Chicago -
By Steve Rhodes
1. Well, He’s In The Right Administration.
“Over several months, in speaking with 21 people who know [Wilbur] Ross, Forbes uncovered a pattern: Many of those who worked directly with him claim that Ross wrongly siphoned or outright stole a few million here and a few million there, huge amounts for most but not necessarily for the commerce secretary. At least if you consider them individually. But all told, these allegations – which sparked lawsuits, reimbursements and an SEC fine – come to more than $120 million. If even half of the accusations are legitimate, the current United States secretary of commerce could rank among the biggest grifters in American history.”
Posted on August 8, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
“Following the city’s most violent weekend of the year, Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered a message calling for more attention on the criminals and lack of morals behind Chicago’s bloodshed rather than solely criticizing the police and his leadership of the city,” the Tribune reports.
Rahm Emanuel lecturing about morals is like Donald Trump lecturing about . . . oh, let’s just say “accountability” for today’s example, as in not taking responsibility for policies that exacerbate poverty-fueled violence while claiming credit for every hire in the city (I think Rahm is cutting a ribbon today at a local tavern that just took on a new part-time barback).
Posted on August 7, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
1. Deadly Weekend.
“At least 73 people were shot in one of the most violent weekends of the year in Chicago, spurred by a 7-hour period early Sunday morning when 40 people were shot,” the Tribune reports.
“Between 3 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday morning, 11 people were killed and 61 people were wounded, according to Tribune data. Their ages spanned from 11 to 62 years old, and most of those shot were attacked on the South and West Sides.”
Posted on August 6, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
For completists, there was no column on Friday.
1. Motormouth Gets A Lot Of Mileage On Fuel Filler Door Question.
Posted on August 5, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
1. Rahm’s Secrets Spending.
“Mayor Rahm Emanuel has spent $120,000 in campaign money on legal fees in response to a pair of lawsuits that alleged he violated the state’s open records act by refusing to release communications about city business he conducted through personal e-mail accounts and text messages,” the Tribune reported in July.
“That $120,000 in campaign money does not include additional expenditures the city’s Law Department likely has made on outside counsel and staff hours in the open records cases.”
Posted on August 2, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
1. But Do They Stand For The Anthem?
“More than 22,000 fans packed the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this past weekend to watch the Overwatch League’s first-ever Grand Finals,” Seeking Alpha notes. “‘I don’t think any company has made the same commitment in resources, in talent, in people and capital that we have made to ensure that this is something truly incredible,’ declared Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) CEO Bobby Kotick. Overwatch became the company’s eighth billion-dollar franchise less than a year after its May 2016 release, following the likes of Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.”
Posted on August 1, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
1. Searching For Signs Of The Underground Railroad On Chicago’s Northwest Side.
“An urban archaeological dig is underway in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood,” WGN-TV reports.
“Lake Forest College Professor Rebecca Graff is leading a team of students searching for signs that the site may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad.
“The property at the corner of Grace Street and Kostner Avenue once belonged to John Gray, a Cook County sheriff who is said to have been an abolitionist.”
Posted on July 31, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
1. New Lottery Game To Benefit Families Of Fallen Police Officers.
“Gov. Bruce Rauner today signed a bill to create a new Illinois Lottery scratch-off game from which proceeds will fund police memorials, support for the families of officers killed or severely injured in the line of duty, and protective vest replacements for officers.”
Tuesday: The Widow & Orphans Lottery Scratch-Off.
Wednesday: The God Bless America Scratch-Off.
Thursday: The Pro-Trump/Anti-Trump Scratch-Off Depending On Which Part Of The State You Live In.
Friday: The Committee To Re-Elect Bruce Scratch-Off.
Posted on July 30, 2018
By Steve Rhodes
1. Kreepy Ken Kurson.
“Ken Kurson is a confidant of Rudolph W. Giuliani. He is a onetime speechwriter for Donald J. Trump. And he is a close friend of Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, who appointed Mr. Kurson to run his weekly newspaper, The New York Observer,” the New York Times reports.
This spring, those relationships appeared to yield a prestigious offer from the Trump White House: a seat on the board of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal body that doles out millions of dollars a year in grants to cultural institutions.
First, Mr. Kurson had to undergo a government background check. As part of that process, the Federal Bureau of Investigation learned about allegations that he had harassed a New York doctor in 2015, according to Mount Sinai Hospital, where the doctor worked.
Kurson, of course, is a Chicago expat. See the item The Kurson Convention.
Posted on July 27, 2018
