Hey there! I totally thought today was Saturday, so you can imagine the rude awakening I got this morning after having a little too much fun last night. Here’s what you need to know today.
1. Enjoy the fall weather while it lasts, because winter is right around the corner. And it may be a wet one.
For some reason I hear a scream in the distance. So weird.
Anyway, the Chicago area may be in store for a wetter-than-usual winter, reports my colleague Courtney Kueppers in a painful reminder that winter happens every year.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean more snow, it could be more rain, more of that yucky mixed precipitation and snow,” said meteorologist Brett Borchardt with the National Weather Service. “But usually in these kinds of patterns we typically see more storms than normal.”
Uh, sounds fun. So when does this party start?
“Normally, Chicago records measurable snowfall around Nov. 18,” Courtney reports. “The earliest measurable snow on record was Oct. 12, 2006. The latest measurable snowfall recorded was just last year, when 0.1 inches of snow didn’t accumulate on the ground until Dec. 28.” [WBEZ]
2. Police promise more patrols near Wrigley Field after a string of kidnappings
But it’s unclear how many officers will be assigned and how long they will remain in the Lake View area that’s home to two major entertainment centers — Wrigleyville and the Northalsted LGBTQ neighborhood formerly known as Boystown.
At least five people were held up at gunpoint over the weekend and forced to get into waiting cars, where their phones and wallets were taken before they were dropped off at a different location, according to police.
Business leaders told the Chicago Sun-Times they wanted a special “entertainment district patrol” to help tackle a 66% rise in crime in the area compared to a year ago.
“If we had dedicated patrols in the district … then we would be able to make that stat go down,” said Maureen Martino, who is executive director of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. [Chicago Sun-Times]
3. Hate crimes are rising in Chicago
Reports of hate crimes in the city have increased 77% so far this year, particularly crimes targeting Jews and Black people, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, citing figures from Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations.
As of Oct. 18, the commission received 77 reports of hate crimes, up from 45 during the same time last year.
Those are just the reports filed with the commission. The Chicago Police Department received 120 reports of hate crimes during the same period.
And city officials say they are worried the situation could get worse.
“I fear deeply the tension escalating after this year as we get closer to the presidential election,” said retiring Ald. Harry Osterman. “It gives me great fear — and I don’t use that word a lot.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
4. Chicago moves to settle civil rights complaints of environmental racism
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration is negotiating with federal officials who say the city discriminated against communities of color by putting polluters into their neighborhoods, reports my colleague Brett Chase at the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has held off on making an official declaration of next steps in an almost two-year civil rights investigation,” Chase reports. “The agency could force the city to make significant and permanent changes to its planning processes or risk losing millions in federal dollars.”
Housing officials began their investigation after a metal shredder tried moving from the largely white and wealthy Lincoln Park neighborhood to an area on the Southeast Side that’s home to many Latino residents and surrounded by Black neighborhoods. [Chicago Sun-Times]
5. Republican efforts to block Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan failed
Justice Amy Coney Barrett and a federal judge rejected two challenges to President Joe Biden’s sweeping plan to forgive some student loan debt for more than 45 million borrowers.
Barrett dismissed an emergency request to block the relief plan’s rollout as a legal challenge from a conservative group is heard in a lower court.
Separately, a federal judge in Missouri tossed out a closely watched challenge brought by six GOP-led states because they failed to show how they would be specifically harmed by the debt relief.
As NPR reports, other cases are making their way through lower courts, but it’s unclear if they will avoid the same fate. [NPR]
Here’s what else is happening
- The Chicago police officer who fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo faces dismissal. [Chicago Sun-Times]
- Survivors of the Highland Park mass shooting say they are fighting back as they cope day by day. [WBEZ]
- Former President Barack Obama endorsed Gov. JB Pritzker’s reelection bid. [Chicago Sun-Times]
- The Chicago Transit Authority is rolling out new schedules this weekend aimed at providing more reliable service. [Chicago Tribune]
Oh, and one more thing …
Did you know Chicago was once the king of wrestling?
This week’s Curious City goes into the ring to tell the story of how television put Chicago on the map for pro-wrestling, enjoying a “golden age” in the 1950s thanks largely to Fred Kohler, who knew TV audiences wanted drama and dash in bigger doses.
“Chicago was it during those years,” said historian and author Richard Vicek. “Fred Kohler called the shots … He decided which wrestlers were going to get the big promotion. Who’s going to win or lose, who’s going to be brought in, who’s going to be sent walking.” [WBEZ]
Tell me something good ...
Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who sent very kind messages about how this is my fourth year writing The Rundown. It really made this week a lot better than it normally would have been.
I may not be as young as I was four years ago — or as sane — but it’s nice knowing I haven’t been alone.
And thank you so much for reading. It really does mean a lot to me.
