Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Happy primary day! Don’t forget to vote!
- Weather: Warm with an evening thunderstorm
The temperatures will reach the 60s, with a high of 61 and a low of 47. It will be cloudy for most of the day but get warmer as the afternoon turns into evening. There’s a very good chance of a thunderstorm with hail and severe winds around 7 PM. [AccuWeather]
- Hillary Clinton didn’t meet with Rahm despite campaign stop
Former president Bill Clinton took some time out of campaigning for wife Hillary Clinton in Chicago last week to meet with former staffer Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But the Democratic presidential front-runner avoided Emanuel while in town for a campaign rally Monday, despite frequently being introduced by high-profile elected officials who have endorsed her. Her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders, has very publicly slammed Clinton for being endorsed by Rahm. [Bloomberg]
- Racial slur heard on Chicago Police Department radio channels
Chicago police are looking into audio of the “N-word” being used on a police radio channel to describe a black police officer and a black dispatcher. It’s unclear who made the statement, and authorities are claiming it was not on an official channel, but the person in question appears to have said “All black lives matter, my ass” before saying, “typical f——— n———.” [DNAinfo Chicago]
- Could the canceled Chicago rally be the beginning of widespread protests against Trump?
The “postponed” Donald Trump rally at University of Illinois at Chicago has empowered citizens outraged by Trump’s divisive rhetoric to speak out and protest against the Republican presidential candidate. The New Yorker‘s John Cassidy believes it is only the beginning—but also thinks the protests could provoke more anger from Trump supporters and spiral into violence. [New Yorker]
- Anita Alvarez declined to file charges against Chicago cops involved in 68+ fatal shootings
Cook County state’s attorney Anita Alvarez is fighting for her political life in the Democratic primary after widespread criticism this fall for her handling of the Laquan McDonald shooting by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. Writing for the Daily Beast, Reader contributor Justin Glawe reviewed public records and found that Alvarez has declined to charge cops involved in the deadly shootings of at least 68 people. [Daily Beast]
- Jay Cutler is actually an asset for the Bears during free-agency season
Bears fans generally have a low opinion of quarterback Jay Cutler. Despite the haters, Cutler actually had a good 2015 season, and his strength as a player is attracting free agents to the team, including defensive end Akiem Hicks. [NBC Chicago]