Thanks to This Week's Advertisers ...
We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Chicagoist.
- Canadian Tourism Commission, encouraging you to escape the everyday and discover a new getaway.
- GroupOn, using collective buying power to bring you one ridiculous coupon each day.
- Amtrak's Michigan Services, with great deals from Chicago on the Pere Marquette, Wolverine, and Blue Water lines.
- American Apparel, with 4 stores in Chicago, you can look your best after dark.
If you're interested in advertising on Chicagoist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.
Friday Afternoon Diversion: Patriotic Bugs Bunny ...
Ah, old school, war-time propaganda!
City DPH Could Face Cuts ...
With the City already staring down major cuts, the Department of Public Health could be adding to the cutbacks. The DPH could be forced to cut spending by 25 percent and layoff as many as 80 workers. The main culprit? The ongoing state budget crisis in Springfield right now. Dr. Terry Mason, DPH head, said yesterday at a press conference, “This is real. This is not something that is contrived. You cannot make bricks without straw and you cannot provide services without people. This political game which is being framed as an economic argument, but it’s a political game and it needs a political solution and it needs it now.” Other departments, such as the Department of Family and Support Services, also face double-digit cuts. [Chi-Town Daily News]
Around Town ...
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Huge Pile-Up On I-294 Backs Up Traffic ...
Beware if you're heading out to get on I-294 for weekend travel right now. A 15-car pile-up between Willow and Lake-Cook Roads on the I-294 tollway has caused a seven mile long traffic jam, causing a complete highway clusterfuck.
According to Chicago Breaking News:
Police have shut access to the lane at Dempster Street as police wait for tow trucks to clear the damaged vehicles, [District 15 State Police Master Sgt. Ed] Petrik said. The drivers who are going the wrong way are having to cross traffic in local lanes to head back north at the Dempster entrance, causing a further driving hazard, Petrik said.It was uncertain how long it will take to clear the highway because only one tow truck at a time can access the crash site, he said.
Update: And no sooner do we post...[via CBN]
A northbound express lane through a construction zone of the Tri-State Tollway was blocked for almost two hours this morning by a 15-vehicle crash, backing up traffic and causing frustrated drivers to try to turn around and drive south in the lane, state police said.Traffic was moving again after the express lane was reopened about 11:40 a.m., but north of where the express lane ends one of three lanes on the highway was still blocked after noon, slowing traffic, police said.
So, not as bad but still pretty bad. Drive with caution.
Giannoulias Connection To Clout List? ...
The Chicago Tribune's investigation into the University of Illinois has now reached State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias' adviser Endy Zemenides allegedly helped get a student off the wait list and into school and in turn, a Greek Orthodox priest, a family friend of the student who had reached out to Zemenides, held a fundraiser for Giannoulias that earned over $120,000. Giannoulias is currently eyeballing a run at Sen. Roland Burris' senate seat. His campaign distanced Giannoulias from the student, saying he knew nothing of the request, and Giannoulias has not been connected to any other student on the list.
Outrage! Aldermen Hold Hearing On Meter Deal ...
Seven months after they approved Mayor Daley's parking meter privatization deal, the City Council held a hearing to angrily express their outrage over the deal. This from the same City Council that voted 45-5 to approve the deal and, when one alderman complained about the lack of time for review, prompted the classic response from Ald. Mell (33rd), "How many of us read the stuff we do get, OK?. I try to. I try to. I try to. But being realistic, being realistic, it's like getting your insurance policy. It's small print, OK?" Small print, indeed.
The Council explored rolling back some of the parking hikes in the wake of a parking rebellion of sorts, mainly in the form of motorists referring to park. According to the Sun-Times, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) said:
"Utilization has fallen through the floor. We have nobody using these meters. It is not working. If you're going down Belmont, no one's parking on the street. If we don't get utilization up, our districts are gonna suffer on retail sales. It will have a damaging effect on meter retail communities, which is the lifeblood of our neighborhoods. We have to get this right. We get zero utilization. How do we bring everyone back to the table and say, 'We've got to restructure this deal?'"
Deputy Corporation Counsel Jim McDonald admitted that yes, the Council has the right to set parking meter rates but if the Council decides to roll it back, Chicago Parking Meters LLC would have to be compensated for the change.
