Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
- Weather: It won’t get above freezing
It won’t get above freezing Wednesday, with a high of 31 and a low of 19. It will be cloudy all day and into the evening. [AccuWeather]
- CPD top cop Eddie Johnson: Only “certain parts of the city” are violent
The perception that every Chicago neighborhood is plagued by shootings and murders bothers Chicago Police Department superintendent Eddie Johnson. “The truth of the matter is Chicago is not out of control,” he said Tuesday during a City Club of Chicago breakfast. “There’s certain parts of the city that we have to address the violence.” [Tribune]
- Chicago bracing for “political power outage” during the Trump administration
Chicago is facing a “political power outage” as president-elect Donald Trump gets ready to replace President Barack Obama, according to Bloomberg. “Nowhere will political power evaporate more dramatically at noon on Jan. 20 than in the third-largest U.S. city, a bastion of Democratic power that’s enjoyed special access to Washington during President Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House,” writes Bloomberg reporter John McCormick. Karen Hughes, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, compared the bleak future of Illinois elected officials in Washington, D.C., to the status of Texas legislators during the Obama administration. [Bloomberg]
- Rahm, City Council ask Rauner to support Chicago’s sanctuary city status
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, newly sworn in Illinois comptroller Susana Mendoza, and most of the Chicago City Council sponsored a resolution asking Republican governor Bruce Rauner to support Chicago’s sanctuary city status. The legislation asks Rauner to publicly show “support for cities that welcome our undocumented family members and neighbors and condemn any effort to strip the city of Chicago of federal funding.” [Tribune]
- Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book is the first Grammy-nominated streaming-only album
The Recording Academy nominated Chance the Rapper for seven Grammy awards Tuesday, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. His Coloring Book is the first streaming-only album ever to be nominated for a Grammy. The trailblazing rapper has become popular and acclaimed without being signed to a record label. [Forbes] [Wired]
- Former Bears player, Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam dies at 42
Former Chicago Bears running back and winner of the Heisman Trophy Rashaan Salaam has passed away at age 42. He was found dead in a park in Boulder, Colorado, Monday evening; according to ESPN, there were no signs of foul play. The Bears picked Salaam in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft. [ESPN]