his administration’s deal to redevelop the Malcolm X College site into a Blackhawks practice center and a Rush University expansion,” the Tribune reports.
Welcome to Chicago: Quod tibi necesse erit FOIA – you’ll have to FOIA that.

Read More

Posted on July 31, 2015

By Steve Rhodes

“Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will announce Thursday the city has come to an agreement with the Blackhawks for the team to build its new practice facility and community ice center on the site currently occupied by Malcolm X College, which is just south of the United Center,” the Tribune reports.
Missing from the article: Is taxpayer money involved?

Read More

Posted on July 30, 2015