In the "It Happened To Me!" portion of the proceedings, Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) ranted about a mix-up at a parking meter box that wound up with her shilling out $32.50 for overnight parking instead of her desired time frame.
She said while attending a dinner on Wacker Drive near the Sears Tower recently, she pressed the "max" button on a new pay-box parking meter, and was charged $32.50.Chicago Parking Meters LLC Chief Executive Officer Dennis Pedrelli said this happened because Hairston parked on the street around 7 p.m., at which time the meter is programmed to charge for parking overnight, through 10 a.m. the next morning.
But Hairston complained that there is no indication that pushing the "max" button will result in a bill for overnight parking.
"You have to communicate, and you can't be deceiving the public," Hairston said.
Not a whole helluva lot was decided, though, as the hearing ended. As always, we'd like to remind you of the five alderman who actually had the cajones to vote against the deal: Toni Preckwinkle (4th), Leslie Hairston (5th), Billy Ocasio (26th), Scott Waguespack (32nd) and Rey Colon (35th). Check out the Trib's recap and, as always, The Reader's Mick Dumke has a solid round-up.
Last Second Plans: G-Fest XVI ...
It's Fourth of July weekend but maybe you're not into the patriotic stuff. Sure, you love stuff exploding so the fireworks are cool, but maybe you don't dig all the John Philip Sousa that goes along with it. Or kids in big Uncle Sam hats waving tiny American flags. The sound of Lee Greenwood makes you sick. That's cool. We're not here to judge you. What we're here to do is to point you to the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare for this year's G-Fest.
What is G-Fest you ask?
Why, only "the largest regular gathering of Godzilla and Japanese monster fans in the world."
You're hooked now, aren't you?
Sure, today's conference gets underway, uh, well, it's already underway as you read this, but for $40, it's a great deal and we're sure you can still register at the event. Besides the requisite screening of movies, enjoy interesting (no, seriously, we're not being snarky a-holes for once) panels like "Wicked Godzilla: The Secret History of Americanization," "Other Giant Monsters - Notable Creatures in Non-Japanese Science Fiction," and "Who’s Afraid of Godzilla?" Check out the entire schedule here.
The fest runs through Sunday evening with screenings held at The Pickwick Theater in Park Ridge.
via Windy Citizen
Morning Box Score ...
AP Photo/John Smierciak
Derek Lee Beats Brewers
Derek Lee solidified himself as the one Cubs offensive performer worthy of an invitation to the All-Star Game by homering twice and knocking in seven runs as the Cubs raced past the Brewers 9-5. Lee got things started with a three-run homer in the first and was followed up by Jake Fox who hit a solo shot. Mike Cameron hit a two-run shot for the Brewers in the second to cut the Cubs lead in half, but D-Lee responded with a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth as the North Siders blew the game wide-open. Geovanny Soto completed the scoring-only-on-homers night for the Cubs as he belted a solo shot in the fourth as well. Of course, never ones to make things easy, the Cubs pitching staff allowed the Brewers to score runs late, but Lee's offense was enough to pace the team. Ryan Dempster had a good start, allowing four runs (three earned) over 6.2 innings while striking out nine. Aaron Heilman allowed a run in the eighth but the bullpen, which included appearances from Sean Marshall and Carlos Marmol, held the Brewers. Don't look now, but the Cubs are only 2.5 out of first. The two teams tangle again this afternoon at 1:20 p.m. (CSN).
Sox Streak At Six
Excellent pitching and timely hitting pushed the Sox past the Kansas City Royals 4-1 last night. Mark Buehrle pitched 8.1 innings allowing only run and scattering six hits in a sterling performance from the mound. The Sox offense backed up the performance, too. Jayson Nix homered in the fourth to get the Sox on the board and the Sox then added a run in each of the last three innings to extend the lead. Bobby Jenks pitched the last 0.2 innings for his 19th save. With a Detroit off night, the White Sox are, like their North Side counter-parts, now just 2.5 games out of first. Game two of the series is tonight at 7:10 p.m. (CSN).
Six State Banks Fail, One In Chicago Area ...
It was a bad day for Illinois banks yesterday as six banks across the state failed. According to the FDIC, the banks that failed were:
- Founders Bank, Worth, IL
- The Elizabeth State Bank, Elizabeth, IL
- The First National Bank of Danville, Danville, IL
- Rock River Bank, Oregon, IL
- The First State Bank of Winchester, Winchester, IL
- The John Warner Bank, Clinton, Illinois
Today's Weather: Spectacular ...
