[Chicago Public Square will return Jan. 2. More below.]
RAUNER vs. WBEZ. Bruce Rauner complains Chicago’s public radio station is discontinuing his monthly “Ask the Governor” segment not because, as the station says, it would give him unfair exposure during his reelection campaign, but because WBEZ is, in Rauner’s words, “really more of a Democrat station.” (Photo: WBEZ.)
■ Under what one veteran political science prof calls a “bizarre” arrangement, the former College of DuPage board chair secretly paid the Georgetown tuition for the son of her “volunteer” Republican strategist, frequent broadcast political pundit Chris Robling.
A RED LIGHT ON RED-LIGHT CAMS. A Tribune investigation finds that crashes increased at a quarter of the Illinois red-light camera locations that could be studied—but that, 10 years in, state government has ignored requirements to analyze the cameras’ overall impact on safety.
■ Chicago’s inspector general wants to know why almost one in 10 Chicago Police Department vehicles is typically out of commission for maintenance—double the industry standard.
■ Chicago’s Divvy bike system was out of commission this morning after a system update that went awry.
TAX CLIMAX. Updating coverage: The Republican makeover of the U.S. tax system today is near final congressional approval—and a White House celebration.
■ Lynn Sweet in the Sun-Times: “This is not a good deal for many Illinois households.”
■ Robert Reed in the Tribune: “The corporate cash windfall is meant to be reinvested in the country. Corporate America, you can afford it.”
■ USA Today: How Trump’s goals for the tax overhaul changed.
■ The Washington Post: “The best thing going for Republicans right now is low expectations.”
■ The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters director says Stepp left that office “in tatters.”
■ A Better Government Association investigation finds the U.S. agency responsible for nuclear plant safety has been ignoring its own experts’ warnings about potential accidents that can lead to disaster.
FOOD FIGHT. An Illinois appeals court has unanimously turned thumbs down on food truck owners’ fight against rules blocking them from within 200 feet of restaurants.
■ A list of Chicago restaurants serving dinner on Christmas.
■ Chicago’s Christmas weather outlook: Cold, maybe snow.
■ Christmas cards and wrapping: What to recycle and what not to recycle.
■ The puppets from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer animated special are up on eBay for $10 million.
■ The Onion: “Area Man Stops Self After Eating 3 Advent Calendars.”