Good afternoon. It’s Friday, and the invoice rolling again funding for public broadcasting now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature. Right here’s what else it’s essential to know at the moment.
Already going through huge yearly funds deficits, the town of Chicago may face a invoice within the tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} for police extra time in a long-running case on behalf of 8,500 present and former Chicago Police Division workers.
It’s been almost 10 years for the reason that case was filed and virtually 5 years since a federal choose dominated in favor of the officers, who argued the town “willfully violated” labor legal guidelines by miscalculating extra time pay they have been due over a span of years.
However the case has gone on, and curiosity retains constructing as Metropolis Corridor disputes how a lot it ought to pay, my WBEZ colleague Dan Mihalopoulos experiences.
An professional employed by the officers says the town owes the cops someplace between $310 million and $450 million, court docket information present. Metropolis Corridor’s employed professional says it’s a lot much less — not more than about $195 million.
A spokeswoman for the town’s Legislation Division wouldn’t remark. An out of doors lawyer for the town denied accusations from the legal professionals for the police workers that the town has been delaying the authorized proceedings. [WBEZ]
2. Trump’s marketing campaign promise to chop meals costs has fallen quick
Shoppers — pissed off by costs that shot up in 2022 and by no means got here down — are going through the very best inflation stage since February, and tariffs threaten to drive costs increased. Shopper costs rose 2.7% in June, in contrast with a yr earlier, in keeping with Labor Division knowledge launched this week.
Excessive grocery costs performed an outsized position in November’s presidential election, with 7 in 10 voters saying they have been “very involved” in a November survey by The Related Press.
Then-candidate Donald Trump vowed on the marketing campaign path that if he received, he would “instantly carry costs down, beginning on Day One.”
So in December, the Chicago Solar-Instances began monitoring month-to-month grocery costs of 35 gadgets at 4 shops: Jewel, Mariano’s, Goal and Walmart. My colleague Stephanie Zimmermann discovered only a few gadgets truly dropped in value.
At Jewel, Chicago’s largest grocery chain, the shelf costs for all the pieces on her record totaled $262.45 in December and $273.35 in July, a 4.2% enhance. Ten gadgets went up in value, 22 stayed the identical and three declined: Land O’Lakes butter, Campbell’s rooster noodle soup and Tide laundry detergent. [Chicago Sun-Times]
What are you seeing on the retailer? Inform reporter Stephanie Zimmermann at szimmermann@suntimes.com.
Two ordinances have been launched at Wednesday’s Council assembly, the final earlier than the August recess, my colleague Fran Spielman experiences.
One would authorize set up of tons of of video playing machines past safety checkpoints at O’Hare and Halfway airports. The opposite would elevate the longstanding ban on video playing citywide in an try to supply an financial lifeline of kinds to neighborhood bars and eating places combating for survival.
Nonetheless, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has argued the potential jackpot from lifting Chicago’s ban on video playing could be so meager that it’s not price pursuing. [Chicago Sun-Times]
A Cook dinner County choose will permit a Mauritanian-born author and terrorism suspect to testify at a listening to that may decide whether or not a Chicago man imprisoned greater than three a long time for an notorious North Facet homicide will get a brand new trial.
Circuit Court docket Decide Adrienne E. Davis dominated at a short listening to yesterday she would let Mohamedou Ould Slahi testify about his “enhanced interrogation” on the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, beginning in 2003.
The abuse was allegedly overseen by Richard Zuley, on the time a U.S. Naval reservist on depart from his CPD detective job. Years earlier, Zuley allegedly tortured a confession out of Anthony Garrett that led to his conviction for 7-year-old Dantrell Davis’ 1992 deadly taking pictures within the Cabrini-Inexperienced public housing complicated. [WBEZ]
When Chicago’s well-known soul music scene was at its pinnacle within the Sixties and ’70s, the largest artists — from Earth, Wind & Fireplace to Minnie Riperton — shared one key factor: They labored intently with the legendary producer, composer and arranger Charles Stepney.
Regardless of his many contributions, Stepney was not well-known in Chicago after his dying in 1976, my colleague Courtney Kueppers writes.
That has began to vary due to his daughters, who’ve labored to carry recognition to their father’s in depth catalog and contributions.
Their efforts resulted in a 2022 album, “Step on Step,” made up of demos and experimental music Stepney made in his basement studio on the household’s South Facet residence. [WBEZ]
Right here’s what else is occurring
- President Trump repeated his menace to sue the Wall Road Journal after its report on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. [NPR]
- Inexpensive Care Act medical insurance will price the common individual 75% extra subsequent yr, researchers discovered. [NPR]
- CBS will finish “The Late Present with Stephen Colbert” subsequent yr. [NPR]
- Demolition of Chicago’s Damen Silos is underway and may very well be full inside months. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Oh, and another factor …
Pitmasters traveled from throughout the nation final week for Windy Metropolis Smokeout, a barbecue showcase of meats and sauces, to prepare dinner up their very own distinct kinds. Attendees may take pleasure in smoked beef with banana pudding from Texas, brisket and beans from St. Louis and slow-smoked pulled pork from Mississippi, simply to call a number of.
A handful of native distributors arrange store as nicely, showcasing Chicago’s personal barbecue tradition. However what’s Chicago barbecue?
Different states have distinct taste palettes, aspect pairings and even varieties of wooden over which they prepare dinner the meat. On the nationwide scene, nevertheless, Chicago has but to carve out a definite id.
WBEZ went straight to the supply and requested 5 pitmasters to outline Chicago barbecue; you possibly can learn highlights from the interviews within the hyperlink. [WBEZ]
Inform me one thing good …
What have been your favourite locations to buy, whether or not it’s native or a series and whether or not or not it nonetheless exists?
John writes:
“Breslauer’s Division Retailer in Hyde Park supplied a time portal into service-oriented procuring so long as it stayed open. And Boyajian’s Bazaar, lower than a block away, was a tiny nook with a treasure trove of all the pieces you didn’t know you wanted till you bought there.”
Laura writes:
“My favourite place to buy is My Sisters Closet on Devon in Edgebrook.”
Karen writes:
“On a suburban word / I really like Bead in Hand on Harrison in Oak Park. They’ve all the pieces — from tiny Japanese glass beads, genuine African beads and completed jewellery! Costs are truthful and the employees is useful.”
And Debbie writes:
“I can at all times discover one thing pleasant at Hazel on Montrose in Ravenswood, whether or not the event is a birthday, anniversary, new child, housewarming, or only a sparkly new jewellery piece or perfume to spice up my spirits. Their sister clothes store subsequent door is stuffed with kicky originals for women and men. Through the winter holidays, it’s to not be missed, particularly for its treasure trove of ornaments hanging all concerning the store.”
Thanks for all of the responses this week! I couldn’t embrace all of them, however it was nice listening to from everybody.