If you're one of the few people in an office today...we feel your pain. And you're missing a gorgeous day outside. So what are you waiting for? Get outside! Sunny skies and highs in the upper 70's? No excuse to be indoors. Besides, you can always read our mobile version from the park.
[Sponsored] ...
Extra, Extra ...
- Police have arrested a man in connection with an attempted assault on a doctor in her office earlier this week; the man was turned in by his girlfriend.
- Has Mayor Daley ditched Stroger for Preckwinkle in the upcoming Cook County Board President race?
- A quick thinking paramedic helped save a woman who suffered a heart attack at the Taste of Chicago earlier today.
- Congrats to the University of Chicago's Dr. Janet Rowley who won the Gruber Foundation prize in genetics - including $500,000 - for her cancer research.
- The Reader's Straight Dope breaks down Chicago's early summer temperature wackiness.
- The Cubs did a little bit of roster shuffling today. Of course, when you have the leagues third highest payroll but find yourself with the league's 20th best record, maybe some more drastic measures are due.
Concern Over Stolen Fireworks ...
Around 5,000 pounds of "high-powered, commercial-grade fireworks" have gone missing in DuPage County and now authorities are worried whoever stole them may not be ready for the oomph of the explosives which are more powerful than the bottle rockets and low-grade shells that most people buy from stands and shoot off on Independence Day. Sgt. Jim Ruff, commander of the department's Hazardous Device Unit, put it succinctly when talking to the Sun-Times: "If one of these things goes off in your hand, you're probably going to die."
The sheriff's department recently helped dispose of a large quantity of commercial-grade fireworks illegally stored in southern DuPage County, though officials wouldn't disclose more information because the investigation is ongoing.But authorities say at least 5,000 pounds of fireworks may have been removed from the stash -- and possibly sold or distributed in small quantities -- before police became aware of the supply.
Also of concern are the fuses which for these larger, more powerful shells, burn much faster than most small-time explosives: at a rate as fast as 100 feet per second. [Sun-Times]
Thursday Afternoon Diversion: MJ vs MJ ...
At the risk of going overboard on the whole Michael Jackson thing, we had to share one more video from the vaults: the video for "Jam" which paired Jackson with Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan. Below is a behind-the-scenes featurette which includes the awkward "casually shooting hoops" scene. After the jump, check out the video in its entirety.
Study: Illinois Kids Rank High In Overweight Study ...
Students at Eberhart Elementary School exercise; AP Photo/M. Spencer Green
In another round of Great News!, it turns out kids in Illinois are getting fatter. In a study just released, based on 2007 data from the National Survey of Children's Health, Illinois children rank fourth in the United States in terms of being overweight or obese with 20.7 percent of the children tipping the scales.
"This is a growing trend, not just in Illinois but throughout the country," said Kelly Jakubek, Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman. "We've worked hard to implement programs that help kids eat more healthily and be more active, but that takes a commitment from parents and students and families."Illinois adults fared better in the report. According to other CDC data, the state ranked 27th for adult obesity at 25.9 percent. An additional 36.4 percent of Illinois adults were overweight.
Illinois was 10th overall for the 10 to 17 age bracket, meaning teens are getting in on the act as well. [Tribune, CBS 2]
Rachael Yamagata Rejoins Bumpus ... To Co-Headline Benefit ...
Rachael Yamagata and Bumpus are playing a show next week at Logan Square Auditorium to raise money for Ryszard Basiura, the father of a friend close to both acts who has been incredibly ill and faces mounting hospital bills. Darren Spitzer of The Changes (ex- of The Changes? Are they even still "officially" together any more?) will be donating his DJ skills between and after the bands as well.
There are no announced plans for Yamagata to actually sing with Bumpus, since she hasn't appeared publicly with the band since 2002. but, c'mon, do you seriously not expect her to join the band for at least one tune? Each artist has progressed immeasurably since they were a team; Bumpus has widened their sound and explored darker lyrical themes while still keeping things danceable a la Sly Stone, and Yamagata's solo output has grown more self-assured as she's mapped out her own artistic vision. But we have to admit that the idea of seeing them belt out past floorshakers like "Some Kind Of Lonely" or (god forbid) their cover of Nine Inch Nail's "Closer" that melted pants into so many puddles on the floor.
