Chicago -
By Steve Rhodes
Let’s see, what’s in the news today . . .
“Quinn’s Latest Plan for State’s Lousy Finances: iTax. Gov proposes sales tax on every downloaded song, movie.”
How ’bout this instead: a tax on every story downloaded about a horrible idea from our governor? The QTax.
Posted on April 21, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
1. I dunno, does Rahm Emanuel really want to spend his time fighting with Chicago aldermen about street sweepers?
2. “Garritt Cullerton has been pulled over eight times on Illinois roads since July 2001 for citations that included following too closely, speeding 115 mph in a 65 mph zone and twice previously for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to court records,” the Tribune reports. “In some of those cases, according to court records and interviews, he was driving his father’s car displaying the official Senate license plate “6” that denotes John Cullerton’s North Side legislative district.
“The legislator’s son was not convicted in the previous DUI cases, in 2004 and 2008, but was fined for lesser traffic offenses in both instances.”
Posted on April 20, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
What are Chicago Public Schools officials so afraid of?
Don’t they want to lead by example – you know, practice what we presume they want taught to the kids in their charge?
I guess not and I’ll guess why: They’re more beholden to their political minders than to the children they are responsible for.
Take the recent lesson CPS gave the Reader’s Ben Joravsky’s in English, math, political science, sociology and journalism.
Posted on April 19, 2010
By Natasha Julius
We’re still testing this edition, but now we’re testing it with passengers.
Market Update
The recession is over, the labor market is picking up and bacon wrapped in fried chicken is totally good for you. And the best part is, by the time you figure out we’re lying out our asses, we’ll be friggin’ rich.
Posted on April 17, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
1. Craigslist destroys another industry.
2. Pat Quinn: A man without a paddle.
3. The city’s budget deficit comes to the equivalent of $180 per citizen, an outraged Business Insider reports.
Really? You mean if we all just wrote a check to the city for $180 we could be done with this sort of nonsense? I’m in.
Posted on April 16, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
I have to say this hasn’t been a good week for Chicago Tonight. Hey, we all have bad weeks. But transforming last night’s sizzling topic lineup into a borefest was a true feat.
Take the panel on the latest revelations in the government’s case against Rod Blagojevich – please!
Do we really need to see lawyers Mike Monico, Dean Polales and Ron Safer wheeled out again? And I generally find Polales and Safer insightful, but geez!
It was deja vu all over again as we were treated for the umpteenth time to a discussion about what a proffer is, how the document contains allegations yet unproven, what constitutes a conspiracy, what the defense may argue. I’m sorry, but I’ve seen this show – about every three months. How about discussing what’s actually in the proffer?
Posted on April 15, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
Boy was that a terrible story about the vice mayor’s budget on Chicago Tonight last night. Where is Rich Samuels when we need him?
First, the claim that Chicago Tonight had “found” out about the vice mayor’s budget is bunk. Hugh Devlin broke the story on March 26 on Lorraine Swanson’s Lake Effect News.
While new CT correspondent Ash-har Quraishi wasted time on the history of the position of vice mayor – which has no proscribed duties other than taking over if the mayor keels over – he missed the scandal at the heart of the story.
Posted on April 14, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
1. “Tiny Virginia newspaper wins Pulitzer Prize.”
For a series reported by a University of Chicago graduate and former Chicago Maroon-ie.
2. Mary Mitchell vs. Hermene Hartman.
Posted on April 13, 2010
By Steve Rhodes
We’re still tweaking but we’ve gone live with the launch of our new Cubs site Agony & Ivy just in time for today’s home opener. We’ll be adding features throughout the week as we ramp things up over there; thanks to everyone who helped us fast-track this.
And a big shout-out to Joel Boehm, the founder of the original A&I. Joel went off to a career in law and bequeathed the site to us; we hope to do him proud.
Posted on April 12, 2010
By Natasha Julius
We know you’ll be obsessively monitoring the progress of Lee Westwood. We’ll obsessively monitor everything else.
Market Watch
The role of technology in weakening the nation’s labor markets will continue to be debated as more industries move to lower overhead. This week alone, unemployment rate amongst feisty internet satirists soared after a major breakthrough allowed the jokes to write themselves.
Posted on April 10, 2010
