Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Wednesday, August 17, 2016.
- Weather: Very humid
Expect a high of 85 and a low of 72 Wednesday—with humidity it will feel like a high of 94. A thunderstorm is possible in spots throughout the day and evening. [AccuWeather]
- Madigan orders release of Laquan McDonald shooting e-mails
Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan has ordered the release of e-mails sent by police officers regarding the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald. Messages discussing the high-profile killing were sent on the cops’ private e-mail accounts. “This binding opinion will hopefully make clear that public employees cannot evade FOIA by using private devices when conducting public business,” public-access lawyer John Costello told the Tribune. [Tribune]
- Connecting the dots between Trump’s Chicago deals and his campaign promises
At one point GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump promised to give early buyers of condos at the Trump International Hotel and Tower a 10 percent discount. But as he watched the demand and prices increase, he took back his promise. “Even when he’s bound by a written contract, that still doesn’t limit what he thinks he can say or do,” local attorney Nathan Diamond-Falk, who bought a condo in the tower, told Bloomberg. “I wouldn’t believe a word he says.” The broken promise in Chicago has political observers wondering if he would follow through with his many foreign policy promises if elected. [Bloomberg via Crain’s Chicago Business]
- Two high-ranking Chicago police officials leave the department
Two high-level officials in the Chicago Police Department are leaving: first deputy chief John Escalante, former interim superintendent, and deputy chief David McNaughton, who had been criticized for finding Jason VanDyke in compliance with CPD policy when he shot Laquan McDonald 16 times. The department also announced that it’s reviewing a new report from city inspector general Joe Ferguson on the McDonald shooting. [Associated Press via WBEZ]
- Chicago misses the cut on Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants list
Bon Appetit magazine surprisingly shut out Chicago in its latest Best New Restaurants list. Four new restaurants in the city were among the 50 nominees, but none made the final cut down to ten winners. [Tribune]
- Meet the Lane Tech alum coaching Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time
A Chicago native coached gymnastics prodigy Simone Biles to the top of her sport. Aimee Banghart Boorman, who graduated from Lane Tech in 1991, has been coaching Biles in Texas since the Olympics gymnast was six years old, and has guided her to four gold medals (and a bronze) at the Rio Olympics. “There are times when she has to push me because I’m not pushing myself enough, but everyone needs someone in their life to do that,” Biles told the Houston Chronicle. [DNAinfo Chicago] [Houston Chronicle]