Rachael Yamagata and Bumpus play July 9 at Logan Square Auditorium, 2539 N Kedzie, 7:30 p.m., $25 in advance / $30 at the door, 21+
Ditka Dissed ...
Coach Ditka, who graced the ESPN booth for one of their opening weekend Monday Night Football games, will not be in the booth this year. Instead, ESPN is using former star QB Steve Young. Still, as ProFootballTalk was kind enough to share, Ditka had at least one memorable moment in his time in the ESPN booth.
DOWNLOAD: The Horse's Ha ...
James Elkington and Janet Beveridge Bean
But hey, we'll let the music speak for itself. Check out two track from their debut as well as a Slapp Happy cover that didn't make the final cut.
MP3: The Horse's Ha "Asleep In A Waterfall"
MP3: The Horse's Ha "The Piss Choir"
MP3: The Horse's Ha "Slow Moon's Rose (non-album track, Slapp Happy cover)"
The Horse's Ha plays a record release show for Of The Cathmawr Yards tomorrow, July 3, at Schubas, 3159 N Southport, 10 p.m., $10, 21+
CTA Wants To Hear From You ...
Got a gripe for the CTA? Bus bunching? Poor train conditions? Now's your chance to tell them what's wrong and how to improve their service. You can swing by their site and take this survey.
Update: As pointed out by commenters below, it seems the only way to actually take the survey is to select "None of the Above" as your employment. So if you're in marketing, PR, advertising, or anything else related to transportation, the CTA isn't all that interested. Or it's just a glitch.
Ald. Flores Gets Backing On Olympic Cap ...
It looks like Ald. Manny Flores (1st) has a bit of company in his bid to cap Olympic spending. Earlier this week, Flores introduced an ordinance to the City Council and so far 10 more aldermen have signed on to back the cap. They are, according to the Tribune:
- Robert Fioretti (2nd)
- Leslie Hairston (5th)
- Freddrenna Lyle (6th)
- Sandi Jackson (7th)
- Ricardo Munoz (22nd)
- Sharon Denise Dixon (24th)
- Scott Waguespack (32nd)
- Richard Mell (33rd)
- Eugene Schulter (47th)
- Joe Moore (49th)
In addition to the cap, Ald. Flores is also leading a group of aldermen who want a third-party auditor to look at the Chicago 2016 bid cost projections.
Update: Add Willie Cochran (20th) to the list.
Quick Spins: Miike Snow, Discovery, Wonderlick ...
In which we take a quick look at a few recent musical releases.
Miike Snow's "Animal" off their self-titled debut is in the running for two prizes this year. Prize #1: It may beat Phoenix for "most remixed track of the year." Prize #2: It's in the running for summer tune of the season. It's simple melodies, and the interesting laying of a reggae beat over a driving snare transform it into something simultaneously sunny and laid back. The remainder of the album never reaches the heights of "Animal," but it provides enough energetic and cooly catchy moments--and by cool we mean air conditioning in a convertible--to keep the listener entertained. And right when you think you have the group pegged, all breathy falsettos and electronic drive, they throw in a mind-bender like the reverse tape-loop disco of "In Search Of," to keep you from underestimating their pop smarts.
Discovery is the side project of members of Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot, and honestly, this should suck and grate our nerves into fine Parmesan since we're not exactly huge fans of either band. But we're pros, so we soldiered on a gave the disc a listen. And then another. And another. And it's good! Rostam Batmanglij and Wes Miles take the more winning points of each of their day-job bands, primarily playful beats and engaging lyrical phrasing, and set them over an electronic pastiche of simple beats and inventive melodic turns. It ain't IDM, but we would go with allowing cerebral hip shakers and a descriptive here. It's simple, effective, and altogether harmlessly enjoyable.
Wonderlick
Topless At The Arco Arena
Did you know that one of the guys from Too Much Joy went on to become the VP of Programming at Rhapsody, and another became a TV producer and video director? We didn't either. Nor did we know that the two in question, Tim Quirkand Jay Blumenfield had gotten back together and had been messing around in the studio under the name Wonderlick. Nor did we know that they had recorded an album, Topless at the Arco Arena, that comes out next week. Or that said album would be stuffed with genre jumping tunes, some of which are awesome power pop and some of which are overproduced alterna-dreck, but most of which are just solid workmanlike songs that actually do carry the unmistakable stamp of dudes kinda just making music for themselves and then releasing it later almost as an afterthought. And it's that segment of the band's work that has caused Topless at the Arco Arena to keep creeping onto our playlists with silly synth-punk like "Everybody Loves Jenny (Except Jenny)" or the Lite-NOFX (yeah, that one got us too) of "This Song Is A Commercial." We have a hard time taking Wonderlick seriously, but we don't think that's what their aiming for, and we're cool with that.
Teen Learns Counterfeiting Doesn't Pay ...
One enterprising Chicago teen is learning you can't sell fake money. The Secret Service arrested 18-year-old Arthur J. Williams III for selling counterfeit $100 bills. According to NBC 5:
The individual agreed to cooperate and purchased fake bills from Williams on three occasions. On June 16, Williams allegedly sold the person 24 counterfeit $100 bills for $480. He sold 30 additional bills for $600 on June 17, and another 10 for $200 on June 23, the complaint alleges. After each transaction, agents matched the serial numbers of the bogus bills and discovered counterfeits with the same numbers, totaling $112,900, had been passed in at least a dozen states nationwide in recent months.Williams could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Around Town ...
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United Back Online ...
AP Photo/M. Spencer Green
Seems United has got things churning again out at O'Hare as the check-in kiosks are back online. But it'll take some time to untangle from today's earlier mess so we still highly recommend you check your flight status online if you're flying the friendly skies. [CBN]
Do This: Iron Cupcake Challenge ...
Fancy cupcakes are a trend that won't die - and we're totally fine with that. But what if you want to do more than just buy cupcakes? If you fancy yourself the equal of Susan's, More or Sensational Bites, throw your hat in the ring and join the Iron Cupcake Challenge. Competitors bring their best cupcakes in for judgment and the winner takes home cupcake glory and prestige. This month's theme is Tropical cupcakes, so bring your best coconut/banana/passionfruit/rum icing and your favorite pastry bag! Does your cupcake reign supreme?
The competition is being held at Veranda Greek American Taverna (5700 W. Irving Park Rd.) on Monday at 6 PM. If you want to get a sense of the competition, here are some pictures from the last Iron Cupcake Challenge; the theme was citrus. Whet your appetite for our upcoming review of More Cupcakes and join in!
For more information or to register, email beautifulcakes@sbcglobal.net
Image via Bleeding Heart Bakery on flickr.
State Comptroller: There's Still Time ...
State Comptroller Dan Hynes is saying there's still time to save payments to state workers in spite of the fact there's no budget and state lawmakers are waiting until July 14 to return to Springfield, one day before the next checks are scheduled to go out. Hynes says the payroll will be ready to go in case a budget is finalized. In addition, Hynes told WBEZ that social services won't be hurt until later in the summer since money is not immediately delivered, even when the state has a working budget: "If they provided services today, by the time they got their paperwork into the agency and it's submitted to our office, and with the cashflow delays we're having, we're talking several months. So that's why the day-to-day social services don't have a real, hard-and-fast deadline like a payroll does." It's the first time we've heard a "Don't Panic" from a state official, but it's being drowned out by the political posturing of those in charge of putting together the budget.
Free Agency Farewell, Blackhawks Edition ...
The Bulls weren't the only team bidding farewell to free agents. The Blackhawks joined the club, as two key players from this past season's playoff run have flown the United Center coop to other destinations.
First, goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is Edmonton-bound after parting ways with the Blackhawks. The Bulin Wall signed a four years, $15 million deal with the Oilers. Khabibulin, who won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, split time in goal this season with Cristobal Huet, going 25-8-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
Next, with yesterday's signing of Marian Hossa, it seems inevitable that Martin Havlat would part. And part he did, going to the Minnesota Wild, signing a six-year, $30 million deal. But things aren't so cheery from Havlat's point of view. On June 23rd, Havlat tweeted, "Everyone should know I am only thinking about signing with Chicago. It's where I want to be." After yesterday's deals, though, things aren't so rosy. Havlat then tweeted, "Excited to be in Minny where I was welcomed and appreciated by management. The real story about what happened in Chicago to come out." Of course, he added, "Thanks to all Hawks fans for your love and support over the last 3 years. Will never forget your generousity [sic] and the great playoff run!"
