By Steve Rhodes

“A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from a parks advocacy group that sought to stop construction of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park,” WBEZ reports.
“On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey said there will be no delay in building the $500 million presidential center in a portion of the South Side park.
“‘The facts are clear in this case, and the law is more settled than the parties are suggesting,’ Blakey said. His bench ruling surprised both sides after listening to oral arguments from lawyers representing the nonprofit Protect Our Parks and the City of Chicago at Tuesday’s packed courtroom hearing.”

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Posted on June 13, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

Our man on the rail Tom Chambers weighs in on the Uberpocalypse.
(Ubergeddon? Truth is, both suffixes are pretty stale at this juncture. Yesterday, I called it a Cluberfuck, but that’s not entirely satisfying either.)
Anyway, Tom:

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Posted on June 12, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

“Thousands of Uber drivers and their families and friends were promised a free party Monday night at the Museum of Science and Industry,” Block Club Chicago reports.
“What they got instead was an ‘unorganized catastrophe,’ as one person put it on Twitter.”
This is one of those stories that is simultaneously hilarious and maddening, a self-owning metaphor that in one way – the Fuck Uber! way – is immensely satisfying and in another way – the I am not a monster! way – elicits boatloads of sympathy for those caught in the gears of perhaps the giggest of the gig economy. In other words, it’s got everything, excluding (so far) a happy ending.

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Posted on June 11, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

Did President Trump commit high crimes and misdemeanors? Laura Washington never says. Apparently that’s the last thing on her mind when it comes to impeachment.

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Posted on June 10, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

“When people think of beach volleyball, Chicago typically doesn’t come to mind. California and the East Coast usually are associated with volleyball in the sand,” the Sun-Times reports.
I dunno, when I think of beach volleyball I think of North Avenue Beach. Right? And then I think of a few dumb movie scenes, like the homoerotic and strangely costumed one from Top Gun, or an actual dumb movie like Side Out, starring C. Thomas Howell, Peter Horton and Courtney Thorne-Smith (natch). Then I think about how much I dislike female volleyball outfits on several levels. I don’t ever think about the East Coast. I do think about California – after all that.
(If I ran a news organization, I’d ban leads that presuppose what people typically think, or express a stereotype about something – say, people who have tattoos or ride motorcycles or shoot pool being ruffians, or comics being for kids, I mean, we could recite them all – and then explain how in reality that thing is different. First, it’s not original. Second, don’t tell readers how they or others typically think.)

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Posted on June 8, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

“At least one car of a CTA Green Line train derailed Thursday morning, at the 47th Street ‘L’ station in the Bronzeville neighborhood,” CBS2 Chicago reports.
“CTA spokesman Steve Mayberry said the southbound train derailed near 47th Street around 11:05 a.m.
“The Chicago Fire Department said seven people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The CTA, as of 1 p.m., said it may take up to six hours before service is fully restored. For now, passengers are being bused between Roosevelt Road to 55th Street.”

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Posted on June 6, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

“Legislation that aimed to diversify corporate boards in Illinois passed during the final days of the General Assembly’s spring legislative session, but was stripped of a key provision that would have mandated minority representation,” the Tribune reports.

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Posted on June 5, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

Unexpectedly ran into The Klonsky Brothers at a Logan Square coffee shop this morning and had a lively conversation worthy of Hitting Left, and this afternoon I’m meeting a dear Chicago ex-pat who has subsequently lived in Fiji, China and New York City, so just some quick hits.
* Where Should A Chicago Casino Go?
I’ll have more to say about this later – I think JB Pritzker is abominally wrong about preferring an underserved neighborhood to downtown – but for now, I’ll just re-up this Beachwood beauty:
Welcome To The New Chicago Casino!
Granted, the material is dated, but it’s at least worth the price of admission.

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Posted on June 4, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

I might have some nitpicks, but on the whole, is this the best session of the Illinois General Assembly ever?

— Beachwood Reporter (@BeachwoodReport) June 2, 2019

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Posted on June 3, 2019

By Steve Rhodes

A lot of action in Springfield, obvi.
The superseding Ed Burke indictment. (I looked it up to be sure, and it’s not spelled superceding, which somehow I feel would be more satisfying.)
A misogynist, racist, anti-Semitic, pathologically lying crime boss as president.
But first: Weekend at Benny’s!

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Posted on June 2, 2019