‘How is this possible?’ A lawyer for the family of Chicago native Sandra Bland, who died in the custody of Texas police after a 2015 traffic stop, is stunned by discovery of video Bland recorded on her phone during that encounter with an enraged officer.
■ See WFAA-TV's report, including the moment when relatives view the video for the first time.
■ The family wants the case reopened.
Cops arrest cop protesters. Chicago police took 12 people into custody at a downtown rally against the Chicago police union.
■ An ex-Chicago police sergeant has been charged in a September bar attack that seriously hurt two men.
■ Illinois lawmakers are considering a $10 million plan to create a program that helps poor people navigate the legal system for things like violations of building codes and the expunging of criminal records.
‘Trump … would be charged with crimes if he were not president.’ A former federal prosecutor is one of a bipartisan group of hundreds of Justice Department alumni who’ve signed an online statement asserting that Donald Trump would face multiple felony counts if he hadn’t won the 2016 election.
■ Updating coverage: Setting the stage for a constitutional fight, the administration says it won’t give the president’s tax returns to the U.S. House.
■ Sun-Times analysis: Mayor Emanuel is leaving Chicago financially better off than he found it …
■ … but his decision to extend a college scholarship program for Chicago Public Schools students to cover graduates of 12 Catholic schools is raising constitutional questions.
■ Teachers at two Chicago charter schools have ended their strike.
Pot knot. Chicago newspaper editorials are counseling a slowdown in Illinois’ rush to legalize recreational marijuana:
■ The Sun-Times: “Not enough is known about the dangers of driving while stoned or the effects of marijuana on brain development in young people.”
■ The Tribune: “Elected officials are so attracted to legal pot as a new source of tax revenue that they are already counting the money instead of considering the consequences.”
■ A marijuana legalization advocate tells Rolling Stone: Gov. Pritzker’s plan gives current medical pot licensees an unfair advantage.
Alexa’s spying. The Washington Post—owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, remember—explains how Amazon’s smart speakers save every thing they’ve ever heard you say.
■ Asserting that “people are sick of these calls,” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin is pushing legislation that would let consumers file class-action suits against robocalls.
Chicago’s finest dining. The 2019 James Beard Awards, announced last night in Chicago, brought the city’s eateries top honors for Outstanding Restaurateur, Outstanding Baker, and Outstanding Restaurant Design (76 Seats and Over) …
■ … but the judges concluded America’s best restaurant is a Philadelphia joint.
■ Blogger Michael Rosenbaum ranks the five best careers for new grads. (No. 5: Door re-sizer.)
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