Also leaving the team for other waters were center Sammy Pahlsson, heading to Columbus, and defenseman Matt Walker, who signed with Tampa Bay.
[Sponsored] ...
Review: Public Enemies ...
Once upon a time there was an outlaw named John Dillinger. While the country was in the depths of the Great Depression, he robbed a lot of banks. In fact he robbed so many that the FBI made him Public Enemy No. 1. One by one all his cronies were killed, and his moll Billie Frechette was captured and put in jail. On a hot summer evening Dillinger made the mistake of going to the air-conditioned Biograph Theater to see Manhattan Melodrama, starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy. As he left the show he was gunned down in an alley and died.
That's the legend, and the plot, and the depth of Public Enemies. To quote Leonard Maltin, its only new insight is that crime doesn't pay. In a perverse attempt to camouflage what is essentially the same gangster picture that's been made since the depths of the Great Depression, filmmaker Michael Mann chooses to shoot it largely handheld on digital video and keeps the action choppy. Although the screen is filled with scores of original locations and the best production design money can buy, the movie comes off like a longer, noisier episode of Cops. It's a faux realism that feels airless and joyless. In past films like Thief and The Insider, Mann has shown a flair for emotional stylization, but here he's just dull: no glamor, but no grit either.
As usual, Johnny Depp has a certain nonchalant charisma. His Dillinger is almost like 50's-era Elvis in certain moments. But Christian Bale is woefully miscast as ace g-man Melvin Purvis. You keep hoping to see him throw down his badge and don the Batsuit. Instead all you get is Bale in stonyfaced sourpuss mode. Give the man some prunes. The other main characters are flat archetypes, especially Dillinger's cohorts Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd; the movie doesn't care to elucidate the motivations for anyone's behavior and they're too uninteresting to even rate as enigmas. Even Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard, as Dillinger's main squeeze Billie, is given little more to do than chew on her accent (although, admittedly, it's a delicious one.)
The truly interesting figures are all shoved into the background, including the female sheriff of Crown Point, Indiana (Lili Taylor, wasted), mobster Frank Nitti (Bill Camp) and no-nonsense Texas agent Charles Winstead (an arresting Stephen Lang), who shares the film's best scene with Cotillard at the very end.
In fact, largely because we know what's coming the end is the best part of the movie: fate relentlessly closing in on Dillinger during a carefully calibrated sequence at the Biograph. Closeups of Gable and Loy are skillfully intercut with the audience in the theater and the agents taking their positions on the street outside. It has an emotional resonance that's largely missing from the rest of the movie.
You might be better off staying home and renting The Untouchables instead. Sure, it plays fast and loose with history, and it's contrived as all get out, but it's got more vitality in any of its five minutes than Public Enemies has front to back.
Morning Box Score ...
Cubs Boot Bucs
The Cubs got another outstanding start from Randy Wells and actually didn't squander it on their way to a 4-1 win over the Pirates. Taking two of three from Pittsburgh, the Cubs have a little momentum coming off their road trip. Wells pitched seven innings, striking out four and allowing a single run in the first inning. Of course, Wells never trailed as Derek Lee blasted a two-run shot in the top of the first. Kosuke Fukudome added a solo shot later and Geovany Soto knocked in a run as well. The struggling team of Marmol & Gregg bounced back with each pitching a scoreless inning to secure the win. Most importantly for the Cubs is that with first-place Milwaukee's loss to New York last night, the Cubs find themselves only three games back with the Brewers coming to town for a big four-game series this weekend.
White Sox Sweep Tribe
Break up the Pale Hose! With their 6-2 victory last night over Cleveland, the White Sox have now won five straight. Tied at 1-1, Ramon Castro put the Sox ahead for good with a three-run shot. Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham, and Paul Konerko each knocked in a run as well. On the mound, Jose Contreras pitched lights out for the Sox, going eight strong innings, striking out eight and allowing only the two runs. Matt Thornton pitched a scoreless ninth in mop-up duty. Like the Cubs, the White Sox are easily within striking distance of first in spite of their struggles. Detroit lost last night leaving the Sox just three games back of first place.
CPS Ax Comes Down ...
