By Steve Rhodes
By the way, half of those new lawyers I mentioned yesterday graduated in the bottom 50 percent of their class.
Posted on November 6, 2019
The [Tuesday] Papers
The [Monday] Papers
By Steve Rhodes
Re-upping from Friday:
Today is the first day of NewsMatch, in which a collective of foundations match donations to nonprofit news organizations. I’m not one of them, but I’m running my own NewsMatch: I will match your Beachwood donation personally! https://t.co/rCTNLumrV9
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) November 1, 2019
Posted on November 4, 2019
The [Thursday] Papers
The [Wednesday] Papers
By Steve Rhodes
So here’s a piece I wrote for The Grade, a site about education journalism run by former Chicagoan Alexander Russo, about media coverage of the CTU strike. Those who have been reading my CTU Strike Notebooks might recognize some of the themes, only – like the piece longtime Chicago education journalist Maureen Kelleher pulled together from my work here for Chicago Unheard – in more succinct form.
It’s been terribly frustrating trying to discuss these things with CTU members and their advocates. I understand everyone is really ginned up and emotions are running high, but I wish we could all agree to recognize facts as facts and lies as lies regardless of whether doing so “hurts” the cause. On either and all sides. CTU – just like CPS – does itself no favors, at least with journalists, by continuing to propagate myths like the notion that $1.3 billion is not only sitting in Lincoln Yards’ TIF account but can be transferred to CPS and solve all its problems. There actually isn’t even a single penny in the Lincoln Yards TIF account, unless they had to deposit a penny with the bank to create it. That’s just not how it works.
Maybe the worst part? CPS kids who have been propagandized on this false talking point.
— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) October 29, 2019
You’re not supposed to teach lies.
Posted on October 30, 2019
The [Tuesday] Papers
By Steve Rhodes
This is a non-CTU strike column; it’s a moving target today. Let’s see what shakes out.
Also, I’m on a deadline for an assignment and I’ve also spent entirely too much time on Twitter today battling the forces of factual evil. So I’m just going to turn the top of this column over to our very own David Rutter, who sent me this note the other day:
“This falls under the general description of answers that I don’t know, but apparently everyone else does.
“Cheryl Burton is getting the Chicago Journalists Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award this year. The CJA president says it’s to honor this: ‘Chicago has watched a career built on hard work and merit and conscientious commitment to diverse narratives, with a strong sprinkling of resilience and humility, and firm dedication to giving back through service work with myriad organizations.’
“Whut?
Posted on October 29, 2019
The [Monday] Papers
By Steve Rhodes
“As the Chicago teachers strike enters its eighth day on Monday, both the Chicago Teachers Union and the city appear to be digging in, each side blaming the other for a failure to land a deal,” WBEZ reports.
Are both sides digging in, or is one side dug in and, in the mayor’s words, refusing to take yes for an answer? Just asking!
Posted on October 28, 2019
The Weekend Desk Report
By Steve Rhodes
“DuPage County Tuesday became the first county in the state to ban recreational marijuana dispensaries,” the Tribune-owned Naperville Sun reports.
However, board members also voted 12-6 to approve a 3% county sales tax on the sale of recreational marijuana in municipalities within DuPage County.
Posted on October 27, 2019
The [Thursday] Papers
CTU Strike Notebook 3 is (still) in progress. Previously:
* CTU Strike Notebook 1: Everyone Is Bullshitting You.
* CTU Strike Notebook 2: Media Misframing.
Also, I’ll (still) deal with the mayor’s proposed budget tomorrow.
Meanwhile . . .
Posted on October 24, 2019
The [Wednesday] Papers
By Steve Rhodes
CTU Strike Notebook 3 is in progress. Previously:
* CTU Strike Notebook 1: Everyone Is Bullshitting You.
* CTU Strike Notebook 2: Media Misframing.
Also, I’ll deal with the mayor’s proposed budget tomorrow.
Meanwhile . . .
Posted on October 23, 2019