‘More unarmed guards, more crime.’ A Sun-Times analysis concludes the number of violent crimes on CTA trains and buses has reached a level not seen in more than a decade.
■ Police say witnesses’ refusal to cooperate is hindering their investigation of the stabbing of a 21-year-old man at the Red Line’s Roosevelt station.
■ The CTA’s president: “You’re relatively safe on CTA.” (March photo: Harry Carmichael in the Chicago Public Square Flickr group.)
‘It’s not a good place to work these days.’ A Chicago alderman says he’s considering joining a remarkable exodus from the City Council …
■ … who’s announced the creation of 10 new pedestrian plazas—“spaces for recreation, performances, pop-up shops, gardening, and other neighborhood activities”—across the city.
‘The heart of gay Chicago’ on alert. WBEZ: As the Northalsted neighborhood gears up for this weekend’s Market Days celebration, monkeypox is triggering memories of the AIDS crisis.
■ The Conversation: Monkeypox won’t be the next COVID-19, but it is spreading faster than experts expected …
■ … and the Biden administration has declared it a public health emergency.
Sweet surrender. A Lake in the Hills bakery scarred by vandalism and harassment will get to serve up a family-friendly drag-show brunch …
■ … thanks in part to the ACLU’s legal threat to the village.
Alex Jones’ troubles. A jury’s award of $4.11 million in compensatory damages to the parents of a Sandy Hook Elementary School boy killed in a 2012 attack is just the beginning of legal and financial pain awaiting the lying conspiracy theorist.
■ A legal analyst tells CNN that, although that award falls short of the $150 million the couple sought, the jury may have taken into account all the other cases pending against Jones: “If the jury was to award enormous amounts of money … in this case, what would be left for the other victims? He’d be out of money and they’d be out of luck.”
■ Describing his oeuvre as a “collection of conspiracy theories … shouted at you by a man who sounds like his voice was run through a cheese grater,” Men Yell at Me columnist Lyz Lenz names Jones her Dingus of the Week.
■ The Onion: “Jones Concedes Sandy Hook Happened On Mars.”
Crayons, cheap. A 10-day tax holiday begins in Illinois today for back-to-school items including school supplies, shoes and clothes.
■ The state’s list of what’s covered reflects a 19th-century mentality: Neckties and pencil leads, yes; computers and computer supplies, no.
‘Politico, Facebook and Google are aiding in that deception.’ Heated columnist Emily Atkin warns that a fake pro-climate group linked to the Republican Party is running deceptive ads aimed at killing historic climate legislation …
■ … which looks on-track for passage now that mercurial Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is seemingly on-board.
■ A Sun-Times editorial says the bill would be “particularly good news for Illinois” …
■ … but environmental justice advocates also see provisions that, to avert global climate change, would force some communities to endure further harm from local pollution.
News that might suck. Amazon is buying the company responsible for the Roomba line of vacuum cleaners.
■ The Verge: “The combination of Roomba, Alexa, Ring doorbells, and Amazon’s other smart home products … will naturally lead to even more questions around privacy.”
■ Workers at a sixth Chicago-area Starbucks have voted to join a union.
‘Disastrous financial results.’ One of the nation’s largest newspaper publishers, Gannett—with 11 papers in Illinois—is bracing for layoffs.
■ After a tumultuous—but ultimately triumphant—four-year run as publisher of the Chicago Reader, Tracy Baim is stepping down.
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