We mentioned it yesterday, but the numbers are in and they aren't pretty. In the first round of cuts meant to save money, the Chicago Public School System has cut 557 jobs. The cuts lower the CPS deficit by about $100 million, from $475 million to $375 million with even more cuts expected in the near future. According to the Sun-Times:
"We'd like to save $200 million from layoffs and cutting contracts but we may not be able to get there,'' CPS spokeswoman Monique Bond said. Without firm information from lawmakers on this year's education budget, Bond was hesitant to say whether furloughs could be in the offing. "Who knows what we will have to do?'' she said.Bond said 212 employees based in the central office and 345 others who work "citywide" were laid off Wednesday.
The positions included 167 people in "professional mid-management'' making $78,000 to $90,000 a year, Bond said. Human Resources and Information Technology departments in particular were hard hit.
Bond was also vague in the exact positions that were cut, naming "food service" and reading coach positions. Throw in retirements and other position closures, and the CPS could be losing at least 700 employees overall before the next round of cuts.
New Online Tool Brings Transparency To City Payments ...
We were excited to learn that EveryBlock co-founder Daniel X. O'Neil was working with Harper Reed of Threadless fame to develop a new online gadget - but it's not the hyper-local t-shirt you might immediately presume (pretty please?). Instead, the pair produced a new city government transparency toy: CityPayments. And it's likely to be all the rage among us reporters as it gathers momentum. But what does it do? And why do we care?
The database-driven Web site collects all the information provided by the city about who's being paid what by the city of Chicago's bid-management group, the Department of Procurement. The tool then aggregates the information together onto a website and invites users to search for the names of their favorite (or least-favorite) businesses with city contracts. Any payments that have been made to that company during a specific time frame pop up, and the users are encouraged to rate the transaction's viability - tagging this or that auspicious transaction as goofy.
Reporters, bloggers and concerned citizens can then dig deeper into the goofy transactions at the behest of this crowd-sourcing and hopefully find out just where the city's money is going - and why. It's an interesting tool for - the least of which is in the context of the parking meter debacle. It's friendlier than the dataset that the city provides - and in theory, it could provide a window into the darkness of the city's Daley-sanctified business transactions.
It's something that the British newspaper, The Guardian is doing to shed light on the expenses filed by many members of Parliament in the United Kingdom - few of whom have quite the same clout in their country as our beloved ruler does on the city's streets.
It's Ben Expected: Gordon Joins Pistons ...
AP Photo
With Gordon's departure, the Bulls lose their leading scorer from each of his four seasons -- the shooting guard averaged 20.7 points/game during the 2008-09 season, and over 24 points/game during the playoffs. Perhaps it was his spectacular series against the Boston Celtics that priced Gordon right out of the Bulls' plans. For much of the past year, it looked like Gordon's earlier illusions of worth might cost him in the end -- over the past couple years, he'd previously rejected contract offers of $50 million/5 years and $54 million/6 years. Turns out, his gamble paid off. Many are surprised that he ended up finding somebody willing to offer a richer deal, but Detroit is trying to revamp its team after a disappointing season. Having fired coach Michael Curry yesterday, Detroit also agreed to a $40 million deal with Gordon's former UConn teammate, Charlie Villanueva on Wednesday.
And what's the next move for Bulls? In last week's draft, GM Gar Forman selected two power forwards instead of addressing the possibility they might be light in the backcourt. While mid-season acquisition John Salmons played primarily small forward in Luol Deng's absence, perhaps coach Vinny del Negro plans to shift him to shooting guard with Deng recovered from his leg injury. We don't expect the Bulls to make any big free agent slash this year, as they position themselves to lure one of next year's top talents.
Said Gordon when asked about joining the enemy, "The Bulls and Pistons always have had a great rivalry. It will be exciting going against [the Bulls], especially here because this is one of the best sports towns anywhere. I'm definitely going to miss the fans. But being on the other side will be fun too."
Computer Glitch Has United At Standstill At O'Hare ...
The timing couldn't be worse: as people prepare to leave town for the holiday weekend, a computer glitch has left United Airlines at a standstill at O'Hare. The glitch is preventing passengers from checking in and keeping flights grounded. A spokeswoman has said that United flights are landing but taking a while to proceed to the correct gate. A WGN helicopter flew by and the news crew estimated a line of around 2,000 passengers extending outside the United terminal. On their website, United has issued the following statement:
For travel at Chicago O’Hare: We are currently experiencing some delays and cancellations due to an airport check-in system issue. We advise customers to check-in on united.com, confirm the latest information on their flights, and allow extra time at the airport. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we are working to fix the issue.
