Crimestopping breakthrough / New 'L' stop / Great 'Apes'

CRIMESTOPPING BREAKTHROUGH. A new study concludes changing Illinois’ food stamp distribution schedule cut shoplifting by more than 30 percent. And one researcher says that’s just a start.

Plagued by gun violence and drug deals, Chicago’s largest neighborhood by area has dropped to No. 2 in population for the first time in 45 years.
Daily Beast: A Chicago Police sergeant registered racist website domain names.
Add sheriff to the list of offices ex-Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy says he’s being encouraged to run for—but doesn’t want, at least now.

‘AT THE END OF THE DAY, LESS MONEY EQUALS LESS MONEY.’ A Washington Post review of Republicans’ revised health care proposal.
RedState calls out CNN for a biased health-care news tweet that it says exemplifies “why people have such little trust in them.”
 Good news for grandparents: A federal judge has further whittled down the Trump administration’s ban on travel from six blacklisted countries, clearing people with a U.S. grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, brother-in-law or sister-in-law to apply to come here.

‘TRUMP IS A PROBLEM, BUT HE’S NOT THE PROBLEM.’ Neil Steinberg: “The problem is people support him and will continue to do so, no matter the cost.”
Roger Simon: “If he could get away with murder, he could get away with a little collusion, couldn’t he?”
ProPublica reports Trump’s lawyer threatened a stranger by email: “Watch your back, bitch.”
McSweeney’s: How to talk to your teen about colluding with Russia.

NEW ‘L’ STOP. The CTA aims to open the Loop’s latest addition by Labor Day.
But in preparation for that, Wabash Avenue will be closed in the Loop for at least a week beginning Saturday.

‘WHAT THE @&*#! IS BRUCE RAUNER UP TO?’
Crain’s Greg Hinz says that’s what he’s hearing from top Republicans in Springfield, questioning the governor’s shakeup of his administration with assessments like, “He’s mentally ill,” “His re-election chances will go to zero if this continues” and “It’s awful.”
Eric Zorn offers Rauner this advice: “The problem with your administration is that you’ve shown no ability to play the political hand you were dealt. And now you’ve made that worse by stacking your deck with jokers.”

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‘FLOODING OF THIS MAGNITUDE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BEFORE.’ Sure, the weather’s improved around the Chicago area now, but the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is warning that recent days’ stormwater will continue to flow from Wisconsin south into Illinois.
Flooding in Lake County, Ill., forced evacuation of staff and guests at the Lincolnshire Marriott.
What else has been closed by flooding.
The governor will tour flooded areas today.

‘THE WORLD’S WORST PRESS RELEASE.’ The Tribune’s Mary Schmich dissects a dispatch from “the fear industry.”
The Sun-Times will move its HQ under new ownership.
A shareholder has filed suit to block the sale of WGN-TV and Radio parent Tribune Media to openly conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group.

‘WHAT’S WORSE IN THE EYES OF THE NFL — PLAYERS BEATING WOMEN OR KNEELING FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM?’ A sports historian wonders why politically active quarterback Colin Kaepernick doesn’t have a job.
Harley-Davidson plans a dealership across from Wrigley Field.

TELEPORTATION: IT’S A THING. For the first time, scientists have teleported an object—just a photon, but still—from Earth into space.
The Juno space probe has captured the closest images yet of the huge storm that constitutes Jupiter’s great red spot.

PITCHFORK IN THE ROAD AHEAD. The Reader’s guide to this weekend’s festivities in Chicago.
Two members of KISS plan to open at least 10 of their Rock & Brews restaurants in the Chicago area.

GREAT APES.
Dual 3 1/2-star reviews for War for the Planet of the Apes from Chicago critics Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips, who calls it “the best Western of 2017.”
From 1968, Roger Ebert’s review of the original: “If you only condescend to see an adventure thriller on rare occasions, condescend this time.”
A Walking Dead stuntman has died after an on-set accident.
Kermit the Frog’s voice says he was let go and didn’t walk away. And he says he’s “devastated.”

CORRECTION. Yesterday’s Square misspelled the name of New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. As the first attentive reader to note the problem, Neal Robinson earns the save. Spot a goof in Square? Be the first to email MessedUp@ChicagoPublicSquare.com and see your name here, too.

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