Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Wednesday, November 9, 2016. Here’s some non-election-related news, for those of you who’d rather crawl back in bed.
- Weather: Sunny and nice
It will be a bit cooler Wednesday, with a high of 56 and a low of 41. It should be sunny and gorgeous outside. [AccuWeather]
- Local officials call for respect, calm after Mount Greenwood police shooting
Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked Chicagoans not to use hateful rhetoric after the shooting of 25-year-old Joshua Beal by an off-duty Chicago Police officer Saturday. “There is no place in the city of Chicago for racially, culturally, or ethnically tinged language,” he said. “It is totally unacceptable. You can have a protest. You can make your views known without it spilling over to anywhere that in any way demonizes anybody for their race, their ethnicity or their culture.” Pro-police and anti-police protesters clashed after the high-profile shooting and racial slurs were reportedly thrown around. [Tribune]
- Rahm will answer questions from the public in rare radio town hall
More than 40 AM and FM radio stations will carry a “Chicago Radio Town Hall Meeting” November 14, featuring Mayor Emanuel in conversation with veteran TV anchor Bill Kurtis. Emanuel is supposed to address “pressing issues facing the city,” and residents can submit questions for the mayor via ChicagoRadioStations.com or by using the hashtag #ChicagoRadio on social media networks including Twitter and Instagram. [Robert Feder]
- Kendall County judge rules against dismissing lawsuit against Dennis Hastert
A Kendall County judge has ruled that an abuse victim of former U.S. House speaker Dennis Hastert can continue his lawsuit against Hastert. Hastert is currently in jail in Minnesota after pleading guilty to violating federal banking laws by making hush-money payments to the plaintiff, whom Hastert sexually abused when he was a wrestling coach at Yorkville High School. [Sun-Times]
- Construction boom leads to postrecession record number of cranes and construction permits
There have been 48 tower cranes used for the construction of new high-rise buildings in Chicago so far in 2016, and the number of cranes currently operating in the city broke a postrecession record. The number of construction permits issued by the city is also at a five-year high. [Curbed Chicago]
- The Northwestern University-British royal family connection
Prince Harry is dating Northwestern University alumna and actress Meghan Markle, he confirmed in a statement. He slammed the media for their coverage of speculation about his private life and “social media trolls” for their racist and sexist comments about Markle, who is biracial. [Tribune]