There were no estimates for when the system would be back online.
Today's Weather: Progress! ...
Today begins a climb back to seasonable warmth and sun. Skies remain mostly cloudy but we think we'll see more sun than yesterday and we'll have warmer temps then yesterday as highs finally cross 70 again. Lows overnight will be in the lower 60s. But an early peek at this weekend's weather shows perfection for our holiday bar-b-ques.
Extra, Extra ...
- R.I.P. acting legend (and Chicago native) Karl Malden.
- Bail was denied for Harold Turner, the blogger from New Jersey currently in jail for threatening several Chicago-area judges over their upholding of Chicago's handgun ban.
- Layoffs began today at the Chicago Public Schools.
- Deadspin claims that ChicagoNow's next big blog acquisition could be none other than Jay Mariotti.
- The Reader's Ben Joravsky breaks down this confusing Daley-Olympic business.
- Time Out Chicago's Frank Sennett paid a visit to closing amusement park Kiddieland and came away with some great pics.
- Some video of mourners at Michael Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, courtesy of Chicagoist Flickr pool contributor Dan Rybicky.
Izard Taking Her Drunken Goat For A Stroll ...
As if Stephanie Izard doesn't have enough irons in the fire between traveling to trade shows and events, media appearances, working on her video podcasts, making wine, writing a cookbook with Time Out Chicago's Heather Shouse in addition to opening the Drunken Goat in January (and she's already making charcuterie for that, bless her heart), now comes word that she's leading up tot he Drunken Goat's opening with a series of underground dinners.
Izard will be doing five "Wandering Goat" dinners ranging in locales from backyards to warehouses. The first one will go down July 26, a BBQ with Allen Brothers meats and Three Floyds beer (which Steph mentioned she was planning in our November interview with us). The one after that will focus on bacon and all its Christ-on-a-stick goodness. The series will culminate with the introduction of Izard's Drunken Goat Wine, made in conjunction with Saviah Cellars in Washington State (makers of "The Jack").
As if the Izard brand needs any further promotion, she'll be announcing when tickets for the dinners go up for sale by announcing them on her Twitter feed. Once the Tweet announcement happens, tickets (at $50 each) can be purchased at her website.
Feel Good Story of the Day: Doctors Doing Good ...
NBC Nightly News last night featured a pair of local doctors giving back to the community.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Sports News Round-Up ...
As we head into the holiday weekend, there's a bit of sports news to catch up on.
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
- If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em. The Chicago Blackhawks signed a pair of former Red Wings players today. The big fish the 'Hawks reeled in was four-time All-Star Marian Hossa for, allegedly, 12-years at $62.4 million. Also signed was center Tomas Kopecky, a two-year, $2.4 million deal.
- The Cubs-White Sox rain-out from June 16th has officially been rescheduled for Thursday, September 3. The game, at Wrigley Field, will start at 1:20 p.m.
- NBA free agency kicked off at midnight last night and so far, no one's offered Ben Gordon a deal, not even the Pistons as had been expected.
- If you still want to vote for your favorite White Sox and Cubs players - may we suggest Jermaine Dye from the Sox and...God...is there any Cub worthy? Derek Lee, we guess? - you have until 10:59 p.m. Chicago time tomorrow night to cast your votes online at MLB.com.
Humpday Diversion: The Best Pipe Organ Tribute To Michael Jackson You'll Hear Today ...
Title says it all.
Quinn Vetos Part Of Budget, Lawmakers Ditch Springfield ...
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
...Quinn vetoed part of that budget, saying it only funded services for the poor and disabled at 50 percent of what he wanted.This part of the budget does not serve the needs of people who "have no lobbyist" or "friends in high places," said Quinn, sounding the same type of populist note favored by his predecessor, indicted ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Ouch.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers will return to Springfield to take up the budget battle again on July 14. That's just one day before the July 15th deadline on which there won't be money to pay state employees. As for why lawmakers are waiting two weeks before returning to take up the budget issues, Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said, "We surveyed members and tried to figure out when their schedules would allow them to come back, with the least amount of disruption to their lives. The president and the speaker are trying to treat members as if they're human beings and they have their own lives." No word on what Madigan, Cullerton, or Quinn thought of the disruption of the lives of state employees who won't be receiving paychecks or the hundreds of thousands who'll be affected by the cuts in social services.