30¢ a gallon. Mayor Emanuel is proposing to increase Illinois gasoline taxes by as much as that to pay for mass transit and road improvements …
■ … and he’s backing legalized marijuana and casino gambling in Chicago …
■ … and a constitutional amendment to solve the state’s pension funding crunch.
■ The Cook County Board is set to vote today on a plan to raise a planned tax on “booking intermediaries,” like the parking-reservation apps SpotHero and ParkWhiz.
The Bears rent a cop. Illinois State Police admit they provided an escort for the team’s kicker last week on the drive from Lake Forest to practice at Soldier Field. And it’s apparently not the first time.
■ A Tribune investigation: Private security guards get little oversight—even when they shoot someone.
‘Ridiculous’ things.
■ The Tribune’s Eric Zorn: “It’s ridiculous that Illinois law says a registered Chicago voter has only one valid signature to affix to a mayoral nominating petition.”
■ Vox’s Matthew Yglesias says “a completely ridiculous constitutional provision” makes it unconstitutional for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president.
■ PolitiFact names its Lie of the Year—and explains why it so rarely uses the word lie.
■ MSNBC host Chris Hayes recalls his days as a reporter for Chicago’s alternative newspapers.
Trump’s ‘revolting’ prediction. The president says “the people would revolt” if he were impeached.
■ AP Analysis: Trump’s White House confrontation with congressional Democrats “revealed how ill-prepared he is for the biggest political challenge of his presidency.”
■ House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi’s reported Trump takedown: “It’s like a manhood thing for him. As if manhood could ever be associated with him.”
■ Stephen Colbert: “So the wall is a metaphor for his manhood? No wonder he’s having a problem erecting it.”
■ HuffPost: “Google CEO Had To Explain To Congress Why Googling ‘Idiot’ Shows Donald Trump.”
■ New York State’s new attorney general says she’ll launch broad investigations of Trump and his family.
■ Developing coverage: Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen was set for sentencing at Square’s email publication deadline.
‘Arctic death spiral.’ The U.S. government concludes the oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice has all but disintegrated in just three decades.
■ Evanston is Illinois’ first city to pledge to use wholly clean and renewable electricity by 2030. (Link corrected.)
■ Dangerous levels of a brain-damaging metal have been found in a Chicago neighborhood’s air.
■ Satire from The Onion: “Scientists Make Discovery About World’s Silt Deposits But Understand If You Aren’t Interested In That.”
‘The best animated film of the year—and one of the best 2018 films of any kind.’ The Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper gives Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse four stars.
■ The Screen Actors Guild has revealed the full roster of its award nominees.
Perfect for friends who say they want nothing for the holidays. Chicago Public Square is now offering gift memberships. Take a look:
