Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Thursday, September 29, 2016.
- Weather: Cloudy and rainy
It will be gloomy again Thursday, with a high of 67 and a low of 62, but it will likely feel colder. It will also be cloudy, and there’s a good chance of rain off and on. [AccuWeather]
- Trump makes surprise visit to Polish National Alliance in Sauganash
GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Chicago Wednesday morning before a planned lunchtime fund-raiser in Bolingbrook. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the Polish National Alliance, he praised Poland and its people and slammed his opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, calling her “grossly incompetent.” Trump supporter and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke before Trump took the stage. Both protesters and supporters gathered near the event, and anti-Trump graffiti was written on the alliance’s building. [DNAinfo Chicago] [WGN] [Bloomberg]
- Illinois Election Day voter registration law ruled unconstitutional
An Illinois law allowing voter registration at polling places on Election Day has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. U.S. district court judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan, who was appointed by former president George W. Bush, slammed the law for making same-day registration available in counties with 100,000 or more people, but only available at a centralized location and not every polling place in counties with less than 100,000 people. “The application of this legislation favors the urban citizen and dilutes the vote of the rural citizen,” Der-Yeghiayan wrote. [Tribune]
- Go inside the northwest-side state rep race that Rauner and Madigan are funding
Governor Bruce Rauner and Illinois House speaker Mike Madigan are playing out their rivalry in the expensive race for the 20th District Illinois House seat. The race between Republican incumbent state rep Michael McAuliffe, the only Chicago Republican in the Illinois General Assembly, and Democrat Merry Marwig has been infused with cash from Rauner and Madigan’s camps. Despite the support, both candidates are trying to claim their independence from the state’s two most powerful men. [Sun-Times]
- What happens when Chicago’s public housing becomes mixed-income developments?
The dramatic shift from public housing developments like Cabrini-Green and the Robert Taylor Homes to mixed-income housing built by the private sector has left a shortage of homes for the former residents of public housing. Journalist Zach Mortice has written a comprehensive and fascinating article on the Chicago Housing Authority and the city’s problems with affordable housing today. [Curbed Chicago]
- Chicago Cubs playoff tickets are likely to be the most expensive in MLB history
Anticipation is high for the Cubs’ upcoming playoff games and the ticket prices are even higher. Based on current ticket resale prices, tickets to see the Cubs play in the postseason at Wrigley Field are on track to be the highest ever in baseball history, according to Forbes. [Forbes]