By Steve Rhodes

“The list of downtown hotels where workers are striking has grown to 26 after employees at the Cambria Chicago Magnificent Mile walked off the job,” the Tribune reports.
“Javier de La Rosa, who has worked as a houseman at the Cambria for 10 years, said he and most of his colleagues walked out during lunch in the middle of their shifts Monday to join the strike on its fourth day.

“When we walked out we saw the other co-workers at other hotels waiting for us,” said de La Rosa, 47, who was out picketing Tuesday morning. “It is a very good experience when people are out there supporting you. This is one of the days I will never forget.”

The Cambria is a 219-room Gold Coast hotel.

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Posted on September 11, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

1. Palmer House Jiltin’.
“Hotels across Chicago were scrambling Monday morning as a downtown hotel strike entered its fourth day. Some guests reported dirty rooms and check-in delays, while managers at some locations pitched in to keep operations running,” the Tribune reports.

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Posted on September 10, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

Working on a bunch of Rahm and mayoral race stuff.
Meanwhile . . .

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Posted on September 6, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

I haven’t yet read the coverage of Rahm’s impending departure and the mad scramble in the field of candidates to replace him, and I have to finish my taxes today and speak to a class at UIC.
So just a bunch of stray thoughts on mayoral race for now.

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Posted on September 5, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

1. RAHM IS OUT.
Rumors that Rahm would bow out had been circulating for weeks, and intensified over the weekend. Still, wow.

Rahm chooses not to run for 3rd term ⁦@ChicagosMayor⁩ pic.twitter.com/EpUfgg8O5E

— Mary Ann Ahern (@MaryAnnAhernNBC) September 4, 2018

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Posted on September 4, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

You may have noticed that the long holiday weekend started on Thursday around here. But that doesn’t mean the Beachwood has totally shut down. For example:
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #215: Maddon Madness & Magic
He’s not going anywhere but the playoffs. Plus: Hot White Sox Screwing Eloy; Fake Bears Finish Fake Pre-Season With Fake Hopes; and NU’s Ridiculous Football Palace On The Lake.

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Posted on August 31, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

1. The Jason Van Dyke Interviews.
“In his first interview in the nearly four years since the shooting, [Jason] Van Dyke spoke with the Tribune for about 40 minutes Tuesday at his lawyer’s downtown offices. Occasionally looking at handwritten notes, he would not discuss the shooting or its aftermath,” the paper reports.
Then what was the point of the interview?

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Posted on August 29, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

1. McCain’s Moment Assignment Fulfilled!
The Washington Post contacted Gayle Quinnell, the subject of Item 1 in Monday’s column.

Quinnell’s daughter told reporters that her mother did not have access to the Internet and had read that Obama was a Muslim during a visit to the library. At the time, Quinnell worked supervising children with mental disabilities during school bus rides . . .
Quinnell is 85 now and still in Minnesota. On a Sunday morning she picked up the phone at her house. Asked what had made her want to attend the rally 10 years ago, she said, “I like Palin.”
She then announced that it was too early in the morning to talk. She was tired. She hung up.

Little did we know that Quinnell was a canary in Donald Trump’s coal mine.

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Posted on August 28, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

1. McCain’s Moment.
Going viral in the last 24 hours and certainly memorable, though not representative of McCain’s 2008 campaign, which was as despicable as any other in its own way:

“He’s an Arab,” a woman said of Barack Obama to John McCain at a campaign event in 2008. “No, ma’am,” McCain replied.

Assignment Desk: Go find that woman today!

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Posted on August 27, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

1. Mental Illness Is A Death Sentence For Many In America’s Jails.

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Posted on August 24, 2018